I made a big decision yesterday. It wasn't easy to make and I'm not sure if it was the right decision still. Last year I ran a lunch time gardening club with some of the junior school children at my work. I have decided not to continue with it this year.
I realised that I have a lot on my plate this year. Well, I knew that I would when I applied for my study scholarship, but I really realised it. I have started my studies and been enthused by, well, getting better at my job. I am loving doing the readings, I think about the lectures, I'm working on my assignments and I'm planning how I can improve myself as a teacher and coach at work. I am loving it.
But even though it is a part time study load, it is on top of my part time work hours. I have committed myself to a full time load!
I really enjoy Gardening Club. The kids all want to be there, they are enthusiastic and it is such a fantastic learning opportunity in so many ways. I plan for the club like I plan for lessons, I grow seeds and seedlings to take in for us to grow at school, I put in a lot of my own resources and half hour that it is supposed to be, often has me shooing kids to class after 40 minutes and me having no lunch break. it is time consuming and requires thought, planning and money.
Unfortunately when I was considering what things I can let go of to increase my chances of successfully getting through work and study this year, I realised that gardening club is one of those things. Without gardening club I still have a half hour duty, but it's regular duty. No planning necessary, except maybe a spare pair of shoes so I don't have to walk around the oval in heels...
I do feel like a bit of a gardening sell out here, but hopefully it will give me that bit of time that I can be out in my own garden and not getting things ready for the garden at school.
You can only do so much. The more time you can give to your garden at home, the more your own children benefit, so you are still doing gardening club, only for fewer kids!
ReplyDeleteA tough decision indeed, but not a permanent one I'm sure. Next year or the year after you'll be back :) And you never know, the children at school might get one of the other teachers to carry on the club in your absence. Good luck with the study!
ReplyDeleteKids can be fun to work with, specially if you and they are enthusiastic. Your time is precious PG so I'm sure you did the right thing, but maybe again some time huh? - Dave
ReplyDeleteThanks for being so supportive everyone. After I had the playground roster changed another teacher offered to help me out with gardening club saying how much her students had enjoyed it and how she wanted to be a part of it too... How easy it would have been to have changed my mind back again. It's not running this year still, and now I feel worse about it.
ReplyDeleteBig picture PJG! Being a mum, wife, friend and daughter, teaching and studying and doing all of the essential important things like gardening, family bike rides and pancake Thursdays. That's what I need to focus on!
And when I am a Master of Education I can do it all! Well, maybe not, but the study will be done so I'll have time to garden at work again...