Reading. Riting. Rithmetic.

I am exhausted.

I’ve spent the last week and a half trying to “catch-up” and put myself in a position where I feel like I am able to return to school after fall break and avoid feeling overwhelmed. I’m not caught up, but I’m not buried either.

So how did I get myself into this mess?

I’m not the most organized person in the world. Some people would think I am, but appearances can be deceptive. Like a duck on water, I appear calm (and organized), but beneath the surface, I am frantically paddling to stay afloat.

Most of my days seem like a variation of that old video game, Asteroids. I am frantically trying to blow up all the objects flying at me before I am destroyed. On most days there are no punches pulled. A full schedule. Soles of my feet burnt from stomping out fires. Email inbox like a swarm of mosquitos. Wait…did I eat lunch? Nope. Operating in crisis mode. And suddenly, the urgent takes precedence over the important.

It shouldn’t be like that, right? It’s education. Simple. Show up. Teach kids. Go home at four pm. Take weekends and summers offer. It’s a cush job. Just ask this guy.

Reading. Riting. Rithmetic!!!

It’s no wonder I’m so tired (as well as so many of my colleagues in education). Making plans to brainwash kids takes a lot of time and mental energy.

I’m not entirely certain what this poster means when he says, “All this other BS,” but I’m going to guess he is talking about issues of equity, social-emotional skills, empathy, civility, and other so-called “soft skills.” Because we know the world doesn’t need more of that BS.

Reading. Riting. Rithmetic. The three R’s — or more accurately the one R, the one W, and the one A — will undoubtedly be the answer to all of society’s ills.

Actually, it seems to me, all the other BS is the more pressing issue.

No worries. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay. I have a plan to get myself back on track and stay there (different post, different day). Tomorrow, I’ll take a break from brainwashing and head into the Arizona wilderness for a few days of fishing, reading, writing, rest, and stargazing. After that, I should be ready to tackle all that other BS.

Opinions in this post are my own and do not represent the opinions of my employer or other brainwashers.