Goals for Next Year

Tomorrow is my last day at work for this school year, as I begin my maternity leave on Wednesday. Though I am thinking heavily about the upcoming changes in my personal life, I am also wrapping my mind around the fact that I won't be back at school until August. Naturally, I have begun to consider my goals for the next school year.

Next year will be my fourth year of teaching and I will no longer be considered "New Staff" under our district induction program. I am also going to be a new, working mother. How will I balance baby and work? The eternal 21st Century question indeed. How will my professional goals change? Will my career path go stagnant? Will I feel guilty going to work everyday? I am tired now- how tired will I be in August? Will my child grow and learn at Daycare? Will my students suffer from the effects my tired days? I bought a book called I Love Mondays by Michelle Cove on the work life balance. My goal is to read it this summer. 

I have also been reading about Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and her philosophy that women could gain more work life balance support if they put MORE energy into their careers and achieve higher positions in the work place. With women having higher positions, they can better advocate for a family-friendly workplace, she argues. 

I am struggling with the notion of best laid plans and the contrary belief that one must set goals and stick to them. I have come up with a list of goals for next year. I know they need to be flexible as I do not yet know what my daily life will be like with an infant; but I also know that my goals need to be set and I need to have a plan to achieve them. 

Goals for 2013-14 (wow...2014!)

1. Connect with students- I will not be coaching because I want to spend more time with my daughter and I have always found coaching to be a great way to connect with students. I hope to make connections with students so that they would feel comfortable coming to me with their problems or their successes. Hopefully a little Mommy instinct with help with this as well. 

2. Stay Positive- and know that the choices I have made for my career and my family are right for me.

3(The not so serious one). Save pennies for coffee- I can sleep when I am dead. 

4. Continue my graduate studies- by taking at least one class per semester. This is important enough to me to take the time to do it. 

Happy Summer!