Last weekend, we were off to Iowa City to visit with family of my wife, a group we’ve not seen in probably five years.  As we are getting ready to head down, I’ve got a couple of different blog ideas bouncing around and I Tweeted that out, that I was looking to get a blog in while visiting.

I got a one word response from a follower that made all the difference:

 

“Priorities”

 

After that, the blog, the ideas, all of it were pushed back.  Sure I tweeted out a few things, but for the most part, that idea that I HAD to sit down right there and put something together, it went to the wayside.  I think as teachers, we often misplace our priorities, and with good reason.  We spend hours hearing about how education is failing, that we have sweet jobs with 3 months of vacation, and that we are the ones who “can’t” because we are teachers.  We push ourselves to prove nay sayers wrong, reading, writing, coming up with new ideas, and sometimes, we put our families, friends, and others in our lives in the wrong spot.

 

When it comes down to it, I want to be remembered for being a great dad, a loving husband, the perfect son (:D), and a fun uncle.  If I base my entire existance around teaching, where does that leave everything else?  I could spend so much time preparing for this upcoming year, heck I HAVE spent that time all ready. But with daughters who are just entering high school and middle school, will they remember our time together as me working constantly during the summer?

 

Now, don’t get me wrong, this is prime time for getting ready, and I am.  My stack of books is high, my desire to create a better classroom drives me to do better.  But yet, I’m learning that sometimes, we just need to think about where our priorities are at, and change them.  Not forever, but maybe a day.  A week.  Or until those close to us know that yes, we are great teachers, but we are also great people as well.

 

And at the end of the day, I want to be known as a great all around person.

 

“Priorities…” This will be something share with my students this year, and we’ll see where our classroom priorities fall.