It’s cloudy and rainy out today. I was hoping to spend some time outside since it has been unseasonably warm (no complaints here). Instead, I am taking the opportunity to catch up on writing. Alas, my blog has been one of the things that has lost priority in the hierarchy of daily events.
After skimming through my last post, I realize how other things have lost momentum in the past month. Lately, it seems that reading and writing for personal benefit has been replaced with reading and writing for school purposes. I am currently in a post-master’s program, with a focus on educational leadership. The most recent class for the program began on January 17th… so now with the coursework and extra-curricular responsibilities (including mentoring a student teacher, facilitating an after-school program, and organizing a school event), my time has been distributed in different ways. Thankfully, yoga and daily drawing have managed to remain at the top of my priority list.
(*Side note, I do not have children yet. I can only imagine how schedules and time priorities must change to effectively support the needs of a family. Kudos to parents out there who are balancing their time in different ways!)
Within my own time management juggling act, I’ve found time for new opportunities and experiences over the past few weekends. To recap:
My cousin and I participated in the Women’s March in Washington DC on January 21st. It was so inspiring to see men and women gathering together to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns regarding the new presidency. Although it was a protest, it was a peaceful and impactful moment in history. There was an overall positive energy throughout the event.
My poster for the Women’s March
A coworker recently asked me to facilitate a painting event for her daughter’s 6th birthday. Although I had never taught a paint party before, I was excited for a new experience. The ages ranged from 2-8 (with adult assistance for the younger children). Needless to say, it was an unusual teaching circumstance. I was more interested in the children enjoying the experience than creating a piece that looked like the example. I enjoyed seeing all of the different outcomes based on wide range of ages and abilities.
Painting Party Example
Last weekend I went to the MAEOE Conference for outdoor education. Two of my colleagues and I presented about becoming a Green School in a multicultural school setting.
The conference was a great opportunity to network with people from different organizations relating to outdoor education. This year’s theme was specifically focused on the science and art relationship. One of the keynote speakers was an eco artist who shared her experiences and processes with ‘nature as her client’. Stacey Levy is an installation sculpture artist who uses the outdoor setting as her canvas. She finds ways for her art to interact and transform with the changes of seasons.
Yesterday, Andy and I participated in a partner yoga session. It was fun to try something new together. We surprised ourselves in our strength, balance, and flexibility throughout different poses. The yoga instructors said they would send out a digital handout with instructions for home practice.
Today has been dedicated to relaxation and reflection (and binge-watching a new show!). It feels good to catch up on writing after several busy weekends.
How do you balance your time?