TL;DR:

• Professional development is amazing but so is taking time for personal development.
• Find something you enjoy that helps you grow personally.
• Don’t feel guilty for regularly making time for yourself.

I have a not-so-dirty, not-at-all-secret little secret. I love professional development! Summer means time for reading all the PD books I bought but couldn’t get to during the school year. Webinars, trainings, ideas from social media, if it’s something I can use to be better at my job, sign me up! Some colleagues are impressed by my initiative; most think I’m more than a little odd for loving PD like I do. I know there are other educators who appreciate chances to improve as teachers. There are many who only engage in what’s required for relicensure. Yet there’s another kind of PD all teachers can be excited about but which we ignore: personal development.

Spending time on something for the sheer joy of the thing is the best form of self-care. You are investing in yourself and what you need. Click To Tweet

Rekindling My Spark

Christmas morning, my son giddily handed me a present. He was nearly as excited for me to open it as he was about his own gifts. It turned out my husband bought me an amigurumi kit from a company I’d unconsciously been mentioning for weeks (the company’s name makes me giggle and the amigurumi they have are adorable). He felt if I talked about it so much, buying it was the logical next step. I’d taken up crochet a little over a decade ago and enjoyed it but never felt I had time enough to finish a project. The blankets and scarves I’d made were always well-received, but the instructions don’t tell you it will take a month or two to make a blanket. With the amigurumi, I spent a few nights working and finished with an adorable piece to keep or gift.

Sharing My PD

My recent crochet was not my first foray into artistic expression. As the lead teacher in my content, I like to share little gifts with my teammates. When painted rocks were a thing, I bought a set and spent the week before school making little crafts for my co-workers. Rocks with “Teachers Rule” and “Keep Calm and Teach On” were ready to brighten desks on Day 1.

A few years back, inspired by Jen Giffen and a Teach Better 12 Hour Live, I turned inspirational quotes into small watercolor art for my team. And I don’t limit my art to art. I am lucky enough to live in an area with access to pick-your-own strawberries (May) and apples (October). Because my children are competitive, we end up with more fruit than we can eat before it rots. Twice a year, for a few weeks, my house smells delicious. Friends and family get gifted with fresh muffins, bread, cookies, and jams/spreads. 

In each of these instances, it was the tangible product that encouraged me.

I would be the first person to tell you I am not creative, despite my attempts to cultivate it. (Logically, I know I’m not inherently less creative than anyone else, but it never quite feels that way.) However, despite my lack of creative prowess, finding those moments where I can make something gives me renewed energy to tackle my other priorities. 

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More Than “Self-Care”

As teachers, we so often hear about the need for self-care. It’s usually coupled with mindfulness exercises, breathing routines, or practical ways to improve one’s exercise, sleep, or eating. Sometimes we might expand that self-care into a treat or reward for ourselves: a spa treatment, a new book/movie/video game, a shopping trip, or some other experience. However, the discussion on self-care rarely touches on the benefits of engaging in purely pleasurable pursuits. 

More than being mindful, eating healthy, or treating ourselves in the moment, anything done purely for the joy of it feels selfish. There’s no transaction to it, no quid pro quo. Spending time on something for the sheer joy of the thing is the best form of self-care. You are investing in yourself and what you need. It may require a shift of priorities, saying “no” to something else, but it is worth it. You are worth it. 

So go find something to do for the sake of it. Go out and enjoy nature. Curl up with a good book, movie, or album. Make something. Embrace the kind of PD educators really need.

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About Megan Balduf

Megan Balduf is an English teacher with more than fifteen years’ experience at the middle school level. While being a classroom teacher had always been her dream, her reality allowed her to reach beyond the walls of her classroom. With the encouragement of administrators at her school in Fairfax, VA, Megan has grown through various leadership positions including mentor teacher and English department chair. As a model of lifelong learning, since entering the classroom, Megan has earned an MA in Gifted Education, an MA in English for Language Arts Teachers, and became a National Board Certified Teacher. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and being Mom to her two children.