Becoming Ms. Frizzle

I'm assuming it is true for every profession, but teaching is the only career with which I am personally familiar, so I'm basing this idea off my teaching experience.  There is just not enough time in the week to get everything done you want to get done.  Let me give you a taste of a typical weekday for me.  Wake up at about 5:15, get to work by 7:00, leave work at 6:00, go to gym until 7:30, get dinner ready and eat by 8:30, clean up dinner and prepare lunch for the following day, and it is now 9:15 or so.  As I wake up in 8 hours there is not much time left for anything other than a short phone call with my Marine, and sleep. 

For some sleep isn't as important, but as any of you who have known me for a while realize, I turn into a dragon when I don't sleep. I begin to breathe fire and snap at those around me. It's not pretty. Therefore, I do my very best to get adequate sleep so that I don't become a fire-breathing dragon.

Not only is sleep important for my sanity, but it's also important for my health. They say that first year teachers are notorious for getting sick. Let me explain. Kids aren't always sanitary. We are around approximately 130 kids for 7 hours a day. There is ample opportunity for disease transmission. Generally this isn't a problem for veteran teachers as they have built up incredible immune systems and achieved the all important balancing act of time management. I am reassured by all teachers that it does get easier. I won't always spend 11 hours a day at school only to be followed by more work at home. I pray that is true. Until then, I plan to eat healthily, exercise thoroughly (great for immune system AND stress), sleep amply, and drink my Crystal Light Immunity everyday! Perhaps the fact that I look like I'm still a kid will keep the germs away. Maybe they won't recognize that I'm a first year teacher.