Wow! What a crazy week it’s been, but so much fun! I knew teaching at three schools was going to be difficult to organize and I was right. I’ve had to tweak the way I do things a little bit. I really like to get my lesson planning done in my morning “Time Bucket” because this is when I’m the most focused. Unfortunately, I’m scheduled at one of my schools in the afternoons only and therefore would need to get my lesson planning for that school done after lunch, when I’m the least focused and productive. Instead, I decided to buy one of those rolling crates to keep all of my music and lesson materials in one place and carry it from school to school. This way, I always have all of my stuff with me and can do the lesson planning for all three schools in the morning.

It’s amazing how drained I am in the afternoons! I never thought I’d be one of those “morning people.” I get up at 5:00am every morning and before I get out of bed I’m exhausted, but then I’m quickly wide away and ready to get to work. While some of my colleagues are still a little groggy when they get to school in the morning, my mind is going a mile a minute with lesson plan ideas, instrument repair solutions and thoughts about our upcoming concert. Once 1:00 hits thought, yikes! My energy level spirals downward until by 3:00 I’m ready for a nap!

It’s important for us to recognize when we are most alert and productive and try our best to put any difficult or thinking-intensive tasks in that time slot. I know that’s not always possible, but if it’s something we’re aware of when planning our day, it certainly can help!