Still on holiday, but your brain has gone back to school early

You’re still on holiday, but your brain has gone back to school early.

You know exactly how many days are left without meaning to.

You might be thinking about the timetable before you’ve even found your lanyard.

Then school pops into your head while you’re doing something completely unrelated. Maybe it’s a class, an email, something you forgot to do, or something that hasn’t even happened yet.

School has a habit of taking over the quiet bits.

And sometimes you’re just fed up that it’s back in your head again.

You can enjoy teaching and still wish it would stay at school sometimes

Thinking about going back doesn’t automatically mean you’re in the wrong job.

You might be looking forward to seeing colleagues again, getting some routine back or meeting your new class.

And still not want school occupying your brain while you’re trying to enjoy the end of August.

It doesn’t need to become a big judgement about yourself.

The bit I’d pay attention to is how quickly school starts taking up space again.

What comes back with it?

Maybe it’s the workload. Maybe it’s a particular class, a difficult relationship at work, the emails, or simply knowing that once term starts your evenings won’t quite feel like your own again.

Sometimes there isn’t one big thing. It just feels different.

This might not be something a new planner can fix

Getting organised can help.

There are practical things that need doing before term starts.

But you don’t have to solve the whole year before it starts.

And some of what is bothering you might have very little to do with how organised you are.

Sometimes it isn’t you. Sometimes the job is asking too much.

Workload, school culture, leadership, behaviour and constant change all have an impact. A better planner can help you remember things, but it cannot make an unreasonable workload reasonable.

Not everything you’re carrying is yours to fix.

Getting through the day doesn’t mean the day isn’t taking a lot out of you

Teachers can become very good at carrying on.

You teach the lesson, answer the email, deal with the problem and get through the week.

Then do it all again.

But getting through it doesn’t always tell you how much of you the job is taking.

If work keeps following you home, that’s the bit I’d pay attention to.

Maybe you replay conversations.

Maybe you think about tomorrow while you’re supposed to be watching television.

Maybe you remember something school-related just as you’re trying to sleep.

Maybe you’re technically off work, but part of your head never really clocked out.

The point isn’t to get rid of every uncomfortable feeling.

Going back after a long break can feel strange.

But being able to carry on doesn’t mean you have to ignore the pressure.

Before you put the backpack back on

I often think of it as a backpack.

Over the school year, things get shoved into it without much thought. Pressure, responsibility, other people’s expectations, difficult conversations and things you never really had time to deal with.

Then the holidays come and, for a while, you put it down.

September arrives and the temptation is to pick it straight back up.

Before you put it straight back on, it might be worth having a look at what’s actually in there.

There might be things in there that still matter.

There might also be things you’ve been carrying because you got used to carrying them.

You don’t have to work all of that out before Monday morning.

But you can notice it.

Take the Teacher Check-In

The Teacher Check-In is a short, private reflection on how much space teaching is taking up in your life — even after you’ve left school.

There are no scores, labels or right answers.

It gives you a few minutes to notice what seems to be taking up the most space and what keeps following you home.

Take the Teacher Check-In and notice what comes up.

If you want somewhere to unpack it properly, therapy is one option. And if what comes up feels like something you want help with, you can book a free 20-minute introductory call to see whether working together feels like a good fit.

You don’t have to wait until it feels unbearable before getting support.