Becoming more Balanced

While I have a lot of professional goals this year such as integrating the IT more into the maths and language as well as the units of inquiry and supporting specialist teachers more, my personal goal this year is to find more balance in my life (balance being one of the attributes of the IB Learner Profile).  I know that the first year in a new place is always going to be a bit unbalanced - last year I introduced so many new things that it seemed I was never away from the computer, trying out new tools and seeing how they would support what was being done in the classrooms.  This year I've decided I need to put more emphasis on family and friends.

After the first full week of school with the students, which included a back to school night, I decided the weekend would be just for myself and that I would use the computer as little as possible.  On Friday night I went out with friends - just into our local town, but it was a nice and relaxing evening.  On Saturday I went with my husband and a friend around the organic market along the lakeshore of Zug.  There was an "Open Gallery" evening, so we went to view some artwork.  We'd heard there was an upstairs restaurant where you could sit out on the balcony and get "the best sunset in Europe" (according to a local guidebook), so we did that too.  Then yesterday I went into Zurich and spent about 6 hours in the Kunsthaus (Art Museum) looking at a wide variety of paintings.

Today I went back to school probably less prepared for my lessons than anytime since I started here, yet the day went smoothly and the classes were productive.  I was more relaxed too and am already starting to feel the benefits of becoming more balanced.

Photo Credit:  Sunset over Lake Zug, taken from the balcony of the Taberna la Paloma.