- 28 Jan, 2022
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- 2 Mins Read
SABBATICALS – what they are and why I’m taking one.
Last year, which was my 28th year in education and training, I felt like I was running out of gas. Not hitting a wall as such but just a feeling of ‘meh’. Doing the same thing without the passion and verve I usually felt. Making mistakes, not taking opportunities when they were presented to me. Not even writing a blog. It was quite a challenging time. A word that is commonly used for this is ‘languishing’. Another term is ‘burn out’. Hmmmm.
After a conversation with a workplace psychologist and some research, it appeared I was on some level of burn out. After quite a lot of reflecting and reading, I decided to take some time away and find work that would give me better work/life balance. So I wasn’t a ‘crabby patty’ all the time and could think logically. I decided to return to classroom teaching, stop taking workshops and 1:1 training. Then reassess where I was at, look into other aspects of training and learning and think about what the future might look like.
Apparently, this is called a sabbatical. Love it! A definition – sabbatical leave is a period in which an employee takes an extended break from work. The reasons for taking a sabbatical can vary from pursuing a degree or working on a personal project to volunteering, traveling the world, or spending more time with family. I am on a sabbatical from aspects of Say It Clearly.
Teaching children to see where it all starts and how to help them to reach their potential is like returning to my roots. It felt really comfortable when I was in the classroom (relief teaching) it just felt like stepping into a favourite pair of shoes that you’d forgotten about. Luckily a position came up at a fabulous semi-rural school, with an extremely supportive staff and great kids. I applied for the position and won it. Thank you. My inquiry remains; how a child’s oral language ability affects their ability to spell and learn to read so watch this space for results.
In terms of individual training I have opened up 4 spaces a month, which have been taken for February. I will also be running online group webinars for those people who have purchased the Masterclass – Speaking Excellent English. If you are currently in this course, watch your email for the webinar details.
So far, so good. If you are interested in booking individual training for March, send an email and we will arrange a consultation meeting. If you have been thinking about working on your speech, I can hand on heart say online learning is so easy and relaxed. Truly your place and your pace PLUS you get results, as fast as you like.
Otherwise these super cool blogs will be coming out on a regular basis so keep reading, reader.
Warmly, Miriam.