Sick Day

Why is taking a sick day so difficult?

Earlier this week I woke up dizzy, nauseous, and with a headache the size of the state of Texas! I had been feeling poorly for a few days; the blame for which I placed firmly at the feet of my adorable students – or at least their parents who keep sending them to school when sick. Regardless I showered, got dressed, and then promptly got back into bed after my husband looked at me and said “You are staying home, right?”

As an adult, intelligent, and rational woman, I knew that I needed to stay home and get rest. As a teacher, my first instinct was to panic. How would my students survive the day without me? Midterms were coming and I had planned on staying after that day for extra help. Wouldn’t I be letting them down by staying home? So it wasn’t until I had another adult’s “permission” that I felt justified crawling (literally) back between the sheets.

Needless to say the students survived just fine without me. I felt fine to go in the next day and stayed after with my students that afternoon. Lesson learned: life continues whether I was in the classroom or not. The entire 4 months of learning did not fall apart in the one day I needed to be at home.

As a teacher I often feel the weight of responsibility for the progress of my students. I design my lessons with the utmost care. I try to keep vigilant about my communication with my students and parents. I research new teaching practices, and assess progress periodically and by a variety of methods. However in truth, student achievement is affected by a variety of factors of which I am only one. A little crushing to the ego, but greatly relieving for my sanity.

So the next time I feel that ill, I will let go of the guilt that seems to accompany taking a sick day and just get some rest. 

Maybe…