Rock-a-bye baby

How much sleep do you get a night? Well my fellow "teachers"... Let me give you some statistics! 

The average infant should get between 12 and 15 hours of sleep a night! (WOW)

The average child should get between 10 and 11 hours of sleep. 

AND... The average adult (are you ready?) should get between

7 and 9 hours of sleep!

Seven to nine hours of sleep is quite a lot for an adult. But how many of us actually get this much sleep. With work, kids, and just life in general, this number can be hard to achieve. So, here are some tips for a better night sleep. 

1. Avoid TV, eating, and talking about emotional subjects in bed. Do you have a TV in your bedroom? We do but it usually only goes on in the morning. I understand how these things can keep you from a good night sleep. There have been plenty of times that I have dreamt about my "emotional conversation" and it has kept me from a good nights sleep. So, avoid these things. Keep TV in the living room, food at the table and the emotional subjects... Well, just somewhere else! 

2. Minimize noise, light, and temperature extremes. I love to sleep in complete dark and complete quiet. But I do know people who sleep with the TV on (please see above). As far as temperature, I still don't have this one right. One night I'm hot, then cold and no matter what, I always wake up. So don't look to me for suggestions on this one! Nope! Sorry!

3. No fluids after 8 P.M. MOM... Can I have a glass of water? The answer should be NO! And the same goes for you mom! Do you ever have to get up to go to the bathroom? Well, I suggest you quit drinking so much after 8! This completely disrupts your sleep pattern and can keep you from a good night sleep. 

Since about 90% of us definitely don't get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night, maybe some of these tips will help you at least get the most out of your sleep! As a teacher, I know how tired we can be and we are ready to sleep at 8PM but does that happen! Well, no! Of course not! So, I hope that this helps you all to get to at least 5 hours of sleep! 

Remember, sleep is an important part of you day and shouldn't be overlooked! Make it a priority and your life will definitely be easier! The better sleep you get the better you can Teach with Paz! 

Priorities in Teaching

So, when I decided to start writing a blog, it sounded like a great idea. I will update it every other day, have lots of followers, give support to new teachers, blah, blah, blah! Well... As we can all see, that's not how this turned out. But, in not keeping up with my blog, I have realized that as a teacher, you lose sight of what your priorities really are in life. I find myself bringing work home, staying at work late or (dum, dum, dum) going on weekends, or checking my work e-mail constantly. This is unacceptable and I now realize that it might be a great idea to do more things for myself. For instance, keep up with my blog! I may not be able to update it every other day or have lots of followers but I think that I can provide support to new teachers and do what I set out to do with this blog. And, it is something that I can do for myself. As a teacher, I feel that your priorities need to be concretely set. What are they? Do they often change when hard times arise? If so, why? These are just some things that make you go "hmmmmmm"! This week, I plan to reassess my priorities in life and in my career. I'm not saying teaching should't be high up there, but just remember, there is probably a wonderful husband or great kids who would love to see their mom or dad before 6PM every night and without a computer tied to their hands or a phone attached to their ear. What do you think? Can your priorities change? I definitely think mine can. As always, when you are in the classroom or with those great kids... Teach with Paz!

Good-bye Summer

Summer has officially ended for us teachers. The day has finally come! Waking up early has come again, along with snotty noses and high-pitched voices. What I love about my job is every year, I get a new beginning. New kids, new chances, new parents, and new co-workers. A new beginning is truly amazing to me. This year, I want a new beginning in places other than school. I want a new beginning for my body, a new beginning in my marriage, and a new beginning for my attitude. Part of this new beginning is starting this blog. I feel that we are all teachers in some way, whether you are a mom, a big brother or sister, a grandmother or grandfather, or a son or daughter. I feel this blog will allow me to reach out to other "teachers", and help them become better at what they do, inside and out. So, fellow teachers, I ask that you join me on this new beginning! Give me suggestions or just enjoy reading! But always "Teach with Paz"