Preparing for a Siege

This fall, I'll be student teaching for 16 weeks.

I've been keeping a mental list of things that I won't be dealing with during my student teaching: cooking daily, people's pointless drama, politics (above and beyond being an informed social studies teacher), and non-essential activities. Ideally, I will only get on my facebook once a week and will only check my email twice a day.

It's a big transition from being a student to being a teacher-in-training. Lesson plans, grading, and joining in my assigned school's activities will be a main focus of August, September, October, and November.

Sometimes I feel as though I'm preparing for a siege, instead of preparing to leap that final hurdle before graduation (not counting the Praxis II tests I will need to pass).

I am making sure my fridge, pantry, wardrobe, and spiritual life won´t suffer during the 4 months of student teaching. I am making plans to ensure that none of the above will run on empty.

In preparation for the long hours I will be dedicating to student teaching, I have been researching how to cook a month's worth of main dishes in the course of a day, as well as what to cook. Essentially, during my 8 weeks at a high school and 8 weeks at a middle school, I'm not dealing with cooking more than 4 days. Fortunately, I had two practice months during the summer to work out the kinks in my once-a-month cooking system. I had a good experience with my first and second months cooking.

My wardrobe is stocked with teacher clothes. Teacher supplies are being collected.

More important than having perfectly prepared lesson plans, is planning for my spiritual renewal during student teaching.

-How early will I need to get up, in order to start my day in the Word and in prayer? (And to eat a good breakfast, in an unhurried manner).

-How am I planning on meeting my need for community and fellowship, despite the mound of papers that I will need to grade?

-What are my plans to still invest time in my hubby so he won't feel neglected?

-When I am faced with 4 months of lesson plans, grading, and whatnot, will I still obey God´s command to rest on the Sabbath? I sure hope so. Knowing that I only have 6 days before I get to rest again, as opposed to anticipating Labor Day, Fall Break, and Thanksgiving Break as my only forms of rest, makes the high workload seem so much more manageable.

A 4 month siege seems long, but preparation should make for a smoother transition.