Let’s be real, people. Balancing home life and work as a teacher has always been a challenge. There is always more to do: grading to finish, lessons to rework, students needing reteaching and greater differentiation. Of course, there are also dinners to prepare, kids’ games to cheer on, laundry to fold, and memories to make. In the current era of remote teaching and learning, the balance can be even harder to strike. The tensions between work and home are heightening as we try to establish boundaries to protect our home life and our sanity while meeting responsibilities toward our students. So what is the secret? My family will certainly attest that I have yet to master this completely. They graciously tell me they admire my work-ethic. This is code for, “Good gravy, Mom, you’re still working?” While I appreciate their diplomacy, I am not ignorant of the issue. That is the first step, right? Admitting you have a problem? While a 12-step program might not exactly be in order, I’ve developed a five-step approach for finding balance during remote learning that is helping me through. Step 1- Acknowledge these are indeed crazy times, and forgive yourself for the imperfect way
