All the Plates are Spinning

I got an invitation (or was this an expectation?) this week to be a facilitator at a district technology conference. The problem is, I'm not innovative, or an expert, at any of the possible session topics. I felt myself going off the deep end. You know that feeling....when there are already too many plates spinning and one more is added and you're pretty sure it's all going to come crashing down.

Plate #1: I've been trying to keep up my workout sessions since school started. I'm weightlifting 5 - 6 nights per week. I need my health back in order to be my best.

Plate #2: I have been attending training in math interventions for my most challenged students. That meant 3 days of subs within the past 8 days. Trying to recover from that many sub days this early in the year is difficult for me.

Plate #3: I have been getting instruction on a new weekly computerized testing program that is expected to be administered to all students in math and language arts. Each week, each student, 30 minutes per. I haven't figured out how to implement it yet.

Plate #4: I'm trying to implement a new science notebook writing program for which I received training this summer.

Plate #5: So far, I've successfully revamped my homework to be all digital (copyless). But this means starting from scratch each week as I enter new assignments on our classroom blog.

Plate #6: I was diagnosed with diabetes a little less than two months ago. That means learning a new way of eating, testing sugars twice a day, and trying to stay off of insulin by regulating myself with diet and exercise. Oh yeah, and trying to avoid stress. (LOL)

I am trying to remember that I always feel overwhelmed by the workload of teaching. I always have too many plates in the air. And I always need to put myself and kids first.

So, I might say no to the facilitator request. I want to stop stressing this year about being innovative and just focus on doing things better.