So I taught 4 classes today: two 8th grades, a 6th-9th combo, and a 4th/5th combo. Wowzas. I keep forgetting how draining it is to teach all day!!!
Anyway, driving back to work from my second set of classes, I had a brief rush of sympathy (and, to a degree, empathy) for the leaders of countries. (Yes, ladies and gents, this even includes our current head of state.)
I instantly recalled the feeling I'd have at the end of the day last year, after a full day of teaching... I was exhausted, drained, and unmotivated. All I wanted to do was go home, lie on the couch, watch a movie, and forget about things for 2 hours. Today, while it wasn't as bad, reminded me of that sense of sheer depletion. Oy, to be an effective teacher in today's age!!
However, as a teacher, you can take a break. You have the weekends (or part of them) to unwind; you get summers mostly off; you can even call in sick and/or attend a workshop now and then. Being a country's leader, on the other hand, is not so simple. You cannot "turn off" your term for a bit to escape. (Well, Bush seems to take quite a few vacations, but still...) It would be impossible to forget the awesome responsibility you have to society and the world. In a word, it would be maddening.
I suppose I'm just trying to say that I have a newfound respect and understanding of the world's leaders. Granted, I may not always agree with their decisions, but I can absolutely identify with a sense of being overwhelmed and tired to your core.
On this (random) note, I leave you to tutor some adult learners!! Ciao.
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