Last week we left off with me sharing why I left the brick and mortar classroom. If you missed that post you can find a link for it here.
This week, I will share with you how this change has positively impacted my health, and my VIPKid experience thus far.
To start, the thing first I noticed after leaving was an immediate calmness that came over my body. I realized that I had been living at a high level of stress for quite some time, but I had just become so habituated to it that my body accepted it as normal. We all know that's no way to treat your body. Nor should it be accepted, if one has the means to change it. I found that I was no longer easily agitated, unusually stressed about grocery shopping (or other day to day chores), and the weekend didn't seem so small anymore.
For the first month, I soaked up the solitude. I kept to my normal routine of waking up, working out, and prayers. I saved prayers for last, because for the first time in a long time my morning prayer time did not have to be dictated by a time frame. And I loved that. I spent most of the morning reading a spiritual book, and growing in prayer. There were a lot of questions I needed to process, and even some moments of fear that needed calming. I was gifted with this season of an open schedule, so I brought these things to the Lord, and worked through them with Him.
Towards the end of the month, I started exploring options of part time work or working from home. When I say exploring, I literally mean talking with close friends about some of my ideas. I wasn't quite ready to act on anything yet. I met up with a past teacher friend with whom I used to work. She had left the school at the end of last year, but we stayed in contact. We met up for lunch, and she introduced me to VIPKid. My friend had told me about it the previous school year, but it didn't peak my interest at the time. We were both still full time teachers, and I just couldn't imagine taking on anything else at the time. But now, VIPKid seemed like a dream come true.
I did my research, and discovered that I loved the mission of VIPKid and what they strive to do for their teachers and students. I went through the application process, and thankfully passed! Thus, began my new journey with VIPKid.
After leaving the brick and mortar classroom I had this weird aversion to teaching. I didn't want anything to do with the brick and mortar classroom setting. And it still makes my blood pressure rise when I think about being in the classroom or my friends who are still there.
However, VIPKid has brought me some healing in regards to my perspective of teaching and what it looks like for me now. Most importantly, it has brought back the joy in teaching that was so lost amongst all the chaos and stress. I thoroughly enjoy waking up in the morning and teaching my little students one-to-one.
VIPKid has taught me that teaching can and should be fun! In the brick and mortar classroom I wasn't able to relax enough to authentically have fun with my students and laugh. I put on a really good fake smile and laugh, but really, all I was thinking about was all the things that I needed to teach them before the end of the day. With VIPKid I find myself genuinely smiling and laughing with my students! I even get to be silly with them....sing....or talk in funny voices. Things I never did in the brick and mortar. I get a little sad that my past students never got to see this teacher side of me, but I wasn't in an environment that allowed for me to enjoy teaching like I do now. VIPKid has shown me that in the right environment, there is even more that I am capable of as a teacher.
Lastly, I want to share something I learned about vacation time. With VIPKid you are essentially your own boss. You open your days and time slots you want. You can take time off when needed, and there is no limit to that. Coming from the brick and mortar setting, I was used to having long vacations. So this Christmas break was a little different. When I was looking at my December calendar, I decided I was only going to close my schedule for 3 days (December 24th, 25th, and 26th). I was hoping this was going to be enough time for me to rest, relax, and enjoy the holiday.
Believe it or not, it was more than enough! I learned that because this is a low-stress job for me I don't need a full two weeks (which wasn't enough for me) to reset. By the 26th I was so totally ready to get back to my students; there were no "Sunday scaries." That was a wonderful feeling. So while long summer vacations are amazing, it is also nice to be in a place where I don't need to have those long breaks to recoup.
I could continue on and on about my love for VIPkid...I won't, at least not in this blog post! If you are interested in VIPKid, and are considering working for them I would be more than happy to share more about the company with you. Don't hesitate to email me or reach out on Instagram.
Don't be afraid to make changes in your life if your health is being affected. Turn to the people you trust, talk with them. Make a plan, and take action. Be a better you, you deserve it.
This week, I will share with you how this change has positively impacted my health, and my VIPKid experience thus far.
To start, the thing first I noticed after leaving was an immediate calmness that came over my body. I realized that I had been living at a high level of stress for quite some time, but I had just become so habituated to it that my body accepted it as normal. We all know that's no way to treat your body. Nor should it be accepted, if one has the means to change it. I found that I was no longer easily agitated, unusually stressed about grocery shopping (or other day to day chores), and the weekend didn't seem so small anymore.
For the first month, I soaked up the solitude. I kept to my normal routine of waking up, working out, and prayers. I saved prayers for last, because for the first time in a long time my morning prayer time did not have to be dictated by a time frame. And I loved that. I spent most of the morning reading a spiritual book, and growing in prayer. There were a lot of questions I needed to process, and even some moments of fear that needed calming. I was gifted with this season of an open schedule, so I brought these things to the Lord, and worked through them with Him.
Towards the end of the month, I started exploring options of part time work or working from home. When I say exploring, I literally mean talking with close friends about some of my ideas. I wasn't quite ready to act on anything yet. I met up with a past teacher friend with whom I used to work. She had left the school at the end of last year, but we stayed in contact. We met up for lunch, and she introduced me to VIPKid. My friend had told me about it the previous school year, but it didn't peak my interest at the time. We were both still full time teachers, and I just couldn't imagine taking on anything else at the time. But now, VIPKid seemed like a dream come true.
I did my research, and discovered that I loved the mission of VIPKid and what they strive to do for their teachers and students. I went through the application process, and thankfully passed! Thus, began my new journey with VIPKid.
After leaving the brick and mortar classroom I had this weird aversion to teaching. I didn't want anything to do with the brick and mortar classroom setting. And it still makes my blood pressure rise when I think about being in the classroom or my friends who are still there.
However, VIPKid has brought me some healing in regards to my perspective of teaching and what it looks like for me now. Most importantly, it has brought back the joy in teaching that was so lost amongst all the chaos and stress. I thoroughly enjoy waking up in the morning and teaching my little students one-to-one.
VIPKid has taught me that teaching can and should be fun! In the brick and mortar classroom I wasn't able to relax enough to authentically have fun with my students and laugh. I put on a really good fake smile and laugh, but really, all I was thinking about was all the things that I needed to teach them before the end of the day. With VIPKid I find myself genuinely smiling and laughing with my students! I even get to be silly with them....sing....or talk in funny voices. Things I never did in the brick and mortar. I get a little sad that my past students never got to see this teacher side of me, but I wasn't in an environment that allowed for me to enjoy teaching like I do now. VIPKid has shown me that in the right environment, there is even more that I am capable of as a teacher.
Lastly, I want to share something I learned about vacation time. With VIPKid you are essentially your own boss. You open your days and time slots you want. You can take time off when needed, and there is no limit to that. Coming from the brick and mortar setting, I was used to having long vacations. So this Christmas break was a little different. When I was looking at my December calendar, I decided I was only going to close my schedule for 3 days (December 24th, 25th, and 26th). I was hoping this was going to be enough time for me to rest, relax, and enjoy the holiday.
Believe it or not, it was more than enough! I learned that because this is a low-stress job for me I don't need a full two weeks (which wasn't enough for me) to reset. By the 26th I was so totally ready to get back to my students; there were no "Sunday scaries." That was a wonderful feeling. So while long summer vacations are amazing, it is also nice to be in a place where I don't need to have those long breaks to recoup.
I could continue on and on about my love for VIPkid...I won't, at least not in this blog post! If you are interested in VIPKid, and are considering working for them I would be more than happy to share more about the company with you. Don't hesitate to email me or reach out on Instagram.
Don't be afraid to make changes in your life if your health is being affected. Turn to the people you trust, talk with them. Make a plan, and take action. Be a better you, you deserve it.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! 💜
Jezu Ufam Tobie
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