Leaving It All Behind

The work week is over. Thank all that is good in this world that the week is over.

This week presented me with many challenges.

First, a teacher didn't bother to communicate with me that his class would be 20 minutes late to music therapy. I waited and left because they weren't where they were supposed to be. He arrived a bit later and announced that they were NOW ready for me. I told him that I cleaned up and left because they hadn't arrived. He started yelling at me that I was denying his students their IEP-based right to music therapy. He didn't like it a bit when I informed him that music therapy is not on any student's IEP at my facility. He stormed off to tell the principal.

Second...the principal.

There aren't many people that I just cannot work with, but unfortunately, she is one of these people. She informed me that I needed to "give the teacher his planning time." I couldn't believe that her concern was not for the students but for the teacher! This just irked me no end!

Third, my body is not cooperating. It is allergy season here in Kansas (...for everyone now. I am no longer alone in my chronic allergy suffering!) I missed a dose of medication and had to go through the side effects yesterday. I woke up extremely drowsy and dizzy and decided that I would take a sick day. I felt that my combination of absolute disgust and difficulty staying awake would not be conducive to driving an hour to the facility.

So, I stayed home yesterday. I slept and got over my irksome tendency to feel put upon.

This morning I was calmer, cooler, pretty much over myself, and ready to go back to work. I went to the school and prepared for MMARS (Music, Movement, Art and Rhythmic Sensations). We spent the day playing game show-type games with an educational and problem-solving focus. The day went well. Nothing was unusual in the way kids played or staff members reacted to the experiences presented. The day ended the way it needed to...on a good note.

I feel that I often have difficulty leaving things at work that have no business being in my home environment. After 19 years of offering therapy, I have developed a transition routine that works well (for me.). This routine allows me to leave most of my work-related issues behind at work. Here is my "Leave work at work" routine:

  1. I get into my car and put my work keys into a cup holder.
  2. I take off my watch and put it in the cup holder. (My watch NEVER goes into my house as I have no need for it there - there are clocks EVERYWHERE in my house!)
  3. I have the hour-long commute to rant, rave, cry, laugh, create, or do anything that I feel I need to do. I often make lists of things that I want to try to do at work on Super-Sticky Post-It Notes (love them!!) and stick the notes on my dashboard.
  4. Once I get home, I try to leave everything else in the car.
Today I felt the week evaporate when I took off my watch.

I am finished and will get ready for work when I get into my car on Monday morning.

Happy weekend, everyone!
 

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