One of the most severe things we can do to ourselves as teachers is to collect so much information, so many different strategies and activities, that we can’t manage all of it. This is actually a form of self-harm. When we lack a simple formula in a simple and doable WL curriculum, when we end up drowning ourselves in a kind of “activity frenzy”, trying this and that and the other, we end up harming our physical and mental health because our jobs just require too much from us. Simplicity should be the watchword in our profession. Especially now in the time of Covid-19, our goal should be to just get through out instructional days, focus on rest and self-care, keep our instruction free of planning – yes it can be done! – and honor and nurture ourselves above everything. Too many of us are going through too much stress these days. Let’s simplify our instruction and see what happens as we ride out the pandemic.
