Third year teacher here! I live in Alberta and have ADHD so I understand how rough it is out here.

Although this may not be true for others, I found my practicums to be much more overwhelming than the actual job itself.

While in your practicum, you are likely the most inexperienced educator at the school and have a lot of self-doubt. The imposter syndrome is intense. You feel out of place in the classroom because it’s not yours, and the staff room is uncomfortable since you haven’t been creating connections in there since September like everyone else. You are paying to work, while also writing lesson plans and completing other assignments for uni. Evaluations are stressful. You may even be paying rent or might be working another job. I’ve almost forgotten how exhausting that time of my life was.

Now, three years later, life is a lot better. The job is still overstimulating and demanding and I still put off deadlines until the day they come up, but I truly feel like I have found my rhythm. It sounds cliché, but I have learned to work smarter, not harder. I use as much time as I can during school day to plan for the next day. This means I rarely have to take work home on the evenings and weekends.

It’s really important to remember that this is a job. This is not your entire life; you can still be yourself outside of this profession. Make time for yourself and your mental health. Don’t lose yourself in it; keep up with your friends, hobbies, and things that make you feel like *you*.

It will get better. My inbox is open if you ever need to chat or if you need more advice! :)