Of course, a lot of us don't know how to relax. And who can blame us? What with troglodytes all over the internet vilifying us, saying we don't deserve health insurance because it makes us fat, bemoaning the fact that Mayor Mike can't balance the city budget by unilaterally cutting our salaries, and ignoring what's going on in the country to focus more on the alleged perfidy of those who choose to teach children, it's tough to be both informed and relaxed.
An alternative, one that appears to work for the over 75% of UFT members who don't bother to vote in union elections, is to place your head firmly in the sand and hope for the best. But there's always a better way.
One of the great solaces in life is family, and one of the great things about being a teacher (under constant attack by "reformers") is that we actually get to see our families now and then. That's worth fighting for, not just for teachers, but for all working people. And a great tradition in my family, commenced by my daughter, is to watch A Christmas Story every year around this time.
A highlight of the film, of course, is when the father wins a "major award," a leg lamp, precisely as pictured here. So my advice to teachers who are bored, in a funk or otherwise preoccupied is to light up your lives right here. It's my feeling that once you begin prominently displaying one of these lamps in your home, it won't occur to you to worry about job-related stress anymore.
Disclaimer: NYC Educator owns no stock in any leg lamp companies, either here or abroad.
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