Empty

I'm sitting in the classroom and the gauge is on E. I'm not the only one though.

Being "on" all the time is simply exhausting. For those of us that expend every ounce of energy we have to be there for our students, the end of the year is tough. It's just trying to squeeze a few more miles out of a bone dry gas tank. 

I've been away from Social Media for the past few weeks. I've just been too tired to be active. There are so many awesome things going on in my classroom, but I can't find the energy to write about them. I'm just on empty. 

I've built a Makerspace for my school and have put together over 60K in grants and donations for it. I helped put together a video to make a sick student smile. I've set up TEDxGPSHS so students can share their stories. I've been a shoulder for many students to use as the burden of their lives gets too much to bare. Even though I know I'm not alone in these stories, it doesn't make feeling empty any better.

Is all of the energy expended during the year worth it if I'm a shell at the end? Am I "Highly Effective" if I crawl to the finish line? Should striving to be the best require so much that there is nothing left? 

I wish I knew the answer to these questions. 

Maybe I do. 

I mean, I always come back for more.