Coffee Doodles and Drawings to Fuel My February Bullet Journal
Moving Forward Into February
I have been laughing quite a bit at all of the posts regarding how long the month of January feels to those in the teaching profession. On Friday, it really did feel like we were on the 62nd day of the month. The process of coming off of winter break, entering back into a routine, and realizing that 2020 goals are going to take the same grit from 2019 are all jarring realizations, to say the least. I went back to the yearly overview post I made around New Years to recenter myself on how I am moving forward into the next month. February is about moving forward. Moving forward with any goals, moving forward with ideas, and moving forward into the rest of the school year. At the beginning of January, I had written about the two books I am focusing on for this year: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and You Had Better Make Some Noise: Words to Change the World by Phaidon Editors. I have many words that connect to goals for 2020, but both of these books are strong reminders to insert love and kindness into the world and do so loudly.
“What do you think success is? asked the boy. “To love,” said the mole.” -The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Charles Mackesy
The first step in moving ahead into February is to challenge the negative mindset that has crept in throughout the month of January. Thoughts such as:
The school year is already halfway over, and I feel as if I am not accomplishing as much as I want to do.
I am tired.
I already feel behind, and it is only January.
I feel defeated when it comes to sustaining the same energy each day.
I should be writing more.
I should be reading more, and yes I am in a reading funk.
Why haven’t I started the big project, yet?
There are more. However, the battle with negative self-talk enters right around February. Right when the feeling of the New Year subsides. Right when you realize that snow days aren’t happening this year in Michigan, and you adjusting to the idea of survival mode as a means of living. Just surviving is not a way to live. As teachers, the goal of February should be recentering ourselves out of survival mode and moving forward into a place of love. Love for self, others around us, our profession, and our own goals. For many of us, we say to ourselves, “I simply can’t.” Our daily demands are forcing us into a “when I open my eyes, until when I close my eyes” type of mentality. We still have to find a way to move forward even if it is small. Small progress is progress. In order to move forward, we are going to need a lot of determination and a lot of coffee (or the beverage of your choice). This month, the theme is coffee.
Favorite Materials
Flair pens and mechanical pencils
I also love anything that has to do with a cute mug. This one was a gift from my co-worker on my interdisciplinary team.
January Reflection
This reflection looks similar in many ways to previous months; however, I have added “not enough” and “to learn.” The goal is not to give myself more items on my to-do list to check-off, but I want to look at things that I am doing that I need to work at stopping and learn new things that I can start doing. I became a teacher because of the love of learning; I have to feed the desire to learn, too.
My Inspiration This Month
I told you I’m tired. I normally do a book as inspiration this month, but honestly, I am in a reading funk and trying to get myself out of it. I started to look around to what makes me happy. I took a sip of coffee, and I looked down into my cup. The theme of this month is coffee. Coffee everything. I have coffee beans, coffee doodles, coffee cups, and coffee quotes. Maybe it is a sense of hygge that makes me love coffee. I appreciated how some of the doodles took me outside of the box (like the no-outline coffee beans or the coffee spills). Grab your own cup of coffee and beverage and see how I am attacking the new month.
February Pages
Cover
Monthly Spread
Current Inspiration/Monthly Goals
Weekly Spreads
Habits/Gratitude
Final Word
With the passing of Kobe Bryant this past week, I felt it was necessary to include a page in this month’s spread. His impact on my family is tremendous. I carry strong reminders to hold our loved ones close, find joy in each day, and love our people every second that we have them. I have observed my students in the past week reach out about his passing away. I had a student stay after class on Thursday because he had seen a commemorative rap on Tik-Tok and had memorized it word-for-word. As he recited the rap made into live poetry, I was reminded that the impact of our words, actions, and lives are never-ending. Time holds no constraint on impact.
Rest in power, Kobe.