Up With The Lark?

I have been a morning person for many years now and my most productive moments tend to be in the morning and early afternoon. This was the case when I was working full time, certainly in terms of preparation and marking, although with the right class I could have a good couple of hours in the 4 to 6 slot. Since I have finished work all year round the most productive times have varied much more, with the mornings becoming less of a guaranteed time to be productive. Why is that? Well, I think that the fact that I am at home makes it less important to hit the ground running. Also, I can go in cycles more than I used to so the peaks and troughs are more varied than they used to be. I can still concentrate but it is somehow less intensive compared to the way it used to be. It makes sense of course, but it can be frustrating at times. Interestingly enough when I do teach online the same feeling that I used to have comes back instantly. My reserves are still there and I can work at my old pace so easily and on occasions I get the old buzz that I used to from teaching.

Looking back at my teens and twenties I was much more of an owl than a lark, but my concentration was far more inconsistent in those days. That’s to be expected was the way I used to think but I remember some of my fellow students who were far more focused than me and I realised that it was down to my own approach. I really took some time to get my approach right but when I did my Masters degree in Australia I had studying down to a fine art. In those days I was both a morning person and an evening person! I often wish I could replicate that at times but then I remember that it was possible 20 plus years ago and I still love learning so it will be possible again. That’s a long term target but watch this space because I am determined to achieve it!