Sandy has become aware that a big part of the "overwhelm" as a fourth grade teacher in this inner-city school is having too much to do and not enough time to do it. There are also a lot of job demands that take attention and energy away from what should be the focus--the students, their needs, and their learning and achievement. But Sandy wonders, "How does a teacher address these issues when there seems to be little control over what the job demands?" Also, "How does a teacher balance these job demands with an equally demanding home and family life?" Sandy also asks, "I don't want to sound selfish, but what about me?"
To discover answers to these questions, Sandy realizes that looking at demands from work and home is a start. From there, priorities must be set. Strategies for handling these priorities will need to be discovered. But what is the key here? What insights does Sandy first need to learn?
