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Truth for Teachers

Why "free time" isn't really free (for most of us)

Published about 6 hours ago • 3 min read

A third of your day (apart from work and sleep) is supposed to be yours. So where does it go?

For centuries among the British upper class, there was no distinction between the Monday-Friday workweek and weekends, because they did not report to any sort of job.

We see this in one of the most hilarious lines in the historical drama Downton Abbey, in which the Dowager Countess of Grantham encounters the term “weekend” for the first time.

In 1817, labor movement activist Robert Owen coined this rallying cry: "Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for what we will."

But if you've ever tried to make that math work as a teacher, you know the catch.

In those "eight hours for what you will," we have to fit commuting, cooking, cleaning, errands, caregiving, homework help, and all the invisible labor of running a life.

How do we actually make space for the things that bring us joy?

In the latest Truth for Teachers podcast episode, I unpack the labor history most of us were never taught, and why I find it a little ironic that I now run a program called the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek.

I also talk about the gendered piece of this history. Women were absolutely part of the labor movement (Frances Perkins literally drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act), but they still ended up with the second shift waiting for them at home. And teachers, who are still overwhelmingly women, are living that reality every single day.

I share three practical things I've learned from Katrina Onstad, author of The Weekend Effect, about how to actually reclaim some of that "what you will" time.

I also talk about why I refuse to frame rest as a productivity tool, and what I think we owe the workers who fought and died for the protections we now take for granted.

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​It’s easy to forget that people have literally died for our right to leisure time and guaranteed off-the-clock hours. They fought to get what we have–and we need to continue the fight to make sure we keep it, and to make our workloads more sustainable.

So, rest, reflect, and enjoy the upcoming long weekend!

Angela

Join me for a seasonal retreat

Summer Camp for Grown Ups (this Labor Day weekend!)

Remember how good summer felt when your only job was having fun? This is the camp experience your younger self would love: campfires and s’mores, playful afternoons outside, laughter with new friends, and nothing you have to get done. Join us Labor Day weekend for 4 days and 3 nights of easy, unhurried fun in our peaceful forest haven as we savor the end of summer.

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Restore in the Wild: An Autumn Retreat for Finding Rest

Need some time for yourself before the holiday rush? This retreat weekend offers a full range of sensory experiences, filled with delicious healthy meals, relaxing sound bath meditations, restorative yoga, guided nature walks, plenty of unstructured time to rest, and meaningful human connection with fellow retreaters who are equally ready to slow down.

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Books in the Wild: A Winter Sensory Retreat for Readers

Pack that pile of unread books and enter our peaceful forest haven, where you can immerse yourself in stories and leave the to-do list behind. Join us for 3 days of cozy reading nooks, mindful forest walks, soothing sound baths, and easygoing connection with fellow book enthusiasts. Readers of all genres are welcome!

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Angela Watson

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