Tuesday 4th March 2025 - A Productive and Gratitude-Filled Shrove Tuesday: Balancing Work, Projects, and Personal Growth

"I am capable of balancing productivity and self-care. Every task I complete brings me closer to success and fulfillment."

Hello all.

The best days are those where routine flows smoothly, and today was one of them. I started my morning with my usual cycle to work, arriving on time and feeling refreshed—always a great way to begin the day. There’s something about that morning ride that helps me mentally prepare for what’s ahead, setting a positive tone for the day.

Today was a special day at school, filled with pancakes, celebrations, and plenty of meaningful work. Here’s how it all unfolded.

A Morning of Music, Pancakes, and Easter Preparations

Our Key Stage 2 classes had an exciting trip planned to the Sage Gateshead, where they were attending a musical concert. This left only the Key Stage 1 pupils and daycare children at school for the morning, which gave us the opportunity to create a warm and fun environment for them.

What better way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday than with pancakes? Both the children and staff got involved, making and enjoying delicious pancakes together. It was a lovely way to start the morning—sharing food, laughter, and conversation, all while making wonderful memories.

While the school prepares for its upcoming Easter celebrations, I was tasked with taking photographs of the "Stations of the Cross" models. Each station represents a step in the journey of Jesus’ crucifixion, and capturing them beautifully was important for our future religious education lessons. I carefully positioned each model on a table, ensuring that each one was photographed clearly so they could be used for visual storytelling in our Easter lessons.

I also took photos of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations, which will be shared on the school’s social media pages. It’s always rewarding to see the excitement in the students’ faces and know that these moments will be cherished by their families as well.

Solving Technical Issues and Handling Admin Tasks

As part of my role in managing school technology, I spent part of the morning looking into an issue with the Tees Valley Teaching School Hub website. Some images weren’t loading correctly, and after investigating, I contacted the server host through live chat support. Initially, they couldn’t find any faults on their end.

After further research, I discovered that the issue was caused by a bug in the latest WordPress theme update. Fortunately, the developers are already working on a fix, which will be automatically applied in the next update. Knowing that the issue will resolve itself in a few days gave me peace of mind.

Meanwhile, I also handled some administrative tasks, including responding to emails. One of the key emails today was a quote for school CCTV, which I forwarded to our school business manager for review. Security is always a top priority, so it was good to move this along in the process.

By this time, the students who had attended the concert returned. It was great to see them so excited, full of stories about their experience. I was given a collection of photos from the trip, which I then prepared to share on social media, giving parents a glimpse of the fun their children had.

Developing a New Database for the Teaching School Hub

One of the more complex projects I’m currently working on is developing an online database for the Tees Valley Teaching School Hub. This will be a system where both the hub and its delegates can securely store and update information.

Because I will be developing this system outside of school hours, using my own self-employed platform, I had to complete a data assessment form today. This form ensures that the system I’m creating will be secure, compliant, and aligned with my role at the school. Now, I just need to speak with the headteacher and school trust to get final approval before I officially begin development.

It’s exciting to be working on a project that will provide long-term benefits, and I’m looking forward to making it a valuable tool for the hub.

A Smooth Evening Routine: Cycling, Dog Training, and Blogging

After a productive day at work, I cycled back home, enjoying the ride as a way to unwind and transition into my personal time.

One of the highlights of my evening was taking my dog for a walk. I was thrilled to see that the training is working—she has finally stopped pulling on the lead! It’s a small victory, but an important one.

The next challenge is addressing her overly playful behavior with other dogs. While she means no harm, her excitement can be a bit much, and I want to make sure she interacts safely with other animals. Over the next few days, I plan to research different training techniques to help manage this behavior. Hopefully, with patience and consistency, we’ll see more improvements soon.

After the walk, I treated myself to more pancakes (because why not?) and then focused on my personal projects.

Publishing the Latest Town Host Article

One of my priorities tonight was updating Town Host with a new blog post about Google AdSense. Over the past few months, many people have asked me how to earn a residual income through monetizing websites, so I finally put together a detailed guide. Hopefully, it will help those looking to start their own online income stream.

Once the article was published, I also updated my Home Harmony Project blog, ensuring that everything was in order.

Ending the Day with Relaxation and Productivity

To wind down, we all sat down to watch "Sort Your Life Out" on BBC iPlayer. It was a nice way to relax before I headed upstairs to sort out some eBay sales. I packaged up the items that had sold and listed a few more things for sale. It’s always good to keep on top of decluttering and selling unwanted items—one step closer to a more organized space.

As the night came to an end, I reflected on how balanced and fulfilling the day had been. From maintaining my morning routine to progressing with work and personal projects, it felt like a day well spent.

Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Today was a reminder that structure and flexibility can go hand in hand. By sticking to my routine, I was able to stay productive, but I also made time for fun, social interactions, and personal growth.

There’s a lot to be grateful for—a job I enjoy, meaningful projects, a well-trained (almost!) dog, and the ability to balance work and personal interests.

#Routine #WorkLifeBalance #ShroveTuesday #Pancakes #DogTraining #SchoolLife #WebsiteDevelopment #GoogleAdSense #HomeHarmonyProject #Cycling #SelfEmployment