I’ve been carrying a sack of guilt for the past month and it’s finally taken a toll on me. I’m calling it out, I’m addressing it, and I’m taking control.
I’ve been trying to determine what I’ve been carrying in this big ol’ sack of mine.  Is it a feeling of inadequacy?  Am I going about things wrong? Am I not doing as well as those around me? What is this feeling?!

It’s FONKU.

Last night as I was trying to tackle my to-do list at 11:30 PM it came to me.  I am feeling this way because I have a Fear of Not Keeping Up.

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit that I am an impulsive idea starter. Are you too? Something comes to me, I jump on it, and thennnn…..another idea pops up and that last one takes a temporary back seat.  Sometimes I manage that feeling, and other times, like now, it begins to eat me up inside.

So I decided to share my concept of FONKU on Facebook Live. I talk about what FONKU is and how to deal with it. Yes, it’s long! When I’m super passionate or excited about something and start vlogging, it’s hard to summarize in 5-10 minutes! So please, allow me to have your attention for 20 minutes.

Perhaps FONKU is the reason behind how you’re feeling now. If so, talk about it! Share your feelings, let out those fears, and give yourself permission to not feel guilty if you’re not keeping up. Believe me when I say that it's OK!
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I’d really love to hear your take on FONKU, so please be sure to share your comments and feedback!
 

Tell us who you are! How long have you been working in the education field? What school district are you in?
My name is Leticia and I am an English language teacher. I am from a little region from the north of Spain, called Navarra. I teach in a primary state school in a small town called Estella, here in Spain. I have been working in this field for four years and taught from little kids to adults. I have also been working in private English schools and small and big companies, where I taught business English.

What subject/ grade do you teach?
I am currently teaching 11 year old students. This is 6th Grade of Primary Education. In my school there are two educational programmes.  One is taught in Basque language (traditional in my region) and the other one is called PAI, that is, a bilingual programme taught in English and Castilian Spanish. I teach in the bilingual programme. That is, 50% of the subjects taught in English and 50% in Spanish. The subjects taught in English and the ones that I teach are English language, Natural and Social Science, Maths and Arts.

Who was your favourite teacher when you were a student? What made them stand out from the rest?
 To be honest, I don't think I had a favourite teacher. I just feel the relationship student-teacher, teacher-student needs to be based on respect and admiration. When a student feels that you are special, that means that you are standing out from the rest.