Do you feel overwhelmed, does the climate of your classroom feel not quite healthy and happy? It may be because you are not feeling healthy and happy, and it is spilling over into the classroom and onto your students. I have been there! Tired, overworked, lack of support, and VERY little time for myself, I never had time to regenerate. (Side Note) Did You Know? Introverts get regenerated by having quiet time to themselves, extroverts by being around people. So if you are an introvert and trying to regenerate by going out with friends and letting loose, yet you never quite feel reenergized, it may be because being around people drains your energy. It is quite the opposite for extroverts.
Here are some ways you can create a healthy and happy environment within yourself and, therefore, in your classroom.
1️⃣ Plan “Me-Time” and “We-Time.” Your profession cannot be your sole priority. You need to MAKE time for yourself and for your significant others. This may require saying NO to the stack of papers that need to be graded or the grades that haven’t been entered into the online grade book. Yes, I know… but if you don’t do it then, then your workload may just continue to grow and you will get backed up. I learned after years of teaching to stop and look at all I had to do and then decide what was most important. You don’t have to thoroughly grade every assignment you give your students. Pick the ones that will truly give you an idea of where your students are and grade those. Give completion grades for the rest. If your cup is empty, how can you fill someone else’s? This has been my biggest struggle-my after hours workload draining me.
2️⃣ Analyze Your Stresses and Frustrations. Know what and who jerks your chain and avoid it/them. Don’t set yourself up for additional health problems by overloading , procrastinating, or visiting with certain people who you will allow to irritate you.
3️⃣ Set REALISTIC personal and professional goals. Oftentimes, we are asked to set these goals, but we set goals that are not attainable for us. I have always said, “Don’t overpromise and underdeliver.” This goes the same for goals. Goals are dreams with deadlines. If you have goals, you know where you are headed and have a plan on how to get there– even if you are riding in a horse and buggy. Slooooowww to get there, but at least you will arrive.
4️⃣ Don’t spend your time trying to pin Jell-o to walls. People get bent out of shape by the little stuff that never really grows much. They often feel like a hampster on a wheel, running fast, but never getting anywhere. When challenges occur, ask yourself if it will make a difference tomorrow, next week, or next month. Take your job seriously, but take yourself lightly. Give yourself grace.
5️⃣ Fake it till you make it. On those days you don’t feel your best, fake it till you make it……to the end of the day.
6️⃣ Don’t ever stop playing and laughing. “A day without laughter is a day not fully lived.” I hope you have a team of teachers that you are friends with. My team and I always used to make each other laugh. One day, I was so burnt out that I couldn’t sit down and grade papers during my SHORT planning time, so I thought I would prank my teacher friend and teammate Mrs. Walls—the language arts teacher across the hall. I am short at 5’1” and was in my late 20s, so I looked young and blended in as a student well. (This came in handy at school dances being able to sneak through the students as if I was one of them — Oh, you know to what I am referring! All the teachers always put me on dance patrol. The stories I could tell!)
On this day, I snuck into her classroom, sat in a desk in the back, and hid behind a book. She was taking her kids to the library that day, and I just knew she would notice me before they headed out the door. Nope! I made it all the way down the hall in line and into the library to a table. It took her 5 minutes in to realize I was sitting in her class. Not only did she get a kick out of it, and so did the students! So did I! I walked back to my class and pulled out my papers to grade. Laughter is important; it does something to the spirit and gives your soul energy. Even if you have to watch a quick funny video on your phone during your planning time.
The bottom line is: You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. This was a hard lesson—and still is—for me to learn. I still struggle with it. Keep working toward these goals to have a happier, healthier you and a happier, healthier climate in your classroom.
If you find you are facing time-management issues, consider finding someone who can coach you. Even if you have to spend an little money to get some peace of mind, it will be worth the investment.
As teachers, we are often overworked and pulled in too many directions. We often put others before ourselves and it is hard to learn to take care of ourselves. Addressing mental health is part of self-care for our minds, bodies, and souls. Remember, if your cup is empty, you can’t fill someone else’s cup. Here are 27 FREE COUNSELING OPTIONS FOR
TEACHERS https://www.weareteachers.com/free-counseling-for-teachers/
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Geography & Math Made Easy 