The days and weeks are long and every once in awhile, teachers need to hit the reset button. In order to put your best foot forward for your students, some time must be set aside every so often to relax, unwind, and clear your mind, to help you and your students continue on the path for success.
Make Time for You
Make time to have fun, meditate, work out, and enjoy life with family and friends. Schedule it into your calendar or add it to your to-do list if that helps to ensure you get it done. You need to take care of yourself in order to take care of your students!
Stay Organized
Use your calendars and your schedules. If you have designated the next 1-hour for schoolwork, then stick to that and do not work on anything else for that hour. Likewise, if you have blocked off time for personal time, hold yourself to that. Enjoy that time guilt-free because you made time for it in your calendar. Staying organized and making preparations in advance will help you have more free time in the long run.
Say “No!”
It is okay to say no to the extras. Remember, every time you take on something new, that’s less time you have to spend on previously made commitments. Say yes to the school activities that are really important to you, and then politely decline the rest. Having your personal time is a valid reason and excuse.
Positivity keeps you energized
Stay away from negative talk and gossip. Venting is normal and necessary, but do not expose yourself to negative energy and situations that you do not need to be a part of. Instead, be around people with an optimistic outlook or be the positive change your school is looking for. If something is bothering you, go do something about it.
Love your students
Find a connection with your students. We have all experienced the hard moments but always come back to common ground with our students and share love for them each day. We never know what students are truly going through on a daily basis and which one of them may need some love that day.
Change it up
Plug some excitement into your lessons to break away from the monotony. Think of things that you find engaging and exciting and infuse them into your lessons.
Leave Schoolwork at School
Okay, we know this one is easier said than done; but if you can’t leave school behind every day, make a goal for yourself of at least a few days a week. Make it a priority to have a few days that your after school hours are completely off-limits when it comes to bringing work home. You need a mental break away from your teacher duties to focus on you, your family, and friends.
For more ideas on how to avoid teacher burnout, head to Credits for Teachers. While there, K-12 teachers can also enroll in online self-paced Professional Development courses in exchange for graduate credit from our university partner that can be used for salary advancement or license renewal – Learn More Now!
