August through Mid November 2017 were some of the most stressful and discouraging months of my professional life. I had just moved from California to Colorado, went back into the classroom after being an instructional coach for three years, I was teaching a slightly new content (Algebra 1 to Integrated Math 1), and did I mention I was back in the classroom after 3 years of not having to lesson plan and grade? The adjustment to a new state and a new school was harder than it had ever been (even though I’ve changed schools two other times in my career). My happiness was plummeting and it was manifesting itself as resentment toward my job and if I’m being honest, my students, which is NOT the kind of teacher I know I am. Something had to change. And thankfully the weeks following Thanksgiving break have been my best weeks! So what did I do differently? Check out 4 lessons I’ve learned about how to reduce the inevitable stress we all face as teachers.
1. Abundance Mindset
Have you heard of scarcity vs abundance mindset? If not, I would encourage you to listen to episode #163 of a podcast called, Confidence on the Go, by Trish Blackwell or do a google search on “Abundance Mindset.” As teachers, it’s easy to feel like there is never enough time. Have you ever had the following thoughts…
I’m never going to get all of this homework graded in time
I don’t even have tomorrow’s lesson planned
I don’t have enough time to go to the gym
I have so much to do I can’t even cook dinner tonight
I certainly have! But that is scarcity thinking. When those thoughts jump into my head, I have been choosing instead to combat them with an abundance mindset by taking a deep breath and saying, “I have an abundance of time.” It’s helping me not feel so stressed and get my priorities in order.
2. Make Time Off, Time Off
How many times have you had grand plans of all of the unit and lesson planning and organizing you would do over winter break only to feel crushed when you “didn’t get to it?” What if you allowed your time off to actually be time off? Sure there are a million things I could do over a break or 3 day weekend, but I would miss out on the things I want to do for myself.
This Thanksgiving I had the whole week off and I decided not to do any work. It was actually kind of hard and I was tempted to keep planning, but I also knew I needed to rest and do things I enjoy. When I went back to work after Thanksgiving break, I felt so refreshed and I knew I was a better teacher for my students after putting myself first during my time off.
3. Be Present
I find mornings as a teacher to be particularly stressful. You have to get to work on-time, make copies, prep for an activity, etc. It’s easy to let those to-do list items get the best of you and then you feel rushed and stressed when the students enter. Not a great way to start the day! To combat this, I’ve been using this app called Headspace to lead me through a 3 minute guided meditation each Monday (and sometimes other days as well) before students come in (but after I’ve made my copies). It has really been helping me feel present and ready to be my best when students come in.
There is also an organization called Mindful Schools that does mindfulness training for teachers to use either personally or with students in the classroom. I encourage you to check out a training.
4. Set Boundaries
Make yourself a priority. It will make you a better (and much happier) teacher in the long run. Plan your planning time, but also plan time for YOURSELF. Practice good self-care. I’ve experimented with a few different planning boundaries this year and my current plan has been the most successful for me.
My Lesson Planning Boundaries
Saturday
- Grade my 5 question weekly Formative Assessment and enter grades.
- Lesson plan Monday only.
- Do whatever I want to do that weekend: Explore my beautiful state of Colorado, hang out with friends, practice calligraphy, or just Netflix and chill.
Monday
- Stay after school to roughly plan out the whole week.
- Get as many lessons planned as I can for the week.
During the Week
- Plan the rest of my lessons during my prep periods.
- If needed, stay a little late another day only if planning for THIS week.
Nothing is set in stone, but having these boundaries has REALLY helped me find a better work-life balance this year! I encourage you to find a plan that works for you. This does sometimes mean that you might not have the most amazing lesson, but you will have a good enough lesson plan and most importantly, you will still have your sanity.
What are your tips on managing teacher stress? Leave a comment below!