Teachers Need to Take Care of Themselves Too! They 2 MATTER!!!
Being a teacher especially in a multi-grade class is rewarding but very challenging. We have frustrating moments but to that we have at least 2 Ah ha moments. The ratio is 1:2. To be honest, teaching is very exhausting and most teachers are not great in caring for themselves. They work long hours, have no time to exercise, don’t have enough sleep, often eat unhealthy food, and never have time to refresh or energize themselves.
Being DRAINED OUT is a real thing in the teaching world. Despite the subject or the age groups the teacher is teaching, the teacher must still write and manage the lesson plans, do the daily activities, attend PTA meetings, complete IEP paperwork, grade, address classroom preparation for the next day and on and on. They are so TIREDDDDD! The big question is“Do Teachers Need to Take Care of Themselves?”
The majority of teachers have concluded that this lifestyle is just a part of their job.There is merely no time at all to do BOTH, being a good teacher and taking care of themselves. Taking care of themselves is a bonus during the summer break.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are few tips to help you out.
Work Smarter not Harder:What does this mean? If you need some resources for your class activity, you don’t have to spend hours in front of the computer designing and crafting them. Just go online and look for free downloads from teachers pay teachers, education.com, Pinterest, etc... for resources and use them for you class over and over. You save time and energy.
School Work at School: Is that possible? Yes!! I used to take work home every day and the more I took home the more I worked, and it never stopped. So, I decided to tweak my class and make my life a little easier and it WORKED fine. For example, my math class is from 9:00-10:00.
This goes on for almost all the subjects. So, by the end of the day I don’t have anything much to do. I just fix my class for the next day and make copies if needed. I write one subject lesson plan for all the classes (5 days, 5 subject lesson plans are put in) and then I’m off. I don't have to carry any books or papers to grade; school work in school is done!
Spend at least 30 minutes for a workout or exercise because we need a healthy heart. Exercise helps us to watch our weight, to reduce stress, boost our mood, improve memory, and make our skin glow.
Have a healthy breakfast because God knows we need all the energy to meet, greet, and teach our children in our multi-grade class.
Drink enough water throughout the day (sip between classes). We need to be hydrated, walking, talking, playing, and of course enjoying the company of our kids. On the other hand,water helps the body function and eliminate toxic substances from the blood and supports the optimal functioning of the cells, tissues, and organs.
Spend 30 minutes doing things you enjoy the most like reading a book, dancing to your favorite song, playing your favorite instrument, cooking, gardening, watching the news, knitting, running, yoga, or just sitting quietly doing nothing... Pamper yourself with a nice long bath, or whatever it takes to relax you.
Last but not the least, the most important thing is to start your day with prayer and end it with prayer. In a multi-grade class \, there are chances for things to go wrong especially when you do not have a teacher’s aide. Invite Jesus to be your teacher’s aide. Ask him to bring in the volunteers of angels to be around your class and around every child.
Now the question to our teachers who are talented, enthusiastic, amazing, calm, effective, and rocking is - “Do Teachers Need to Take Care of Themselves? Do they MATTER?”
God Bless and Have a Wonderful Week Ahead
by Alwina Kindo
Alwina teaches at NewOrleans Adventist Academy.
