Sup Teach?

It’s undeniable that this profession feels highly unsustainable. This past summer, I asked a veteran teacher if he intended to teach for life. He hesitate for a bit… “I don’t know about forever. Teaching really is a burnout profession.” Sometimes I feel the same way, sometimes I don’t. Like an ex-ex-roommate once said “anything worth doing won’t be easy.”

Whenever I provide my own pointers in this blog, I don’t mean to be patronizing nor do I presume that I know it all. I’m just sharing what’s worked for me so far, and am putting it out there in hopes that somebody might get something out of it.

So, here goes, presenting my methods of coping:

(1) Wake early.
Late night work is filled with traps. Folks on gchat, television shows, the idea that you’ve got ‘all night’ to finish something up, etc. Rather than sleeping late to tweak a lesson plan, I’ll try and sleep early to wake early.

Workwise, I do this for two reasons: I’m FORCED to work uninterrupted and I’m FORCED to work within a time limit. It’s easier to get that work done when there’s absolutely nobody online to chat with save for a few crickets. For example, if I wake up at 5a. I know I MUST be done by 7a in order to get to work on time. 2 hours. Let’s get it done.

Healthwise, I do this for one HUGE reason: to make sure I get enough sleep.

(2) Allow yourself me time everyday.
It’s easy to forget about yourself in the whirlwind of thoughts, plans, and to-do lists. ‘Me time’ is crucial to maintain balance. Whatever it is you enjoy doing (even if it’s straight vegging), make sure you give yourself a bit of time everyday where you ALLOW yourself to do it. By allow, I mean don’t think about school or students or work AT ALL during that time.

(3) Let it go.
If a lesson doesn’t go well, if you feel like you’re not reaching a student, if you feel like you’re not planned enough, let it go. Time will always move forward, and dwelling on the downs of your day will eat you alive. Simple, but believe me when I say it’s so easy to hold onto something negative when you’re a teacher. You’ll definitely fail, you’ll definitely have days where you suck, and it’s all good cus that’s to be expected.

(4) Realize that good things happen everyday in your classroom.
It’s easy to focus on the negative. Student A and B are over there in the corner acting up. Students C and D are not getting ANYTHING. Your focus tends to shift on them, and you forget about students E through J that are there… doing work… focused… eager to learn. We forget about students E through J because we must tend to the needs of students A through D. But remember that they’re there. Remembering small victories makes petty little arguments and other ‘losses’ feel a lot smaller.

(5) Vent.
One thing I valued about being in OTF was meeting a group of teachers I was able to vent to on the nightly. They were wearing the exact same shoes as me, and to be able to share my frustrations with them was highly valuable.

(6) Mini-meditations.
I’ll usually do this during lunch or my prep period, when no students are around. From wherever I’m at (usually at my desk) I’ll close my eyes, and breathe deeply for a minute. Just a minute. Afterward, I’ll feel re-centered and re-energized even in the midst of the busiest/most stressful days… when students and the rest of the world seem to be conspire against you.

(7) Personal days & sick days.
Many teachers are like robots, never missing a day. In my district, we’re given 5 personal days and 10 sick days. However many you’ve got, put them to use. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a ‘mental health day.‘ Sometimes you’ve just got to hit the pause button. (I’ve already taken one this year).

(8) Read teacher blogs.
This goes along the lines of #5. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in this endeavor. Not only that, but you’ll stumble upon lesson ideas and other tips along the way. How do I find them? Either search edublogs, or click on comments on teacher blogs I already read. Here, maybe you can start at this spot: www.thefacultyroom.org

(9) Sit in on your colleagues’ classrooms.
Same idea as #5 and #8. Again, teaching is collaborative. Take advantage of that!

Wally once said lifehackers “just point out the obvious things” but I don’t care. These work for me, and I wanted to share.