Self-care has become the big buzzword in education. Everyone knows it’s important, but self-care practices aren’t necessarily the first thing you think of when you’re stressed.
So let’s develop a plan that you can pull out when you need it.
Step 1 – Think about what self-care practices you are currently doing when you’re stressed. Are your practices positive or negative?
Here are examples of some practices that would be considered positive:
Meditation, listening to music, reading, going for a walk, getting outside in nature, listening to music, calling, or visiting with a friend.
And here are examples of some practices that would be considered negative:
Overeating, drinking too much wine, biting your fingernails, withdrawing from family and friends, yelling at your kids or husband/partner.
No judgment here. Just identify these for yourself. What do you currently do when you’re stressed and is that practice a positive or a negative?
Step 2 – think about different areas of self-care, what you are currently doing in those areas, and what practices you might want to try.
Here are examples of each area of self-care and some practices in each.
Physical – eating healthy food, going to bed on time, exercising.
Emotional – acknowledging all the good that you are doing already, expressing emotions in a healthy way, expressing gratitude.
Social – making time for friends/family, asking for support, having regular date nights.
Spiritual – meditation, reading inspirational literature, Bible reading, spending time in nature.
Professional – developing time management skills, pursuing or maintaining positive relationships with co-workers, developing appropriate work-life “balance” (knowing that balance shifts in different seasons).
Financial – working on paying off debt, following a reasonable budget, avoiding credit card debt.
Psychological – spending time by yourself, avoiding digital devices for a period of time, journaling, learning a new skill.
Which practices are you currently doing in each area? Which practices could you try to incorporate?
Step 3 – make an “emergency self-care plan.”
You’ve probably heard the diet advice about having something healthy available when you get hungry so that you won’t reach for junk when you’re starving.
Making an emergency self-care plan is the same idea. When you’re under stress, you may not choose the healthiest options.
Think about helpful activities you could choose in the following areas, as well as what you think you should probably avoid.
Relaxation – what helps you relax? What is a harmful activity you should avoid?
Thought patterns – what would be helpful affirmations to tell yourself? What harmful thoughts should you avoid?
Social support – who would be supportive people? Who should you avoid?
Mood – what kinds of things tend to put you in a good mood? What could put you in a bad mood?
Being prepared BEFORE you hit a roadblock will help you navigate the stress in a healthier way. Let me know how this works for you!
With the Thanksgiving break behind us and three weeks to go before winter break, it’s a great time to re-establish some good routines and procedures in your classroom. Helping your students to focus might be one of those!
What do you do when you notice that your students are not focused? If you tend to get frustrated or to start fussing at them (very normal reactions), these tips are for you! Here’s how to get your students back on track without losing your patience.
1 – Stop and take a deep breath. Calm yourself down first. Just the act of stopping – stop talking, stop walking or pacing, stop showing whatever you’re showing, stop demonstrating if you’ve been demonstrating – makes a difference and gets your students’ attention. It might sound crazy, but calming yourself first really helps.
2 – When you do resume speaking, lower your voice. A lower voice register also helps bring calm to your classroom.
3 – If your students are doing something that is pulling them off track (drawing/doodling when they’re supposed to be watching something, talking to someone, reading when they’re supposed to be watching or listening, playing with the amazing variety of “fidgets” that are marketed as helping kids focus – but often just become another distracting toy) – calmly and kindly tell them to stop. Ask them to put away whatever is distracting them. Explain to them that you, too, often mess with objects in your environment (implying that they’re not “bad” for doing it), but that you recognize those objects can keep you from focusing on what you need to be focused on right now.
If it’s only a few students who need help getting refocused:
4 – If it’s only a few students who are off track, try not to make a big deal about it in front of the whole class (thus embarrassing them in front of their peers). But do have a private conversation with them about the distracting behavior as soon as you can do so.
5 – Does a student need a change of location? Sometimes kids get distracted by where they are sitting. Offering them the option to move somewhere else in the classroom and do their work there can make all the difference.
6 – If you and your students are comfortable with it, a gentle hand on a shoulder or arm, or back can be a gentle redirection (or a gentle reassurance for doing a good job of focusing).
7 – Remember the “teacher look?” This doesn’t have to be a threatening look! But just making eye contact with a student who is off-task can help them to get back on track. Once they are back on track, give them your best teacher smile.
8 – Praise the class for what most of them are doing. Name the specific behaviors that they’re doing that are helping them to do their best work and learn. (Sometimes that’s all the non-focused students need to hear to get themselves re-focused.)
If it’s your whole class that needs to refocus:
9 – Move around your classroom as much as you can. This doesn’t work for everything – sometimes you have to demonstrate something on the board or under the document camera. But as soon as you are able, circulate around the classroom. There’s an old saying “a teacher on his/her feet is worth more than ten in a seat.” Just your proximity to students and your kind comments and redirection can make a big difference.
10 – As you circulate around the classroom, stop and ask individual students how they’re doing or if they need something. This gives students a chance to check in with themselves and let you know if there really is something that they need.
11 – Set a timer. Let your students know that you want them to complete a task within a certain amount of time. Display a visual timer if you’re able to do that. Sometimes, knowing there is a limited amount of time, helps students to refocus and complete a task.
12 – Do you ever use call and response methods with your class? This can be very effective to reset and refocus. Angela Watson has a great list of call and response options HERE.
13 – Redirect with a question:
Can someone remind us of what we need to be doing right now?
Stop and check yourself – what are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing?
Are you on track? If not, think about what you need to do to get yourself back on track.
14 – If your entire class appears off in la-la land, it’s time to stop. Just stop teaching and ask them if they need a quick brain break.
Besides helping to get your students refocused, there are compelling scientific reasons why the brain thrives on these breaks. When the brain is on overload, learning cannot occur. So just cramming in more and more information is not going to help. You’re better off just stopping, taking a brain break with your students, and then getting back to business.
In addition, your attention to your students’ emotions and needs goes a long way towards making you and your classroom feel like a “safe” place to be (helping to meet one of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Plus, they’re fun for everyone and we could all use a little more fun!
Here are some easy brain breaks to try:
*jumping jacks
*yoga stretches
*reaching toward the sky, then touching your toes
*playing some fun music and just letting kids move
*if you’re able to do so, going outside and walking or running for a few minutes
Staying focused for a long period of time can be a challenge for all of us. Showing your students that you understand how hard that can be and redirecting in some positive, helpful ways can make all the difference in your classroom.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase by now – we need to “Maslow before Bloom.” What does it mean and how do we do that?
The phrase itself refers to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In Maslow’s theory, there are five levels of needs.
The most basic is physiological needs (air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing). The next level is safety needs (personal security, resources, health, property). The third level is love and belonging (friendship, family, sense of connection).
Next come esteem needs (respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, freedom). And the highest level is self-actualization, or the desire to be the best one can be. You can read more about the theory and levels of needs HERE.
(And if you need a quick refresher on Bloom’s taxonomy, here you go!)
Even without looking at the pyramid, teachers know that students cannot learn well if they’re hungry or sleepy or if their clothing is not appropriate for the weather. Teachers also know that students find it difficult to learn when they don’t feel safe, when they feel sick, or if they don’t have the appropriate resources (pencils, for instance).
But that third level is especially interesting. The need for love and belonging is something that many of us feel is very important but at odds with the focus on how much instructional time should be spent on math or reading, etc. Especially in this year of “re-entry” to our school buildings, we are noticing that many students still feel somewhat disconnected and are often having to be taught basic social skills, how to show respect for others, and what types of behaviors are appropriate (or not) in school.
What are some good ways to help students feel more connected and emotionally safe in our classrooms, without adding even more to our overflowing plates?
The good news is that many strategies that help students are strategies that also help teachers enjoy their students more. Most of them can be fit into small moments of the day. Best of all, you don’t have to do all of them. Just pick one or two and see how they work for you.
1 – Greet your students at the door in the morning (or when you change classes). This is the easiest way to check in with each student briefly and get a “temperature check” on how students are doing. It doesn’t solve everything, but it does help to start the day on a positive note with every student feeling “seen.”
2 – Hold class meetings or morning circles. I wrote a post about getting these started and they continue to be one of the most effective strategies I’ve ever used. They don’t have to be lengthy. Just a brief gathering every morning to check in with every student is very effective.
3 – Try using dialogue journals with your students. While this is a more time-consuming strategy, many teachers feel that the time invested is well worth it. Here is how I implemented these journals in my classroom.
5 – Speaking of read-aloud, #classroombookaday is a great tradition to start in your classroom. Here’s more information about how to implement it.
6 – Revisit some activities that are often used at the beginning of the year. You can pull these out whenever you and your class need a change of routine or a little boost. I’ve got lots of ideas HERE and HERE.
7 – January is a typical time to “reset” your classroom. After winter break (or any break), everyone tends to need a little reminder about procedures and routines. Regardless of the time of year – you can reset any time! Here are some tips in my January reset posts HERE and HERE.
8 – Social-emotional learning (SEL) became a big buzzword (and a long-overdue focus) during distance learning. Here is a post I wrote about some of my favorite SEL strategies.
9 – Offer frequent breaks throughout the day. Here’s a link to a great article on Edutopia
with research explaining how and why frequent breaks benefit students. “Breaks” doesn’t have to mean recess. Exercise or movement breaks in the classroom, a quick fresh air break outside (bonus for running or jumping), dance breaks, and yoga stretches all count. Other breaks might include opportunities to do some kind of art (even playing with play-dough) or mindfulness/deep breathing activities.
10 – Use Google forms as a way to check in with your students. I used these a lot during distance learning (here is a sample of one from very early in the pandemic). But they are great for using once a week or so in your classroom. Similar to dialogue journals, they are a private way for students to communicate with you and tell you whatever they want you to know.
Attending to our students’ physical and emotional needs is just as important as the content we teach them. Yes, it’s a big demand on our time and energy, but the payoff is huge when we see our students feeling happy, connected, and ready to learn.
As an instructional coach, I have had the privilege of working with some amazing teachers. Besides being excellent in the classroom, many of them have also picked up some good time management skills along the way.
Here’s a list of some of my favorites. Pick and choose the tips that might work for you!
1 – First of all – you need a notebook or agenda for planning. Not for lesson planning. Just for planning other things you need/want to do, as well as what you need to do to take care of yourself.
2 – Pay attention to when you have the most energy during the day. Make note of that time. As much as possible, use that time for your “deep work” – planning and anything else that requires your focused attention.
3 – Have a location for everything you need for each lesson/class of the day. Many teachers use those stackable storage bins or carts. It helps to keep any teacher manuals, worksheet copies, and manipulatives in one central location. Stackable desk trays and another option Utility cart Stackable drawers and another option
4 – Plan some “buffer” time. You know that, no matter how organized you are, stuff always comes up to interfere with your best-laid plans. Knowing that you have scheduled some time to just “catch up” during the week will keep you from stressing about how the heck you’re going to fit everything into your already packed schedule.
5 – Look ahead. What’s coming up on your calendar/schedule two weeks from now? What can you do now to prepare and keep those tasks from becoming overwhelming?
An example of this would be progress reports or report cards. If you see that the due date for those is coming up soon, think of what you could do now to help make that an easier process. Finish grading an assignment? Make notes for comments? Prep meals now so that you’ll have food available during that busy week?
journal
6 – Plan for fun events with your class. This helps all of you feel more connected to each other and helps you to relax and enjoy your students. Maybe you could earn some extra recess time? Watch a video that connects to something you are learning in science or social studies? Enjoy some extra read-aloud time? When you think of a good idea, jot it down so you have some options whenever you feel like your class deserves a fun break.
7 – Organize your next week on Friday, not on Monday morning. This helps you to wrap up the week and put everything away for the weekend. The only tasks you should be doing on the weekend are “heck, yes” tasks, if you have time and if you have the mental energy to do them.
Morning tasks:
8 – Try Mel Robbins’ High Five Habit. Starting your day with a reminder to yourself that you are strong and you can do whatever you need to do today is a powerful habit to develop. (Another favorite book of mine is Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule.)
9 – Keep a post-it note of your three (just three) tasks that you absolutely have to (or absolutely want to) get done for the day. Meetings don’t count. This is for planning or prep work that you want to get done. Keeping the list to just three items helps you to focus on what is absolutely most important. If you have time and energy for other tasks, fine, but make sure your top three tasks are done first.
10 – Read and answer email three times a day – once in the morning, once during the middle of the day (middle = any time that works for you – it doesn’t have to be lunchtime), and then once at the end of the day. If something is an emergency, you will be notified in some other way besides email. Try not to check your email in the evening or any time you are at home. Checking email incessantly and responding immediately can be a major time suck.
11 – When you do sit down to deal with email, set aside a few minutes to read, respond to, or delete each one.
During your “planning time”:
12 – Plan your planning time! What one or two tasks are you doing to try to complete during this time? Similar to making that top three tasks in the morning, don’t frustrate yourself by trying to get too many tasks done. Plan for one or two. If you can get more done, fine. If not, fine.
13 – If you prefer to not be disturbed during your planning time, either go to another location (a table in the library, a co-worker’s empty office). You could also consider closing your door and putting a sign on it that says something like “genius at work” or “work in progress – please do not disturb”.
14 – Batch your tasks. Make all your copies at one time. Grade all your math quizzes at one time. Prep all your reading group plans at one time. Create all your slides or teaching resources at the same time. You get the idea. This saves you time because you spend one time getting ready to do the task instead of getting ready multiple times.
During the day:
15 – Go to the office/mailroom and check your mailbox only once a day. Running into people there can be a time suck.
16 – Train your students to do as much of the organization and clean-up in your classroom as possible. Can they straighten tables and chairs at the end of the day? Pick up papers and pencils off the floor? (And how does all that stuff end up on the floor anyway?!) Clean off counters? Organize papers to be graded? Think of chores that you are currently doing but that you could train some responsible students (or your entire class) to do.
17 – Work with your PLC or grade level team to share tasks like making copies, writing newsletters, prepping materials for science experiments, etc.
18 – Take a real lunch break. I am the worst about giving this advice but not actually following it myself. But when I do take the time to step away from my desk and computer, it makes a big difference in my energy levels for the rest of the day. Try it, even for just a few minutes.
19 – Keep what you need for planning or grading with you when you go to meetings, assemblies, etc. Use those small moments of downtime to get a few things done while you’re waiting. (This also works for other appointments outside of school – while you’re waiting for a doctor or dentist appointment, waiting to pick up your children from an activity, etc.).
20 – Speaking of grading/assessing – Carefully consider what really needs to be graded and what can just be checked for completion. Another option is to spot-check only certain questions or problems (all the even-numbered problems, for example).
21 – Set boundaries for yourself. I wrote an entire post about that HERE. You don’t have to say yes to everything, just because you are asked. If you want to do a task and it works for your current time and energy levels, go ahead. But if it doesn’t work, then say no.
22 – Set up systems and routines for your classroom and teach them to your students. Practice them over and over. Implement any necessary consequences for not following the routines, once your students have learned and practiced them. This will keep you sane and your students will also appreciate knowing what they’re supposed to do and when they’re supposed to do it.
Here’s how to do it:
Open a new page in a notebook. List all the things that stress you out, no matter how big or how small. Next to each thing that stresses you out, write ONE thing you could do that would make it better in some way. Then choose ONE stressor and try your solution. When that is done, choose another. Make your way down the list.
24 – Set “leave” times for yourself daily. Some days you may be able to leave earlier than others. If you do, try to stick to that time and be as productive as possible during the day. If you need to set one day a week (or every couple of weeks) for staying later and finishing up nagging tasks, schedule that day and make a plan for it.
25 – Make a list of five things that went well during the day. No matter what went wrong, no matter what did not get done – focus on what you DID do well. Be proud of that. Give yourself a high five.
There you have it. 25 tips to help you to be more focused and efficient with your time during the school day. Let me know how they work for you!
Some school years (and some times of the school year) are more stressful than others.
When the stress gets overwhelming, try to get back to basics and simplify as much as you can.
Here are 15 tips to help you simplify.
1 – Greet your students at the door. This starts your day and your students’ day off on a positive note and ensures that you connect with every student at least once.
2 – Review your rules and/or your procedures for any part of the school day that is stressing you out. If it’s lunchtime, review lunch procedures. If it’s your end-of-day time that is raising your blood pressure, review those procedures. Then follow through on any consequences if the procedures or rules are not followed. Show them you mean business.
3 – Do something fun with your class every day. Make sure that you smile and laugh with your students as much as possible. Maybe you’ll watch a funny video or share some good news or enjoy a read-aloud together. Whatever brings you joy will bring them joy as well.
4 – Focus on the positive. Ask your students to share good news or compliments for each other or gratitude for something. Thank them for following your rules and procedures when they do that. Tell them you appreciate their attention to doing the right thing and making the school day better for everyone.
5 – Slow down. If something isn’t going well or if you see that your class just isn’t getting a concept, don’t feel compelled to push through. Slow down. Take a deep breath. Reteach. Ask a student to explain what they think the concept means or explain how to do a math problem. Or allow student partnerships to discuss. Give them time to absorb what you’re teaching.
6 – Have as many one-on-one check-ins or conferences with students as possible in a day. Don’t stress yourself out about doing any certain amount, as some days will be better than others.
7 – Keep photos of people or animals that are important to you at school. These could be framed pictures or the screensaver on your phone or your computer. But let yourself be reminded of all the love in your life as often as possible.
8 – Set boundaries for yourself when it comes to school responsibilities. See my post HERE about setting boundaries for yourself at school and my post HERE about setting boundaries for yourself in your personal life.
9 – Take deep breaths.
10 – Go outside, even for just a few minutes. (By the way – this is a great place to take those deep breaths.)
11 – I know you have a million things to do, but try to take a real break at lunch. Enjoy eating your lunch and reading or doing something just for you instead of grading papers or catching up on email.
12 – Stand up and stretch or do some kind of movement, especially if you’ve been sitting for a while. This is also a great thing to do WITH your students.
13 – Plan something you will do for yourself after school or in the evening. It might be cooking a favorite meal, grabbing a latte on your way home from school, buying yourself flowers, taking a long bath. Give yourself something to look forward to doing.
14 – Make a list of everything in your day that is going well. You might be surprised to see that more is going well than is not going well. Focus on what you CAN control and try very hard to let go of that which you CANNOT control.
15 – Try a stress log. I got this idea from Marie Forleo in her awesome book Everything is Figureoutable. Open a new page in a notebook. List all the things that stress you out, no matter how big or how small. Next to each thing that stresses you out, write ONE thing you could do that would make it better in some way. Then choose ONE stressor and try your solution. When that is done, choose another. Make your way down the list.
Stress is a part of life. By incorporating small habits into our routines, we can help relieve the effects of stress and not let it get too overwhelming. Let me know what habits work for you!
Teachers are under more stress than ever right now.
Teaching is a difficult enough job — planning, endless meetings, paperwork, email, reaching out to or responding to parents, not to mention actually teaching students and assessing their progress. Add all the beginning of the year assessments and analyzing data and wondering how you are going to address all the learning needs. Then add all the COVID protocols and constant monitoring of health and safety routines. Then – in our district – it has been raining for the past three days, which means indoor lunch, indoor recess, and even less of a break for teachers.
So how can we deal with teacher stress and take care of ourselves when the demands just never stop?
Here are 10 tips.
1 – take a mental health day. I hate using the term “sick leave”. It’s more like “take care of myself so I WON’T get sick” leave. I know it’s a pain to create sub plans. I know you feel like your class will fall apart without you. I know you hate creating potential stress on your grade-level team if you’re out. But take a day anyway. The world will not end.
Spend the day doing whatever makes you feel refreshed. Maybe you need more sleep. Maybe you need to read or watch Netflix or do something creative. Plan your mental health day around what will make you feel better.
2 – take a break during the day. Ask someone to cover your class for just a few minutes. Can you leave your classroom and go someplace else in your school for a change of scenery while your kids are at specials? Can you take a walk around the school (indoors or outdoors)? Can you give your students some quiet independent work to do while you take a break at your desk?
3 – do some mindful breathing, either alone or with your class. Here are two great options. This video teaches a mindful breathing technique and this video has relaxing music to play during independent reading or quiet work time.
4 – go outside. This can be combined with taking a break and/or with mindful breathing. Just getting some fresh air and a change of scenery can restore some calm.
5 – do a one-minute meditation. My favorite app for meditation is Headspace. They have tons of different meditation sessions to use, including sessions that are only one minute long. But you don’t have to use an app to meditate. It’s all about closing your eyes (or gazing at a focal point) and focusing on your breath. When thoughts come to mind (and they will), just return your focus to your breath. Escape to the restroom if you have to, close your eyes, and focus on your breath.
6 – while your students are writing or doing some other independent activity, write in a journal. It doesn’t have to be a real journal. Just writing on any random piece of paper or in your planner will work just as well.
7 – stop and do a read-aloud with your class. Whether it’s a chapter book that you’re currently reading together or a picture book that you can finish in one session, reading aloud to your students will calm everyone down. Read more about this activity in my post about #classroombookaday.
8 – do a brain dump of all the things that are racing through your mind. While this sounds like it will stress you out more, getting all the stuff out of your head and onto paper keeps you from having to obsess about it all.
What to do with all the stuff once it is written down? These tips are from a post I wrote about a teacher to-do list system.
Here are two ways to organize your brain dump:
1 – use colored pens (like Flair pens) and label your tasks by priority, using ABC or 123 labels.
An A or 1 label = anything that is urgent (in terms of time frame) and important for you to do.
A B or 2 label = anything that is important, but not quite as urgent.
A C or 3 label = anything that isn’t urgent and might matter to you, but isn’t immediately important to do.
(A brain dump list is especially great for these items since they are written down and will probably eventually get done so they don’t keep coming to mind when you’re thinking about more urgent/important tasks. You can relax because they’re “on the list”.)
2 – use highlighters. You could prioritize your tasks the same way, but just use highlighters to indicate the different priorities.
9 – one of the best tips I can offer is to talk to someone about your stress. It might be a teacher on your grade level, an instructional coach, a guidance counselor. Find someone you can trust and talk to them about what is causing you stress at school. They can often help brainstorm ideas for how to counteract the stress and the isolation it can cause.
10 – Finally – guard your time after school. Be as efficient as possible and leave as soon as you can. Go do something that brings you joy: hug your kids, take a walk in a park, go shopping, read a book, go work out, make something you love for dinner, get together with friends. Put as much effort into your own life and self-care and health as you are putting into your teaching and planning.
You are never alone. I hope these tips help you in some small way. Please reach out to me if you need to talk!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
