Wow, the year is in full swing. Week four feels like a term has gone by already. So much to do, so many nights back as well as so many people to meet. So how can teachers survive this time? After all, lets be brutally honest. Setting up expectations is exhausting work. If you let things go now it will haunt you later on. You also have to nail it with classroom routines and procedures. And don’t get me started on the paperwork and full inbox. So here a few pointers that I hope get you through this insane time:
Sleep, sleep and more sleep: Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. We are still getting into the school routine too. When kids complain of !getting out of bed early, I hear them! It sounds bad to say that you might go to sleep at eighty thirty or nine. But hey, your body needs it, listen to your body!
Get those dates in the diary (or diaries): This is a tedious, time consuming and underestimated element at the start of the year. You have dates flying at you left, right and centre with new ones coming in constantly. Make sure that you set aside time to add all of those dates into your diary. You will thank yourself later on.
Prioritise to what you can and stick to a time limit: Pick which task is a must do and which task you can leave until later. If assessment results are not due yet, do a few at a time that suits you. I try and set a time limit to clock off by six thirty if I work at home. It helps because I work hard until that time and stop.
Keep calm: This one is my biggest challenge. When things start with a bang, it can be so hard to keep calm. Millions of things race through your mind. Teaching is like a quarter mile drag race and then a rest. Keep calm and try to slow down as much as possible.
Normalise things: You are not in this boat alone. Confused? Overwhelmed? Rushed? Feeling behind? These are all normal feelings at the start of the school year. You are not the only one working at home. You are not the only one in late meetings etc.
So if you are currently beginning your school year, remember, pace yourself. The ride is just beginning.
#backtoschool #classroom #twocreativeteachers
Sleep, sleep and more sleep: Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. We are still getting into the school routine too. When kids complain of !getting out of bed early, I hear them! It sounds bad to say that you might go to sleep at eighty thirty or nine. But hey, your body needs it, listen to your body!
Get those dates in the diary (or diaries): This is a tedious, time consuming and underestimated element at the start of the year. You have dates flying at you left, right and centre with new ones coming in constantly. Make sure that you set aside time to add all of those dates into your diary. You will thank yourself later on.
Prioritise to what you can and stick to a time limit: Pick which task is a must do and which task you can leave until later. If assessment results are not due yet, do a few at a time that suits you. I try and set a time limit to clock off by six thirty if I work at home. It helps because I work hard until that time and stop.
Keep calm: This one is my biggest challenge. When things start with a bang, it can be so hard to keep calm. Millions of things race through your mind. Teaching is like a quarter mile drag race and then a rest. Keep calm and try to slow down as much as possible.
Normalise things: You are not in this boat alone. Confused? Overwhelmed? Rushed? Feeling behind? These are all normal feelings at the start of the school year. You are not the only one working at home. You are not the only one in late meetings etc.
So if you are currently beginning your school year, remember, pace yourself. The ride is just beginning.
#backtoschool #classroom #twocreativeteachers
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