“When the cost of topping off your battery is less than the catastrophic risk of running out of juice, it pays to add to your reserves.”
This is so important for teachers! We can’t help our students if we don’t take care of ourselves. Too many times I have seen young teachers work through lunch, spend their evenings grading papers, and working through the weekend. As each day goes by, their energy reserves get lower and lower until they get totally burned out. No wonder so many new teachers leave the teaching field and move on to other careers.
I think we need to impress this onto those just entering the teaching field. They are so gung ho and want to do the best they can so they think that by working harder, they can make it happen. Sometimes only time and experience will help you become the best teacher you can be. Everyone needs to work smarter and not harder.
I believe those that stay in the teaching field have learned to do this. They have learned time management and have balance in their lives. New teachers don’t automatically know this and have to learn this.
When I meet with any teacher in the education courses that I teach, I encourage them to get a hobby or find an activity that they like to do. Start an exercise routine that they can follow. Do something creative. Schedule in time to do fun things on a regular basis. Make sure they spend time with their families. Don’t let their work keep them from watching their children grow up. Don’t sacrifice their families for their careers.
I tell teachers to think about what they are teaching and don’t give busy work to students, especially if it has to be graded. Find ways that students can self-check their work. Have students create things that show off their understanding of new knowledge. This knowledge is applied to creating something. Use rubrics to grade projects.
I encourage new teachers to develop an organizational system. This may take some extra time in the beginning but once they find a system that works, it will make their life easier.
New teachers need to be prepared and not run behind. Staying ahead of the game is vital to being effective. I encourage teachers to make sure they have their necessary materials for a lesson at least 2 days in advance. This allows them to find out if they have missed anything they have forgotten. It’s better than to gather materials the same day of the lesson only to find out that they have forgotten something.
I encourage new teachers to find a mentor and develop a support system. This is important when they are feeling down and discouraged.
All of these things will help them fill their energy reserves. When they need to recharge their batteries, they will always have something there to dip into. Don’t let the energy reserves ever get depleted!
How do you fill your energy reserves? Please share.
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
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