Teaching Post-Covid

I recently received an email from a university student who was asking if I had any additional advice for teachers in 2022, especially with COVID and just the general state of teaching in America.

I think the most important problem that teachers have some control over is burnout.

• Teachers need to eat and exercise regularly. This means not working through your lunch hour. Teachers need the time to re-energize.
• Another thing teachers need is some kind of hobby outside of education whether it is some craft or sport or something that will give them joy outside of the classroom. This will go a long way to helping teachers from getting burned out.
• Staying prepared and organized. Gather necessary materials needed for a lesson a few days in advance and don’t wait until the last minute. This helps you focus on the lesson that day rather than on preparation.
• Last, teachers need to stay away from those who only have negative thoughts to share. Negativity is unhealthy and contagious. This is different from an occasional rant or venting. This person has only negative things to share and finds nothing joyous about being a teacher.

As for teaching post-covid, teachers need to look at students from a different perspective.

• During the pandemic, students picked up many bad learning habits. Teachers need to identify these bad habits and try to teach the students better habits. This can’t be done all at one time and teachers may need to conquer one bad habit at a time. Teachers will need twice as much patience because it is easier to learn a bad habit than to unlearn it.
• Many students may suffer from anxiety. During the pandemic, the student’s world was packed with fear and uncertainty. It may take a long time for them to feel safe and secure again. They need to learn that the world is always changing and that nothing can stay the same forever. Students need to learn a different perspective where they see change as an opportunity and not something to fear. Modeling this behavior and discussing it with students will take time but is very effective to show students how to deal with change.
• Keeping a class routine will give students stability that they haven’t had during the pandemic. By having a routine, they will know what to expect and can focus more on learning new skills.

What other suggestions would you give? Please share.

Useful Tips for Teachers

Recently I was emailed by a university student for useful tips for teachers and I thought I would share my answer with you. 

Here are some things that I’ve thought might be useful: Some of my suggestions help fight teacher burn out which I think is our biggest problem in the education system. 

1. Stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet (you will need this to keep up your strength, energy, and focus). 

2. Exercise on a regular basis (helps you build up your immune system to fight all those nasty germs that run rampant in a school). 

3. Don’t work through your school lunch hour. Take time for a breather and allow yourself to re-energize. 

4. Find a hobby so that you aren’t spending every waking moment working on schoolwork. Allow your brain some time off to do something fun. 

5. Develop a connection with parents on a regular basis to relate successes as well as problems. They are your best resource to help your student and all of you need to work as a team. 

6. Stay away from negative colleagues (their negativity can be contagious). 

7. Find out what other teachers the students like and why. Then find a time when you can observe that teacher to pick up some other good strategies for teaching. 

8. Don’t try to copy the other teachers and be exactly like them.  You are a different person so their way of teaching may not fit your personality. 

9. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different strategies. Find what works for you and tweak it so that it will meet the needs of your students. 

10. Be prepared. Don’t wait until the day of your lesson to gather your materials. Try to have the next week’s materials together by Friday afternoon so you can focus on the actual lesson and not the preparation. 

Just to let you know, I published a book in 2019 called The Successful Teacher’s Handbook that you might find interesting. 

https://www.amazon.com/Successful-Teachers-Handbook-Strategies-Classroom-ebook/dp/B07TG8X87X

What other advice would you give? Please share. 

Tune-Up

In Do you have a tuner? From Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

"If we have mediocre tools, why should we expect great work?"

This makes me think of a pencil that is used until the point is no longer pointy. How many times have I used a garden tool until it is no longer sharp and hacking away at weeds is difficult and miserable? I have used a knife that is no longer sharp and not only makes cutting difficult but even possibly dangerous.

Teachers tend to go forward full of energy all of the time. They tend to keep going until they are no longer sharp. When this happens it is time for a tune-up. Holiday vacations are a great time for tune-ups.

Before my vacation, I like to have some idea of the things I want to do to recharge or tune up. Here are some suggestions:

• Read a book for enjoyment.
• Spend some time with a hobby that I don’t usually make time for.
• Spend time with family and friends and put away my phone.
• Go for a walk in the neighborhood and notice changes or improvements.
• Go for a hike in the woods.
• Do something special with a loved one.
• Cook/Bake something you don’t usually have time for.
• Create something new.
• Pamper yourself and don’t feel guilty.

What would you suggest for tuning up over a vacation? Please share.

Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash

Don’t Run Out

In Fill before empty from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin shares

“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

Teacher Burn Out

In Burned out/burned in by Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin shares,

“Burn out, on the other hand, is often caused by trying to control things that we can’t possibly control. “

Over the years, I have seen many new teachers burn out quickly in the field of teaching.

I know when people start a new career, they are gung ho and want to give 110% to the start of this new venture.

Teaching is a totally different animal. I like to give advice to new teachers in hopes that the good ones will stay in the field and not get burned out. I think it is time to give this advice again so here are my pearls of wisdom that have come from teaching over 30 years and still loving it! Here are things that you can control and will help you from burning out. 

• Pace yourself. You don’t have to do everything at the same time.
• Keep a calendar and consistently write down when things are due.
• If a form can be completed now, do it and submit it immediately.
• Keep copies of everything you submit (take a photo or scan it into your computer).
• Every morning take the time to write a list of the things you need to do today. Then prioritize the list. At the end of the name, mark off what was completed. Those not completed can be added to tomorrow’s list.
• Be prepared. Get a few days head start on materials that you need for an upcoming lesson. Don’t wait until the day before to gather these items.
• Copy papers a few days before they are needed in case the copy machine breaks.
• Remember that you can’t save every student.
• Reflect at least weekly on your lessons. What was the purpose of the lesson? How did the students react? What could you do differently? What went well?
• Get a hobby! Have something you do that relieves your stress.
• Take your lunch break. Don’t work through it!
• Get a good night’s sleep. Cranky teachers aren’t very successful in the classroom.
• Exercise to relieve stress. You can walk 15 -30 minutes a day. Believe me, this will make a difference in your life!
• Develop a support group. Find like-minded people that you can bounce and share ideas for your classroom instruction.
• Avoid negative people. Those people that constantly have nothing good to say about the school, their class, the parents, or life, in general, can be toxic to be around. Stay away from them.

What other advice would you give new teachers in order to avoid burn out? Please share.

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

Love Yourself

Every teacher gets run down and discouraged. It doesn’t matter if you are new or experienced or what grade level you teach. This is a normal feeling so don’t worry if it happens to you. The important thing is how you get out of this deep hole you feel you are in.

Teachers are harder on themselves than other people or even their students. Teachers expect themselves to be the best. I think it is in our nature. We expect perfectionism from ourselves more than anyone else. When we fail to live up to our own expectations, we are disappointed. Continued disappointment leads to burn out.

Recently I had a teacher come to me for advice about this. She was feeling upset about how she was teaching and how she felt about teaching. This was becoming a vicious cycle that was only getting worse and she didn’t know how to fight it.

Once I helped her verbalize how she was feeling and possibly why she was feeling that way, I asked her what she would tell a family member who was feeling this way. What would she tell a close friend who shared this with her?

It seems it is easier to give advice to family and friends than it is to ourselves. If we give ourselves the same advice, we feel selfish and self-centered, but we shouldn’t! We should love ourselves as much as we love others.

We deserve to get the same loving advice that we would give to someone else feeling the same way. Teachers have the hardest time with loving ourselves.

We give others the benefit of the doubt. We give others a second and third chance. We forgive others who make mistakes. We overlook simple honest mistakes many times. We teach our students to ask for help when they need it.

But teachers don’t treat themselves in the same way!

We expect ourselves to get it right the first time. We beat ourselves up for every mistake we make. We ask ourselves why we didn’t catch a mistake before it happened. We want to do everything ourselves and are afraid to ask for help because it might make us look stupid or weak.

As long as we keep this negative mindset, there is no way out of that hole. It will get deeper and deeper until it consumes us. This is what causes burn out.

Not only do we need to love ourselves, but we need to encourage other teachers to do the same thing. There is nothing wrong with showing ourselves that we are valuable, and we matter.

How do you help teachers who feel this way? Please share.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Burn Out

In Why Do Some Educators Burn Out While Others Seem to Grow More Passionate? from @DavidGeurin Blog, David Geurin asks,

“What else would you add to these thoughts? What are your thoughts?”

He gives great reasons why some teachers don’t burn out. I think I’m one of them because I’ve been in special education for more than 30 years. I agree with the reasons he gives because I feel like they have applied to me. I feel that I’ve made a difference and I’m very passionate about what I do. I also worked hard to keep myself from burning out.

Here are some additional things I’ve done over the years.

Get to know my student’s parents and develop a rapport with them. Many times when I was feeling down and discouraged, I would call a parent to brag about the good things their child had done and the many times it is these parents who encourage me and show appreciation for my hard work. It helps to remind me why I teach.

Change. Change is good and keeps me from getting in a rut. Sometimes change is hard but it keeps me sharp. I’ve moved to different schools and not stayed in one school my whole career. I think starting in a new school with new administration makes me pay attention more to details. I don’t take anything for granted and I’m having a fresh new start. Each time I moved to a new school, I grew professionally. I pushed myself to do better and it made me better. I try to do the same things with my students.

Learn something new. Every year I try to learn some new skill. This learning not only keeps me sharp but reminds me how hard it is to learn something new. I can better relate to my students and encourage them when they get frustrated. This keeps me from getting frustrated with them when they don’t learn as fast as I hope they would. I have learned things like Chinese language lessons and even archery lessons.

Get a hobby. This hobby can change over time but my teaching cannot be my hobby.  Many teachers let their teaching consume their lives and that is not good. Over the years, my hobby has included cross-stitching, gardening, hiking, traveling, knitting, and spinning yarn.

What other ideas would you include to avoid burn out? Please share.

Replenishing

In My Chincoteague Retreat from Janet Given's Blog by Janet Givens, asks,

How about you? How do you carve out time to replenish yourself?

This is a great reminder that we need to replenish ourselves. We aren’t any good to anyone if we are all used up. It reminds me of that story where you want to keep your “bucket” full by being positive to others. When you let negative things affect you, it comes out of your bucket. One way to fill your bucket is to replenish yourself.

Here are some ways that I replenish myself.

Reading has been something I have loved to do ever since I was a little girl.  It is a form of escape for me and I enjoy it. By doing this I feel happy and relaxed. I like reading different types of genres depending on my mood.

Gardening is like painting in my yard. I like to choose different plants and colors to decorate my yard.   Planting flowers and vegetables make me feel productive. Even weeding can make me feel like I accomplish something. When I can see results from my hard work I feel even better.

Knitting makes me feel relaxed. When I end up with a finished product, I feel proud of what I’ve accomplished and myself.  Knitting prayer shawls for charity also helps me feel good about myself too.

Spinning makes me feel relaxed also. I like the feel of the fiber in my fingers as I spin yarn. When I’m finished I feel proud that I have something that I am able to knit with.

Hiking is a great physical activity that I find exciting and relaxing at the same time. I love being out in nature and seeing the world around me. I love seeing the flowers begin to appear in the spring and the colors of the leaves in the fall.

Camping is a great way to get away. When we go camping it is usually hard to use my cell phone or my laptop. This is a great way to force myself to disconnect from my electronics. It is easy to get in a rut and when I stay in a rut, my bucket empties.

What do you do to replenish yourself? Please share.

Image: 'Bucket and tap' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79699474@N00/3402551547
Found on flickrcc.net

Finding the Right Fit

I don’t know about you but I like to buy clothes that fit me. This makes me feel good because I think I look good.

The same thing should be said about our job, no matter what we do.

I see a lot of teachers talk about how they are burned out in the first few years but I wonder if it is because they haven’t found the right fit. Imagine wearing a pair of shoes all day that were the wrong size!
 
Just like clothes shopping, we might have to try a few different places before we find the right fit. Sometimes spending a couple of years in one place help us determine what we are looking for because when we first become teachers we are so thankful to get a job that we don’t think about whether it fits us or not.

I worked at my first school for three years. I learned about working with colleagues. I learned about having an administrator that I respected was important to me. By reflecting about my time at this one school, it helped me look for a better fit for the future.

For six years I worked on getting a better fit about my second school. During this time, besides honing my teaching skills, I was able to learn more about professional development and allowing myself time to grow in my career.

My third school was a great fit. I really liked my principal and he encouraged me to take a leadership role during this time. I was able to look at my values and realize how important they were to me. My values were a big part of how I saw my job and myself in that position. When I left there, it was because the administration with a new principal had different values from me and I wasn’t willing to compromise on them.

My last school was a fabulous fit! The principal encouraged me to spread my wings even more than I imagined and I took a major leadership role in my department. I was able to help the department become better and well known for its student success and paperwork accuracy.

If you notice from each job to the next, I was constantly trying the place on for size and seeing if it “fit” me. Sometimes it takes more than one school and a lot of patience.

I hope that new teachers don’t give up so easily when times get tough. It may just be that where they are isn’t the right fit for them. They need to look at other places and try something new. Each new place should be a better fit than the last one.

Hopefully, they will find the right fit like I did. Maybe that is why I love my career so much! Maybe that is why I didn’t burn out so easily like my colleagues. I’m not sure if that is the reason but I know it worked for me and it made my career a success.

How do you go about finding the right fit for you? Please share!

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by espelina: http://flickr.com/photos/espelina/14202413/

Advice for First Year Teachers

In Meeting My “First Year Self” from A Relief Teacher's Journey,Michael Graffin shares some strategies and resources to survive the first year of teaching. He gives some advice that he wished someone had told him. I totally agree with everything he has mentioned and wanted to add a few more things of advice to what he mentions. Please check out his post and read the advice he gives too.

Keep a Journal: I really wish someone had told me to keep a journal of my years of teaching. I kept one the first year and then life got in the way. Now that I look back of my 30 years in the public school, I really wish I had kept a journal every year.

Prevent burn out in advance: I know that most teachers get burned out after five years. If you know this in advance, look for ways to avoid it. Get a life outside of school. Learn a new hobby. Have an outside interest.

Learn something from your students: Look for something new that you didn’t know before. This makes every day a brand new start. Learning from my students was invigorating and exciting. It might be a lesson in behavior or it might be a lesson in new technology. Knowing that every day is a new learning experience can keep you on your toes.

Exercise: Do some kind of regular exercise at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes even if it is only getting out and walking. This helps keep a positive attitude in your life. When you are feeling down, exercise. When you are feeling frustrated, exercise. When you are feeling exhausted, exercise. When you are feeling great, exercise.

Don’t Give Up: Sometimes it is easier to give up than to plug on. But don’t. I remember hearing someone tell me that when I reached the end of my rope, to tie another know in it. Remember all the hard work you put into training for this career and the reason you went into it. Eventually you will get into a rhythm and it will be easier and you will end up enjoying it. Too many people give up before they reach this stage.

Ask for Help: As a new teacher, you feel like you are already in a fishbowl and everyone is just watching you and waiting for you to fail. Actually the opposite is true. Everyone is just waiting for you to ask for help. They are waiting to catch you when you fall. They don’t want to offer help in case you see it as their lack of faith in what you can do. When you don’t know something or you need support, ask for it. There are people out there who want to be there for you.

What other advice would you give to new teachers? Please share.

Image: '154/365 They're Coming To Get+You.'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64636777@N03/6821633630
Found on flickrcc.net