Author: Maggie Dunagan

Hello, again!

Throughout the craziness of quarantine, I am sure every teacher’s main focus has been their students, and the world appreciates that! Considering the huge change that took place, stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high. Can you blame them? However, now more than ever, it is so important to remember to stop what you are doing and take care of yourself.

This blog post will be geared toward self care and ways to ensure that you are giving yourself a little TLC each day. These are things that work for me that can always be tweaked to meet your own personal needs!

EAT BETTER, FEEL BETTER

One thing that I do to care of myself is eating healthy. The better I eat, the better I feel each day. Everyone has different tastes, but when I start my day with things like yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, and water, I feel refreshed, energized and ready to take on the day. Sit down, eat something nutritious, and unwind before diving into any tasks.

GET UP AND MOVING

Another thing that has helped me so much, especially during this time, is exercising. It doesn’t have to be anything rigorous or painful! Keep it simple. If it is a nice day, go outside and get a walk in. Whether it is a quick one around the neighborhood/up the street, or a three mile trek, anything is better than nothing. On drearier days, you may make a space for myself at home and follow along with a Youtube video based on what you might want to work on. If you’re feeling a little slow one day, try some yoga!

Here is a link to my favorite exercise channel on Youtube:

XHIT Daily

Daily workouts with a healthy dose of energy! Come join us for a training session, a workout challenge, or tips on how to get the body you desire.

DO SOMETHING PLEASANT

Another way to take care of yourself is by taking a break and doing something you like. Whether that is cooking/baking, talking on the phone with a friend, watching your favorite show or movie, taking a bath, doing a face mask, etc., it is important to take time for you to make yourself happy. One thing I love to do is whip up a quick, easy baked good that I can share with my family.

  

TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME

Another thing you can do for yourself is: don’t bite off more than you can chew! When you have a full plate and are feeling overwhelmed with work, try to start one project or task at a time, complete it, then move to another. Working on multiple things at once can be chaotic, confusing and stressful. Starting one thing and working on it from start to finish feels so rewarding!

TAKE THE DAY OFF

This last one may seem scary, but trust me: you need it! Take an entire day off. Whether you spend that day alone, with your spouse/friend, or in a group of people, it is so necessary to put your work on hold for just one day. Do something positive to take your mind off of your workload, or just simply be. Do nothing. Relax and breathe.

All of the ideas above are easy, do-able ways to take care of yourself and your mental health. When the world around us seems like too much to bear, we have to take a step back and put things in perspective. You are strong, resilient and capable of more than you know. You cannot give your all to your students if you do not prioritize yourself and your needs.

I hope you find this post will be helpful to you and make you more mindful of the way you live your life! Because you matter, too.

…and when I am a teacher one day and things get a little too crazy, remind me to take care of me, too.

For more information on self care and ideas on how to take a break:

https://wholefully.com/self-care-ideas/

Practicing Self-Care Is Important: 10 Easy Habits To Get You Started

You are sitting in the office; it’s a busy week at work. There’s an important meeting you’ve to prepare for, a social media campaign that you’ve to spearhead, loads of paperwork, and your calendar is jam-packed with tasks and events. So, how do you make room for all these things?

Hello everyone and welcome to my very first blog post! To kick off this experience, I thought I should share how I got here and why I decided to pursue a career in teaching.

Growing up, my sisters and I were really close. While we were close with eachother, we were also really close to my aunt. My aunt was always playing with us, crafting with us, and acting as the teacher. She was like another big sister to me. She went to Millersville as well and became a kindergarten teacher. She has now moved on to be a principle. She has been such a huge inspiration to me throughout my life. I admire her compassion, creativity, ambition and love for children. She is fun-loving and always strives to do her very best for the people in her life. This goes for her family as well as for all of the students in her school. The truth is, she doesn’t sleep much (: However, if being as great as she is requires no sleep, I’ll just be tired.

Throughout my education thus far, I have learned about SO many different theorists and pedagogies. Although it is sometimes hard to keep them all straight, a few of them have really stuck with me and shaped my own pedagogy.  My number one has to be Maria Montessori. Who doesn’t love her? Her love for children and the way she prioritized play of all kinds are two things that will stay with me throughout my entire career. The nurture over nature viewpoint is something her and I strongly agree upon. These are things that will shape me and help me be the best teacher I can be.

In addition to Montessori, Vygotsky is another theorist who I find to be brilliant. He was one of the first theorists to understand and bring forth the idea that children are born with amazing mental capacities. He knew that it is not the job of the teacher to fill their minds with knowledge, but to build on what they already know and help them make connections to their schooling and the world around them. This is something I will strive to do in my career.

As far as the why and the how of teaching, I owe it all to my professors and the teachers I have shadowed in the field for the past four years. From my high school shadowing experiences to this semester’s placement, I have gained so much insight. Not only have I learned so much about theorists, technologies and teaching strategies, but I have also learned so much from their stories and experiences. I have been lucky enough to have the greatest professors and a diverse array of co-operating teachers. These are the people that speak the truth to me.

My elders are not the only ones that guide and shape me. I have met some incredible people at Millersville who share the same aspirations as me: my peers. We all have gone through similar experiences and have shared the same struggles. I know that I will always have people to turn to when I am stuck, unsure, or in need of some guidance.

I was afraid of the challenges of college and the intimidation of choosing a major. However, over the years, I have learned so much and met so many people who make it all a lot less scary. I am confident in my abilities and cannot wait to share all that I have and all that I am with children and their families.