What is self-care for Teachers?

Self-care for Teachers?

Due to the recent pandemic of the COVID-19 outbreak, educators are forced to adapt to all the new changes of the stay at home and virtual world. During this time, teachers are expected to continue teaching their students virtually. Although teachers are flexible to these changes, they might feel stressed and tired due to working endlessly to make sure their students are in the best hands. Before you completely use it, I hope to provide you with useful tips you can use to stay sane while teaching during this pandemic. Why? Because taking care of your health and making sure that you have everything you need is how you thrive as a teacher. 

1. Eating right is right:

Eating right is important to staying at a healthy weight, having good nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. During this outbreak, make sure you make time to eat and to eat a healthy meal. Not something quick and fast because you are constantly sitting in front of your computer giving instruction and directions to students and families. You need time to develop healthy eating habits. Benefits of eating healthy include weight loss, reduced cancer risk, diabetes management, stroke prevention, heart health, strong bones and teeth, improved memory and feeling better moods.

Listed below are self-care eating resources such as simple strategies for healthy eating, snack and dinner ideas & more reasons of why eating healthy is beneficial and important: 

2. Get up and Moving:

Move is important because moving your body gets your heart beating and your blood flowing.  Movement should be thought of as medicine since it benefits low blood pressure, controlled blood sugar, controlled height, relieves pain, lowers cholesterol and is good for your heart! Physical activity and exercise can have immediate and long-term health benefits and most importantly can improve your quality of life.

“If you move well, you also think, feel and live well.”

Examples of Movement/Physical Activity:

  • Sports: Soccer, Lacrosse, Football, Volleyball, Hockey, Basketball, Baseball and more.
  • Fitness: Swimming, Biking, Running, Strength Training, Yoga and more.

Listed below are additional self-care approaches to physical activity:

3. Stay connected with your kiddos:

Although it might seem like you are doing everything to make sure your students are successful with their learning at home, it is hard to accept the fact that you aren’t seeing their smiling faces until the fall. Not only that, the students might come back not quite where they are suppose to be academically.

Teachers should stay connected with their students through technology during this time. Teachers can connect with students if they have access to technology through Zoom meetings, interactive messaging and learning games or video messages from email. Teachers dedicating their time to the students virtual learning is important, but also dedicating part of your day just to talk to your students can also make a difference!

Teaching through Coronavirus

STAYING AT HOME WITH YOUNG CHILDREN?

When Governor Wolf issued the order that everyone should stay at home, I grantee you were not the only parent asking a million of questions per minute about how you were going to be able to support your child’s development. You understand the risks and safety precautions of COVID-19, but you are at a loss for how to fill your days with your children being home instead of at school/early learning centers. As an educator, I created this post for parents and caregivers to provide activities for, their children, who they have been spending all their time with.

TIPS:

  • Manage expectations – Children will not be learning at the same pace as their usual school day. Don’t stress to much about this, but allow two to three hours a day to start for learning opportunities.
  • Set a schedule – Routines are important and comforting for younger children. Provide a schedule where they can reference what they are suppose to be doing and can be hold accountable for knowing expectations.
  • Have breaks and fun time – Everyone can be anxious and adapt differently to change, therefore giving everyone the opportunity to chill and laugh together is important.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Physical activity is beneficial to children of all ages. Physical activity can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes. Not only that, it can help children improve fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

  • Endurance activities: Skateboarding, skipping, hiking, soccer, running.
  • Flexibility activities: active play on a playground, yoga, stretching routines.
  • Strength activities: Lifting, hand weights and bands, gymnastics.

Children tend to be more active when they are outside rather than inside, but physical activity can still be implemented indoors. It is important to allow physical activity into your child daily life since it can help improve confidence, self-esteem, and develop social, cognitive and emotional skills.

  • Indoor activities: Dance battle/party (Just Dance Wii games), name workout, obstacle course, yoga or stretching.

  • Outdoor activities: active play on playground, riding a bike or scooter, playing catch and field/net sports.

For more information on physical activity click on the following link: https://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/teachers-childcare/physical-activity.aspx

READING ACTIVITY:

If your child has a book they were reading at school, have them continue and make progress on that. If not, allow your child to choose one for fun through the books you have at home or through EPIC! – KIDS! BOOKS AND VIDEOS app or website. This website and app allows parents and kids to set their own preferences based on books you like to read, topic interests and age level. Due to schools being closed because of COVID-19, they are allowing parents of children to have access to 40,000 digital books for 30 days FREE!

  • Reading Activities: Reading Bingo (where you make a bingo board with the books you read off the website/app), having the children write their own story, bedtime stories written to the child every night, try reading chapter books periodically throughout a day.

For more information on EPIC! click on the following link: https://www.getepic.com/

Reading is important for young learners because its helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares children to understanding written words. Not only that, it allows children to use their imagination and expand their understanding on the world.

STAYING SAFE & HEALTHY:

To protect children and others from getting sick, it is important to inform your kiddos on how to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by doing things everyone should do to stay healthy.

  • Clean hands often: using soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice to wash your hands properly to kills germs.
  • Cover you cough and sneeze: into your elbow is your best option. DO NOT COVER COUGH OR SNEEZE IN HAND!!
  • Clean/Disinfect high tough surfaces daily:  such as doorknobs, tables, switches and sinks. ANY COMMON AREA IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD.

Additional Resources:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/
  2. https://www.pearson.com/uk/learners/primary-parents/learn-at-home/help-your-child-to-enjoy-reading/why-is-reading-so-important.html