Welcome back to another blog! ☺
As a teacher being abruptly thrown into this new normal of digital learning, it can be hard to always believe that you are doing your best to help every student succeed. You may not be the best with technology yourself, so how do you continue to give your students the education they deserve?
It is understandable for you to feel like your top priority right now is your students, but are you forgetting about yourself? The first step in finishing this school year strong, is making sure that your students are getting the best version of you possible!
Self-Care 101
Workspace: As tempting as it may be to do your work from your bed, still in your pajamas, cuddled up in your favorite blanket… it is in your best interest to find a different spot in your house to dedicate to your work, for the current time being. Working from your bed has many disadvantages to your mental and physical health.
‘When it comes to switching off the light at night, if you’ve been in your bed all day, thoughts about work are more likely to persist.’ By the same coin, working from your bed means it’s also likely you’ll be less productive and more likely to nod off during the day. –Dailymail
Take more breaks: Try to set up a work schedule with microbreaks. While you are cooped up, it is important to make sure that you do not overwork yourself into a full blown burnout. The Formula for Perfect Productivity suggests working 52 minutes and having a break for 17.
An article on The Science of Taking Breaks at Work lists 3 benefits of taking breaks:
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- Breaks keep us from getting bored
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- Breaks help us retain information and make connections
- Breaks help us reevaluate our goals
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Recognize what IS and what ISN’T in your control: Technology can’t be perfect, and neither can you. Set reasonable expectations for yourself and your students. Don’t spend time dwelling on things you can never change. Rather, you should set an example for your students and show them that it’s okay to not know everything, it’s okay to have bad days, and it’s okay for you to learn along side your students sometimes too.
Remember that everyone is struggling, overwhelmed, stressed, and upset right now. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Don’t give up on yourself or the young ones looking to you for guidance. As long as you are giving your best effort, it is more than enough! This all shall pass soon.
“Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth.”
― Roy Bennett
Other Great Resources:
- Going Online in a Hurry: What to Do and Where to Start
- So You Want to Temporarily Teach Online
- Effective Teaching Online
- Pocketful of Primary (Teacher Youtube Channel)
- Coronavirus Resources for Teachers
Stay safe and I’ll see again in the next post!