Picture this… you are off of work and school for two glorious weeks. You begin to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. And then BAM! The 2nd semester of school starts up again and you are faced with a class (or multiple classes) full of children who act as they have never been in a school before. Your stress level increases, and at the end of the day, you empathize with the characters who made it through Jurassic Park alive. So what can we as educators do to help navigate the roller coaster that is the 2nd semester of a school year like no other?
BREATHE
So, this sounds obvious. If we didn’t breathe, we wouldn’t be here. You would be surprised how often we breathe erratically or even hold our breath under stressful situations. When you start to feel stress creeping up on you, start by taking deep breaths and count the seconds. Fill your belly with air and hold it for just a second. Then let it out and count the same number of seconds for exhaling as inhaling. You’ll find yourself calming down within a few minutes. Check out these other breathing exercises at https://bit.ly/3b7Ka2F
REMEMBER THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT
As educators, we always feel the need to be perfect in all we do for our students. But the sooner we embrace the “oops!”, the better we’ll feel. If at the end of the day you can agree that you did the absolute best you can, then that is perfect enough.
IT OK TO BE EMOTIONAL… LET IT OUT!
How do you let out your emotions? Do you scream? Cry? Laugh? Whatever it is, don’t hold it in. Find a few minutes of alone time (yes, parents… I know this can be difficult) and release the beast! The more you keep your emotions in, the more they will build up and you will feel worse. Break the vicious cycle!
ASK FOR HELP
Teaching is really a team sport. It’s not good to be alone on your own teaching island, especially in challenging times like these. So lean on your neighboring teacher, your PLC, your administrator.
You’ll find that they will love to help you and hopefully make everyone’s teaching life easier!
PRACTICE SELF-CARE
This can be a tough one. A teacher’s day doesn’t end when the last bell rings. But carve out some YOU time. Even put it on your calendar! Decide what will help you. Is it participating in your hobby for 30 minutes? Exercise? Skincare routine? Reflect on what makes you relaxed and happy and indulge yourself for just a little bit of time. You deserve it!
Remember that the school year is a roller coaster and it’s almost at the end! Be sure to hold on and know we believe that you can do it! The Gabbart Teams wishes you all a wonderful, safe, and smooth 2nd semester.
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