Cozy Classroom
Primary
K-2
Upper Elementary
Homeschool Life
Teacher
Talk
Cozy Classroom
Primary
K-2
Upper Elementary
Homeschool Life
Teacher
Talk
I don’t know about you, but I’m all about realistic, easy-for-life teacher self care. So often we are told things like take a bubble bath or treat yourself to a favorite coffee. And. . . my personal favorite, ‘take a day off’. Can we all agree that sub-plans are anything but self care?!? While these suggestions are well-meaning and great in theory, they rarely leave us feeling recharged and ready for a crazy week or month in the classroom. As a teacher, I love the crazy, but it does take its toll. It’s time that we do something different, that we make teacher self care realistic and helpful for life. Let’s explore what that can look like!
Hey, Hard Working Teacher, I see you! You are standing a little taller, your shoulders are relaxed, and your skin is sun-kissed. You are soaking in the last little bit of summer before you trade your flip-flops and beach bag in for your lunch bag and the dreaded “Sunday Scaries.” What if I told you this year could be different?
I know how much you care about your students. I know how much you pour into them. Remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup, so to ensure you don’t lose the relaxed and refreshed feeling of summer, it is time to make a plan to take care of YOU during the school year, so you are not pouring from an empty cup!
Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s an investment in your ability to show up, manage classrooms, and serve students well. It will make you a better you! Reread these lines as many times as you need to until you believe it!
Let’s talk about some easy things we can do that will help us take care of ourselves all year long. Here are 5 habits I have implemented to ensure I am the best version of myself throughout the school year!
There’s nothing worse than coming home after a long day in the classroom just to realize you have to fix dinner and feed your family. I don’t know if it is the exhaustion at the end of the day or decision fatigue after making 6 million decisions in the classroom. But it is a problem, one that often feeds the “I’m not a good wife or mom” guilt monster because you feel like you gave your best to school and have little left for home.
Meal planning is a simple way to make dinnertime much easier. I’m sure you know the idea: plan your meals in advance, so that when you get home and it’s time to prepare dinner, you know just what to do. The decision has already been made. The groceries have already been purchased. All you have to do is cook and enjoy your evening.
As for how you meal plan? My best suggestion is to do what works for you and your lifestyle. I have a theme for each night of the week and a list of recipes I choose from. Then I make the weekly plan and a grocery list of any ingredients we need. You can read all about how I meal plan in this blog post. But if you prefer making a monthly plan or using a meal planning app, do it. The idea is to make this time of day less stressful so you enjoy dinnertime and be done with the stress and guilt. Say hello to meal planning as teacher self care.
And. . . to help you get started, I have three new recipes you can add to your dinnertime routine. Just fill out the form below, and I’ll send some of my favorite recipes to your inbox so you can use them too. Trust me – you won’t be sorry! They are delicious!
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Okay. . . this one is tough for me to admit, but I was well into adulthood before I really started setting boundaries that would align with self care. I used to have my work email on my phone, along with apps such as Remind and Class Dojo. I was available 24/7 to students, parents, administration, and colleagues. It felt like it was my duty, and I expected it of myself. And you know what? It wasn’t good!
I felt like I had to reply the minute I saw the notification. If I couldn’t sleep, I would check my work emails and reply, so I did not have to in the morning. But. . . this was an expectation that came from no one but me. It was time I set up some boundaries from my own Type A, Perfectionist ways. If this sounds familiar, it might be time for you to set some boundaries for yourself.
I would suggest you start by taking work related email off your phone! If that thought makes you sweat, make a plan to check your email every day right before you leave school so you can answer any emails. The rest. . . they will be there tomorrow. Trust me, you will thank yourself later!
Another boundary to put in place is how long you will stay at school at the end of the day. I’m not going to tell you to leave as soon as you can. I couldn’t! I needed a little time at the end of the day to clean up, do some grading or planning, and get ready for the next day. But what we can do is set a reasonable time and then stick with it. Instead of staying for hours, give yourself about an hour each afternoon. Then, when it’s done, leave. I promise, like the emails any work you leave will be there in the morning.
When I started doing this, I set a timer. It was the only way I could remind myself that time was up. This forced me to set priorities and stay focused on my work. I always made sure everything for the next day was done first. At first it didn’t feel possible, but the world didn’t end when I left an unfinished to do list. It was a life lesson I still hold on to today.
It is so easy to get caught up in all the things we need to do at school that we often forget about taking a moment to pause and breathe. This idea of being ‘on’ for the entire day is something unique to the world of education. You know the concept of the watercooler talks? Those happen because people are taking little breaks in their day. Brain breaks for adults and teachers need them too.
It doesn’t have to take long to give your mind time to decompress. At lunchtime, consider taking a walk with a teacher friend, doing 10 minutes of meditation, or playing quiet music while you eat. If that is not your thing, try getting out of your classroom to eat with a colleague or two in the lounge. It is less about the activity and more about being intentional about stepping away from work activities for a little bit of time. Want more ideas on how you can decompress during the school day? This blog post has lots of practical and easy-to-do ideas designed for teachers.
I am not an early bird by nature, but I’m not a stay up late girl, either! I used to call myself a 9-9 person as those were my optimal hours. When I started teaching, this had to change. At first, I dreaded the morning and would hit snooze more times than I care to admit. I had to find a routine that brought me joy in the morning so I wasn’t starting my day on a sour note. Now, I absolutely love mornings, and they are some of my most productive time of the day! That’s the power of a teacher self care habit!
Want a peek inside my morning routine? I get up an hour and a half before anyone else in the house. This is my cherished quiet time, and it is just for me. Here’s how it breaks down:
Once everyone else wakes up, the speed of the day picks up. But I’m ready for it because I have enjoyed a slow start to my morning. The rest of my morning checklist? That includes packing lunches, any dinner prep that needs to be done (pull meat out of the freezer or get the crock pot ready), and getting everyone out the door on time.
Although the second half of the morning routine has changed a little over the years as life has changed, one thing has remained consistent – my slow morning routine. It’s my favorite time of the day and one that definitely counts as teacher self care.
Have you ever taken time to pause for the sole purpose of reflecting? I can honestly say I hadn’t really done this until I was teaching and trying to find ways to beat stress and burnout. It is a really powerful practice and one that led to many of the habits I have talked about in this post.
At the end of each week, I set aside about 15 minutes just to reflect. It’s part of my Friday afternoon routine and is built into my afterschool time (so I can keep my personal boundary). I like to keep a physical journal, but you could do this on a Google Doc or notes app on your phone. Just find a convenient place to write down your answers.
Here are my weekly reflection prompts:
My answers can be personal or professional as long as it was from the week! Starting with my wins puts me in a positive headspace! When I think about what I want to improve on, I try to focus on specific things that I can track. This might be something in the classroom that is a pain point, something at home that is adding stress, or something personal for growth. For my three grateful thoughts, I try to include at least one from my work. I do spend the majority of my week working after all. Lastly, the something I learned could be from the book I am reading, a podcast I listened to, a piece of advice someone gave, or something I learned about myself. Sometimes they even come from the thing I wanted to improve that was previously listed in my journal.
Self Care does not come naturally for me. I have had to work at it. It has taken me years to build a sustainable routine for myself. But those baby steps add up. I suggest focusing on one teacher self care habit at a time. Pick something that is a current struggle or will help alleviate a current problem area. Then just commit. It does not come overnight; you will likely mess up, and it will make you uncomfortable at times. But if I can do it, I know you can, too!
Here’s to a new start! Whether it is the start of a new year, or just a day of the week that ends in ‘y’, there’s never a bad time to start developing a teacher self care routine. Ready to get started? Leave a comment below sharing what you want to focus on or check out one of these posts for more ideas.
Pin this blog post to your self care Pinterest board so you can come back and revisit it when you sit down to make your own self care plan for the year!
Amy is a former classroom teacher, Teacher of the Year, and presenter of professional development for educators. With two decades of experience in both traditional classrooms and homeschool settings, she loves creating engaging, hands-on activities that turn everyday lessons into what she calls “undercover learning.”
Years ago, I traded the courtroom for the classroom, and I’ve never looked back. I’m passionate about making learning fun through hands-on, interactive activities that keep students engaged and wanting more. Around here, we call that undercover learning. When students are engaged, teaching becomes easier.
Looking for easy ideas that keep students engaged without overcomplicating your day? Join my email list for practical tips, activities, and a little teacher encouragement each week.
