1)Get enough sleep! (7 to 8 hours) Teachers sometimes think that they are doing themselves and their classes a favor by burning the midnight oil. There is no problem doing this every now and then, but do not make this practice a habit. It is bad for your health.
2)Exercise. Even walking 20 to 30 minutes a few times a week can do wonders for stress levels.
3)Have a great discipline plan! If you use the traditional discipline plan of getting angry at students until they comply then you will wear yourself out. Times and kids are changing. This method is getting less and less effective and more and more stressful on teachers. A plan with clear rules and consequences is essential to keeping stress levels low.
4) Try to do as much of your work as possible AT school. It may be difficult for you to do ALL of your work at school, but try to do as much there as possible. Having a separate life from teaching is very important to avoid stress and burnout. Finish all you can at school and live your life at home.
5)Try to live at least 20 minutes away from where you teach. This is a difficult one to change, of course. If you are just starting somewhere though and you do not have a permanent place to live, always try to give yourself a distance buffer. Teaching can consume your life if you are not careful, and parent conferences at the grocery store do not help.
Hey disipline doctor....I not a teacher, but am going to incorporate the sleep protocal into my repertoire.
ReplyDeleteGood advice. Not sure about the last one. I live 1/2 hour from my school. There are many days when I wish I lived closer so that I could interact more with the school community.
ReplyDeleteI think you will be glad you did, Kelli. Of course there will be nights when you have no choice about staying up late and you wont be able to help it. But if you can plan ahead then your sleep levels can make a huge difference in your attitude, stress levels, and ability the next day
ReplyDeleteGood point Burl. If involvement with the school community is a goal of yours then I would not get farther away than 20 minues if possible. I still like to have at least a small buffer zone, however. The school level can make a difference for this topic as well. College professors would likely not have to deal with parents as much in public as k-12 teachers.
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