Back to School Tips for Teachers

Teachers! We love working with you and supporting the amazing work you do. We know you have one of the hardest jobs out there and you give so much of yourselves all throughout the year, so we decided to compile a list of tips to help you feel happier and more fulfilled throughout the school year. Take a look and let us know what you think!

1. Make your mental health a priority
   • This is one of the top tips you’ll find anywhere, but we wanted to go in depth about what this could look like. One of the most effective ways to make your mental health a priority is to check in with yourself and make sure you’re giving time for self-care. Having worked in a school, I understand you’re told to make time for self-care and it can be repeated so often it’s frustrating. But, I’m here to remind you self-care doesn’t have to be a big glamorous activity. Self-care is as simple as making sure you’re eating throughout the day, taking a hot shower, or playing with your pet. Small acts of self-care can amount to a big change in your perspective.
   • Make time for your friendships. This can be with other teachers or friendships outside of the workplace. Go watch a movie, grab lunch, or even make a phone call during lunch. It is crucial to feel connected to others and teaching can feel isolating at times.
   • As always, counseling is a great way to make your mental health a priority as well. Having someone listen objectively to what’s going on in your life and to validate your emotions can be extremely helpful. Your work is tough and trying to balance a healthy life with it can feel impossible, but counseling can help you develop skills to make it happen.
     
     
2. Set boundaries before school starts and stick to them!
   • Part of boundaries is structure, structure, structure! We know all humans benefit from knowing what to expect and when to expect it. Set yourself up for success this school year by developing a routine you can stick to that will help you find balance. Schedule in time for things you know need to be done, such as planning, time with parents, and answering emails. You do not have to be on demand all the time and scheduling in time for all of your responsibilities can help you feel in control, while also attending to everything you need to get done.
   • To the best of your ability, leave work at work. Turn off those email notifications on your phone or silence them until the next work day. This includes those wonderful messaging apps teachers use to help communication with parents. If you have scheduled time into your day for contact with parent, stick to that boundary and don’t read or respond to those messages until that time. Lastly, only work your contract hours. We know this one is quite difficult to achieve and won’t always happen, but the more often you can achieve it, the more balanced you’ll feel.
     
     
3. Seek Support and Collaboration.
   • Check in on each other! No one understands what you go through like a fellow teacher. Checking in on each other helps with feeling connected and understood. Be careful with the venting though, as research shows us it is not helpful after 20 minutes. Instead, ask your fellow teacher if they want you to listen or help them solve their problem. Either way, it is helpful for both of you as they feel heard and seen, and you will feel better for having helped out a friend.
   • Connect with colleagues, mentors, or a support network of fellow teachers who can provide guidance, advice, and empathy. Share your experiences, challenges, and successes with others who understand the unique demands of your profession. Collaboration can foster a sense of community and provide emotional support during challenging times.
     
     
4. Express Gratitude for Yourself.
   • Celebrate small wins! Recognize and celebrate even the smallest achievements and milestones throughout the school year. Acknowledge your efforts, growth, and positive impact you have on your students. Celebrating successes, no matter how small, can help boost your motivation, self-esteem, and overall job satisfaction.
   • Be grateful for the skills you already have! Those mandatory meetings you all have to go to can be very helpful for teaching new skills, but can lead to feelings of burnout or inadequacy. New skills are always great to learn and we firmly believe everyone is a lifelong learner, however, take the time to express gratitude for the skills you’ve already acquired. You’ve spent a long time earning your degree and experience, attending other trainings, and implementing feedback so it’s worth your time to reflect on how those skills have helped you get this far.
     
     
5. Stop comparing on social media.
   • We’ve all seen those social media posts from other teachers with their beautiful rooms, beautiful lesson plans, and fun classroom rituals. It is wonderful if they can achieve that in a healthy way, but that doesn’t mean everyone can and it doesn’t mean you’re any less of a teacher than that person. Consuming too much teacher content on social media can leave you feeling inadequate and hopeless, so please don’t compare yourself to other teachers. You are doing a great job, so be kind to yourself!
     
     
6. Practice Stress Management Techniques.
   • Teaching can be stressful, so it’s crucial to have strategies in place to manage stress effectively. Deep breathing can an extremely helpful tool to manage stress anywhere, even in the classroom. There are so many breathing techniques out there, but one of our favorites is the 4-7-8 breathing. Breath in through your nose to the count of 4, hold to the count of 7, and then slowly exhale through your mouth to the count of 8. Do this for just 1 minute to feel some stress relief.
   • Engaging in journaling can look different for everyone. There are so many different types of journaling out there, but we like to recommend gratitude journaling. Daily gratitude journaling can significantly improve your ability to not only handle stress, but make it your friend. Spend a few minutes writing about some things your grateful for and why to experience the benefit.
   • Getting active is another great way to relieve stress. This doesn’t mean dragging yourself to the gym before or after work, although it certainly helps. Any type of movement is good movement, so do what makes you happy. Walk your dog, dance, do yoga, light stretching, cleaning, whatever you like!
     
     

We are happy to help you implement these tips and explore other strategies beyond what was discussed here. We love working with teachers and here for you if you find yourself needing more support beyond tips. We want to wish you a happy New School Year!