Making it until Spring Break
He has all the Spring Break feels.
This blog was originally planned to be posted in February, but Winter Storm Uri had other plans. If you can donate to a Texas food bank please do so. The weather may be better, but people are still hurting.
The time before Spring Break, during the second semester, can be the hardest part of the year for teachers. Students aren’t following classroom expectations or guidelines. The horrible head of testing is showing its face. Many teachers are debating staying in teaching or staying at their school. This blog is dedicated to helping teachers make choices to survive that time. I highly recommend seeking out a mental health professional if your anxiety or stress is affecting you at the workplace. I am not a medical professional and this blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, or provide medical advice.
My first suggestion is to put your oxygen mask on first. What do you need to do to improve your mental and physical health? I always take a doctor’s appointment in February to make sure my physical health is where it should be and evaluate my stress level. This school year has been dangerous to many teacher’s health, and they shouldn’t be bullied into the fear of making sub lesson plans or there are no subs to cover their classroom. It is not your job to find a sub! I have never in my life spent more than 30 minutes making sub plans for secondary students (I understand elementary is a different ball game, but you should have a routine by February. If your student’s act a fool, it will be okay). If your administration makes you feel guilty for taking care of your health, you need to find another school.
I took my doctor’s appointment now what? Start prioritizing everything. I find the biggest issue with teachers who are overwhelmed is everything is important which is not true. I prioritize my family over work by making only commitments I can keep. I only stay after school two nights a week. I sponsor an organization that only meets once a week and attend required PLC meetings. I don’t volunteer for anything else and when asked by the administration if I will, I simply say no. It doesn’t affect my evaluation or my workplace environment. If saying no does cause issues on your campus, leave it. Ask yourself, “Are the choice I am making proving I am a priority in my life?
What choice am I currently making to show that I am a priority in my life?
I am currently back to working out three times a week. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’m only getting in shape for tennis (this will never be a health and fitness blog for that reason).
I am reading books during the school year. At the beginning of my career, I had a horrible work-life balance, and I didn’t do the things I enjoy which include reading. I took a break from social media this January, and it made me realize I have more time to read if I cut out distractions.
I’m making time for my hobbies. I have been scrapbooking for years, but I received a Cricut for Christmas, and I’m playing with it. I also discovered I like to make wreaths, and I plan on making more.
I’m saying no to perfectionism. If I don’t follow my cleaning routine one week, I get back at it the next week. If I choose to work out and not cook my family a meal, it is what it is. If my lesson plans aren’t done perfectly, I don’t worry about it. If I have a lesson fail, I always have the next class period or day to try it again.
How do I prioritize what I do at work? Here is a list of questions I ask myself when I plan for the school week or day.
Is this task related to an IEP or 504? Anything federally mandated is done first.
Is this task required by the administration? I know lesson plans aren’t required everywhere, but I have had to do them all my career. If an email or announcement says, “do this today,” then I do it immediately or write it down in my planner to get it done.
If this task isn’t done today will it affect my classroom? I know copy machines don’t work all the time, and every school has different rules. However, if I must make copies, I try to make it for a whole week. If that’s not possible, I make sure the next day is done even if that means going straight to the copy room when the bell rings Friday.
What do I grade? Before I put a grade in the grade book, I make sure the assignment I’m grading is tied to the standard so mastery can be shown. Grading requirements are different everywhere. It has been a standard two grades per week for most of my career. I always choose one assignment that can be graded automatically (students do it or google forms), and I try to stagger writing assignments when possible. If my pre-Ap students are doing a DBQ, I don’t assign a project to be turned in the same week.
Is this socialization taking away from my planning or grading time? Teachers need time to talk to other adults, but it can take up precious grading and planning time. I’m notorious in my school for being a parent caller each week. I have the time because I don’t socialize when I’m planning. If it’s a district Professional Develoment day, and there are four hours of planning time, I shut my door and plan. Yes, I socialize and don’t plan on some days because I’m mentally too tired. However, I don’t make it a pattern. If I need to check-in with a colleague, I text them.
I have my priorities down, but I’m still feeling awful at work, what should I do? The first question I would ask you is are you have fun in your classroom? Sometimes the test prep can be overwhelming, or all the spring deadlines can take away your planning time. It Is time to bring the job back! Decide to do one “fun” activity a week. Trash can basketball cost $0. Show and tell works even at the secondary level. Bringing joy in the classroom allows for everyone to be successful.
As for discipline, remember it’s never a wrong time to explicitly teach classroom routines and behaviors. It takes six weeks for routines to become habits. Consistency is key. If I have a class that is wearing me down, I question what I’m not being consistent about. Do they need visual clues (I put a timer for silent warmups.) or better relationship building? One of the best things a mentor taught me was to start the day by lowering student’s frustration levels. It’s ok to have a warmup that isn’t a review of the previous day. It’s ok to tell them where to find their answer. Students need to be successful in one way in your classroom. Or maybe it’s a bad mix of students. I’m not afraid to email a counselor to make changes. Whatever you decide to do, remember to give yourself grace too.
I hope you can apply some of these steps and have a better school year!
*As always, I would love to hear what you are doing to make it to Spring Break.
