Let me know if that applies to you:
Summer Break is only two weeks away. Yet, I am barely handling the stress of the last weeks of school!
If it does, keep reading!
Teaching is always most stressful the weeks leading to a break.
We teachers have the most rewarding and difficult jobs. With that, there is always the possibility of burnout. I have found the two weeks leading to a spring or summer break to be the most difficult.
If you don’t know me, in this blog I write a lot about preventing teacher stress and burnout. I try to give simple tips and reminders to schedule lesson plans wiser in order to prevent burnout in what we do.
There are times when you simply cannot handle one more thing on your plate. But you also know that you cannot afford a day off.
So when you are in this state, here is a completely different perspective on making thing feel lighter. You may love it or hate it. And if you hate it, you can always visit our more conventional teacher burnout tips🙂
Have you had a situation where doing more work turned out to be a teacher stress management strategy?
You know, the opposite of burn out is doing what you love! And we all love teaching. But when teacher stress and burnout happen we need to be reminded of that.
So…
Swap your classroom!
Teaching In a Different Classroom As a Guest Benefits Both Parties
About a month ago I was asked to help two music programs at different schools on their preparation for music festivals. One of the music programs I had to visit meets very early in the morning. Time would have worked out as that class would meet before mine started. I could do both.
It had been a very long week with me pulling 10-12 hour days every day. The thought of doing anything extra got me worried. Yet, I felt I needed to say yes.
To my biggest surprise, instead of feeling more burnout, quite the opposite happened! The work with different students at a different location energized me! Exchanging ideas and seeing how other students learn made me think more about my own music program.
I went back to my own school and the energy and enthusiasm I put into teaching my kids doubled!
I realized that it is the change of routine that I needed! Curiously, the routine break up came to me through MORE work. What I didn’t realize was that I didn’t need much of a change, just enough get a fresh perspective. Often in our lives we just need to change the pieces of the puzzle a bit, not to throw away the whole puzzle.
Swapping Classrooms in a Scheduled Manner
Last year I started doing something similar with a colleague of mine. We teach the same subject. We have a class of the same level that meets at the same time. We are actually at the neighbor schools! When we felt like both the students and we needed a break. We would swap our classrooms! He would teach my class and I would go teach his. It was a wonderful way for the students to get a different perspective, for us to build on each other’s strengths. More important it has always been refreshing!
Did the principals complain? Everything went so smoothly that they didn’t even have to know about it! But when they heard about it, they loved the idea.
How can this be done at your school? See if you have a supportive colleague who teaches at the same time. The same subject is nor always necessary. Your science colleagues can bring a fresh perspective in your math class. may have a great tips on. Or you may have a colleague who is from a different country, thus giving your social studies class an authentic Q&A about the country. To me as a music teacher, it is fun to swap the band and orchestra teachers once in a while in order to get a different perspective of how the other director hears the music. Do what feels best and would be fun and beneficial to you!
The Bottom Line-Swapping Classrooms Gives You an Opportunity To Re-discover Your Love for Teaching
Don’t we all have periods where things feel that the work is a lot all the time, the same all the time, and the time for yourself is none? I feel that everybody goes through phases like this. Yet, parents and teachers may feel this more often due to the consistent work and care they put into the world.
Teachers are so busy all the time. Most of their work is in the service of the children around them. Most of the work takes many more extra steps and time than people realize. I think that many parents and teachers get in a “state of being numb” sometimes. They wake up and every minute of their lives are busy till the time they go to bed.
Change of routine is so important for preventing burnout. Often breaking up the routine your daily life makes you appreciate what you have better. At the same time big changes are not always possible due to schedules, deadlines, finances, etc. So it is the little things that we can do in our every day life that can provide the change we all need to feel refreshed. Change can come in many forms. Sometimes is rest and vacation. Other times it is doing the same work but in a different way.
How did you break up your routine lately?
I'm finishing up Countdown in Style tonight! LOL! I've been so crazy wiht life that I don't even know if I've had a break in routine or not. I am looking to do more different things in future. Thanks for sharing with Countdown in Style.
This is a great blog and you sound like you love what you do and thats so important. I can read your post and you sound happy! Lucky that you found your niche! Thanks for the love and leaving me such a nice reply. thanks Maria
April, Countdown with style is and has been my favorite link-up!
Maria, This is such a nice comment! Yes I love what I do and sometimes I vent through the blog…:) I appreciate the feedback very much.
I feel like my routine is really not a routine. I wake up and sometimes I have a few things I know I need to do and I get them done throughout the day usually or save them for the next day. I like how each day is something different. I never know what's in store 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Countdown in Style! Don't forget to stop by Friday to see if you are featured 🙂
Having every day be different is wonderful, Brittnei, thank you for your comment!
As a teacher and mom I completely agree. I definitely need the change up in my routine sometimes, but I do like to be busy. I'm so use to being busy I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not (such as with all these snow days we've had this year).
Angela @ Time with A & N
I completely agree, Angela. Thank you for your comment.
There are days when I feel like my life is routinary so I try to break it up by doing things I love like writing/blogging and playing with my son. From time to time, I do crafting even when I'm not really that artistic. In your case, it shows that you love what you're doing because it didn't feel like its work 🙂
This is a really good point. I do find when I change up my routine, even just a little, it helps. I usually work from home, but every once in a while I take my computer to the coffee shop and I seem to be ultra productive there! I never thought about it, but I wonder if this is why?
We, as humans, are very poor judges of what we might like because we really don't like change. I'm glad you were pleasantly surprised!
You are right!!! I recently read a book about getting into your comfort zone in order to achieve more and be happier in life! I will think more about your comment:) thank you for adding the the post and the discussion.