Teachers pour themselves into their work, spending countless hours ensuring their students' needs are met. Too often, the demands of the profession result in teachers neglecting their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It is not selfish for teachers to make time for self-care. Teacher must make their own wellness a priority. Wellness includes good nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and developing healthier habits. Wellness programs should be a standard component of all districts and schools. Investing in our teachers' well-being is essential to prevent burnout and foster good health.
PD
If you are interested in hosting professional development at your school or in your district, go to our PD page for a list of presenters and the sessions they offer. If you are a presenter and would like to be included on this page, please e-mail Todd Scholl.
If you fly with any regularity, you're likely very familiar with the flight attendant's instructions to place the oxygen mask on yourself before assisting children. The reason, of course, is that you can't do a very good job if you don't take care of yourself first. Particularly in challenging situations, this is absolutely vital.
What teacher isn't run down? From planning to teaching, grading, supervisions, coaching, running clubs, dealing with administrators, students, parents and colleagues - teaching is the ultimate profession of multi-tasking. Since many teachers tend to be type A perfectionists (like me), sometimes it feels like the to-do list is never ending!
And the figure has remained broadly constant for the past 25 years, suggesting that attempts to cut teacher workload have so far failed to bear fruit. Teachers work an average of 47 hours a week, with a quarter working 60 hours a week or more and one in 10 working more than 65 hours a week.
Early in my teaching career, I made my second-grade class cry. I didn't mean to. I was teaching a lesson on writing with detail. My students-7- and 8-year-olds living in a big city, many of them in poverty-were sitting around me in a circle, notebooks and pencils in their laps.