Inspiration #2: Back to School Tactics

I am so exhausted…already. I did not sleep well last night. And when I did fall asleep, I had those teaching dreams. You know the ones where you are teaching a fake class and literally working in your sleep. Pre-planning starts in 3 days. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my job. I can’t wait to see my students from last year and meet the new ones. I get so excited when I see the Back to School sales. I will browse Target for hours just to see what kind of cute folders they have for sale or if my favorite pens are there. I am like Meg Ryan’s character, Kathleen Kelly, in You’ve Got Mail who swoons at the idea of Tom Hanks (Joe Fox) sending her a bouquet of sharpened pencils. I love being a part of school. However, I am just like everyone else and get a little anxiety when it is time to start a new school year. Here are my top 3 tips of how to handle it:

3. Embrace the Crazy

That’s right. You heard me. We all know that going back to school will be crazy. We must get a room back in order. Or, if you are a new teacher, you must get your assigned classroom and then figure out how to decorate it (probably on a low budget). A side note for new teachers, don’t be afraid to ask for help. All hands-on deck. I bet your colleagues will be happy to help even if they only do it in a small way. See if anyone has items they would like to donate. Ask for donations on Social Media. Veteran teachers tend to clean house at the beginning of the year. You could score some great stuff. Lastly, new teachers, I can’t say this enough…the $1 stores and 5 Below have great things for a classroom. If that is too pricey, make your own stuff. I did my first year, and I still use some of those posters. Like I said, CRAZY. If we go in with the expectation that things can get a little hectic and probably crazy, we will more than likely deal with things better. Embrace that crazy. Get excited. Teachers are amazing, and you are getting ready to start a new year teaching, counseling, and playing with these young minds.

2. Find Balance

This is going to be a tough one. Your mindset at the beginning of the year is going to be engulfed with all things work. School. School. School. Don’t let it happen. Go ahead and set up some buffers now before the crazy sets in. What are you going to do for your wellness? How will you stay happy? What will be your escape from the stress of work? It is better to think of these things now before you get too busy. If you are too busy and stressed out at work, you won’t be able to have a clear head to think of a stress reliever. I have a colleague, one my work besties, and she plans with her husband trips and excursions during the Winter months because after the December holidays things can seem like a drag. The next big thing to look forward to is probably Spring Break and that is several months away. So, they put day trips, events, and vacations on their calendar for certain evenings and weekends. It can be as simple as planning on going on a day hike through your favorite local trail. It might be a dinner date. Maybe you have a movie that is coming out soon that you can’t wait to see. Put it on your calendar now. You will have something to look forward to and give yourself maybe a little light at the end of the tunnel. Lastly, treat yourself. If you are a Parks and Recreation fan, you know what I mean. Splurge a little on that game or puzzle. Hang a poster in your classroom of the beach so that you have something to look at that is calming for you. Call your good friend and see if he or she wants to go for walks every Tuesday night. Find a balance. If are not well, you will get burned out. We take care of our students. I know they would want you to do the same thing for yourself.

1. Lean on Each Other

Sounds simple. But I find that teachers (myself included) can get so wrapped up in the busy schedule at school that we don’t take time to be with our colleagues. Or at the very least, ask for help. Let’s make a pact. At the end of August, we are going to do 1 of two things: We are either going to reach out to a teacher that seems stressed or overloaded by simply asking if they are ok, or we will ask for help if we are the ones feeling overloaded or super stressed. Sometimes it only takes that one person to finally ask. What is the worst that could happen? I would be really surprised if someone at the school didn’t help just a little when a fellow teacher is in need. We all want the same thing. We tend to not ask for help because we feel like everyone else is busy too.  I have seen that overwhelmed look on a colleague’s

face many times before. I have asked if they are ok. Sometimes, they say they are find and pick up the pace to take care of a task or make copies. But most times, they let out a deep breathe and share with me what is wrong. It took 5 minutes out of my day and they are feeling better just because they got it off their chest. And guess what? They will remember that you showed concern and were there for them at that moment. If you ever need to lean on someone, I bet they would return the favor.

I hope this inspiration really reaches the teachers that need that extra bit of encouragement as they start the new year running. This is going to be a great year. Keep telling yourself that because it will make the difference. You are such an important part of education and more importantly to your students. Go ahead and make some plans on your calendar to find balance this school year. I hope that you let us know in the comments what some of those things will be. You might inspire s

omeone else to find balance too. Lean on each other. Ask for help when you need it. And go ahead and embrace the crazy. It will be a fun ride.

See You Real Soon,

Erin

 

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