Teaching is by far one of the toughest jobs anyone could know. Every day, educators greet kids with a smile and open heart, teach rigorous lessons and activities, provide social-emotional support to kids in need, and problem-solve through everyday challenges that others never even see. Teachers are so incredible that sometimes we forget they need help, advice, and support too.
The pieces of advice I’ve written here are things I wish I had known when I started teaching; the words I wish someone had said to me.
Here are some of the most valuable pieces of advice for educators:
Spend extra time building relationships.
Children and teens require strong relationships to learn their best. That’s not a secret. It’s the foundation to social-emotional success, which is the foundation for everything else. What is most important, though, relationship-building is not just for the beginning of the school year. It’s a yearlong practice that needs to continue over time.
And with that, it’s OKAY to take time from your busy class day to focus on relationship-building. Talk with kids about their hobbies, let them teach you about their world, play games, laugh, and even share a bit about yourself. These things are necessary for success in the classroom.
Use these relationship-building tips and strategies for more ideas in your classroom.
Find ways to laugh and have fun in the classroom.
Teaching is tough. Allow yourself time and space to just have fun in the classroom. This really serves three purposes: First, it’s important for you, as an educator, to love what you do. Secondly, having fun helps kids love your classroom too. Lastly, having fun in the classroom lets your kids see you as a human, and that just helps to strengthen relationships over time.
Of course, there are times for fun and times to be serious. Boundaries matter and work needs to get done. But, when the time is right, turn up the music and have a dance party. Tell funny stories that make you all crack up. Play games together. Whatever you do, have fun.
Don’t take the tough days personally.
Tough days are going to come; don’t take them personally. This is much easier said than done, but it’s worth mentioning again and again. Challenges will happen. Mistakes will come up. Tomorrow is always a fresh day.
Teachers are often perfectionists. The majority of teachers I know strive to be the very best educator they can be. Without a doubt, this is admirable. The issue is that there are so many things out of our control as teachers. Let’s keep in mind that children and young adults are often struggling with lots of challenges, sometimes things we never even see.
And there will be times you mess up. It’s still okay. Mistakes happen, and you’ll learn and grow.
Find teacher friends you connect with.
Given that teaching is extraordinarily stressful, it’s invaluable to find teacher friends you connect with. You can bounce ideas off of them, discussing possible strategies and interventions you think might be beneficial. You can even vent to them on tough days, sharing your stressors and challenges.
Simply put, the best teacher friends lift your mood. Laugh with them. Talk about non-school related topics with them. As educators, we have a special camaraderie. It’s important to find teacher friends to get us through the crazy journey.
Build a proactive self-care plan.
Let me be clear on this: Good self-care doesn’t negate the need for systemic challenges in any school. There is lots of need for school and educational reform to help educators get what they need, there is no doubt in that. Self-care can be beneficial though to combat stress ahead of time.
Proactive self-care helps put you first, in a profession where you give so much of yourself every day. Plan times and days you will to to the gym, spend time with friends, or just read for pleasure.
Read 15+ strategies for teacher self-care and grab a free poster to help make yourself a priority.
Delete your work e-mail from your phone.
Delete your work e-mail from your phone right away. If you don’t have it on there yet, don’t add it. This is an important boundary to set from the start. As a teacher, you give so much of yourself to your students and school. You deserve time for yourself.
Ask for help when you need it.
You can’t do it all yourself, and you shouldn’t! There is no shame in asking for help. I’d argue that the opposite is true; asking for help shows strength.
Whether it is help with managing challenging behaviors in the classroom or learning new strategies when a student is refusing to do work, support is out there!
A huge support system can even be found right in your school building. Reach out to the school psychologist, social worker, and school counselor when you need. They are a wealth of expert information that can help make a big difference for you and your classroom.
It’s okay to say “no” to extra responsibilities.
You are going to feel pressured to join extra after school activities, attend special meetings, and give up your precious prep time. It’s okay to say no to these things. Declining extra responsibilities (often unpaid ones especially) helps set a boundary.
Say yes to the extras you want to do, but there is nothing wrong with saying “no.”
What other pieces of advice would you give to educators?
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