All teachers know that teaching can be a stressful job. Stress and being overworked lead to teacher burnout. The key is to get organized and make time for you. Teacher burnout is a problem for many new teachers. Lower your stress level and you will improve as a teacher as well. Don’t cut your career short. Teaching will never be stress free. Below are a few tips to make your teaching job less stressful.
First thing’s first.
You will have a very successful career if your classroom discipline and management system is a shambles. Conquering these is the first step to being a stress free teacher.
Get Organized
You cannot teach effectively unless you are organized anyway. Your daily lesson plans should be done and all materials gathered before the school day – preferably the night before. Yes this is a lot of work but having a smooth teaching day is worth it.
Teachers need to grade papers as soon as possible. Don’t let them pile up. Teachers who let papers to grade pile are going to be in trouble.
Grading a pile of paperwork looks like an arduous task waiting to take its toll on your body – and it will. When teachers give a quiz or exam, they should start grading them as soon as one student turns it in even if it means just partially grading the paper because doing so will give you a good head start. In fact, making your exam as easy to grade as possible, e.g. including more multiple choice questions, can do wonders in saving time and being more organized.
Teachers should collect longer assignments when longer breaks occur. That is, do not collect a 10-page report on Monday and try not to give assessments on Fridays. Teachers who grade only on school days will be better rested. If your grading system is taking its toll on you, you seriously need to change the way you assess.
Teachers Need School-Free Days!
In conjunction with the above, you need to keep your weekends as school free as possible. You need at least one of those days to do absolutely nothing as far as school work is concerned. Your brain needs rest and your body needs to recharge. Avoid leaving your grading for the weekend. Teachers who do grading over the weekend are really working 7 days a week. You will burnout. Teacher should never bring too much work on a weekend.
Make Every School Day Break Count!
Secondary teachers have nutrition breaks, lunch breaks, and normally, planning periods. Elementary teachers have recess and lunch. There is even the short time after school that you are required to be on campus. Make these precious minutes count. Plan, organize, grade, and make phone calls. Yes you will have the urge to relax and do nothing but keep in mind that the school is the best place to work. Teachers who get their job done at school have more free time at home. If you don’t feel like grading at school, how do you feel when you see all the things that you need to do and you’re at home? Do not use the breaks to prepare for the next class because you’re supposed to be prepared already for it. Scrambling about in the last minute trying to figure out what you’ll be teaching brings on a bundle of stress. Rushing to the copy machine is not a good exercise either, and the machine may even be out of order.
Teacher Need Sleep
And you’re probably not getting enough. This is why you need to organize and grade ASAP. The later it is, the worse your brain functions. If you’re planning to grade on a midnight, how long do you think you’ll last? Get to school early. You need to be fully prepared as soon as the bell rings. I’ve seen teachers standing in line at the copier as the bell rings – and still continue to copy. I’ve seen teachers drive up to campus as the bell rings. Not only will these circumstances put you under pressure and stress, these may also affect your teaching performance.
Every day is a New Day
Teacher should try and forget the small things that happen each day. Start each day renewed. Your classroom discipline should be a system that is as stress free for you as possible.
Teachers, Not All is Possible
No matter how organized you are, there are things about teaching that are just stressful. The key is to have as much time away from school to do other things. Make you time away from school count as much as your days in class. Your job as a teacher needs to be left outside your front door as much as possible.
By: Marissa C. Cruz | Teacher III | Orani North Elementary School | Orani, Bataan
