New Teacher = Teacher Suggestions

Hi teacher friends!  In case no one else has said it lately, I will be the first to say:

THANKS for all you do!  You ARE changing lives every single day, whether it is noticed or not.  I truly appreciate all you do for your students.

Speaking of teaching being a difficult profession at times, I know personally for me, my first year was THE toughest!  In fact, my first full month, I secretly cried in my room every day after school.  And normally I am a collected person that can handle stress pretty well.  But it was completely overwhelming.

   

 Had I known then that first year teacher anxiety was normal and just part of the first year teacher struggles almost everyone encounters, I would have probably felt a lot better. 

 Instead, I was trying to tackle new ideas for everything for classroom management, lesson plans, routines, grading, meetings {oh the meetings!}, parent communication, and more.  

And each of these new experiences happened regularly all in a single day. No wonder I felt sad or had feelings of worthlessness.  Luckily, my physical symptoms were minor and didn't require medical attention, but headaches and fatigue were prevalent throughout that school year.  Not sure why I didn't put two and two together to figure out that I was quickly hitting first year teacher burnout levels. 

 Luckily, I made it through and it DID get easier after that initial school year.  But that was almost 15 years ago.  With today's additional stresses of school safety, income tied to student performance, and more, it's a miracle anyone is still interested in entering the education career field these days. 

 But I am thankful there are dedicated and brave souls who have taken on the task of educating tomorrow's future leaders.  Thank you for everything.

How to Deal with the Sunday Night Blues

Even veteran teachers can struggle with optimal mental health.  Many even have loss of interest in their career many times throughout their tenure.  The education field is losing great teachers every year to educators who have had to try and learn how to cope with depression and anxiety on their own.

 As I was thinking about that year (which I did survive and which taught me so many valuable lessons), I posted a thread on Facebook that asked for advice you would give to a First Year Teacher.  There were almost 200 comments and all AMAZING pieces of advice!

 I knew I would have to make a freebie eBook to compile all the responses!

 Thanks to all who contributed - the eBook ended up being 30 pages long and would be a perfect gift for a graduating student teacher, someone new to the field (or even a different grade level), or just to review even for a veteran teacher.

 
Click HERE to grab the free eBook

More Ideas for Helping Yourself and Colleagues with Stress-Related Anxiety

I bet you know the feeling:  Sunday evening rolls around and instead of feeling well-rested from a couple days off work, your chest starts to tighten thinking about setting that alarm clock for the next morning, you immediately begin to run your mile ling to-do list for the next day of everything you need to get done before students even arrive in the morning, and you have nightmares of out-of-control classroom chaos.

 I have been there.

 Job satisfaction is really hard to improve when you are dreading the time you have to spend at work. Something I try to do when I am feeling anxious about work is to brighten a staff member's day.  Not only do I get to see that person smile, but it feels good in return.  Plus, you never know whether he or she has been feeling down in the dumps too.

 Check out these great options for spreading cheer to all who enter your hallways:

  Candy Bar Staff Awards are a fun way for all staff members to recognize each other.  And get a sweet treat as an added reward too!

   

  Secret Staff Buddies are like a cross between room service menus and secret gift exchanges for teachers!  Set the spending limit low (for example:  the cost of a stack of post-its or a morning coffee) and make it optional for participants each time so there is no added stress to something that should be a stress reliever.

 

Teachers Color the World has some free coloring pages for teachers to download and get moving.  Coloring for adults is popular.  It does help to take your mind off things even for a few minutes before you have to go pick up students from their special.

   

 Are there other suggestions you think should be added?  Feel free to leave them in the comments below! 

 ~Charity 

 This post originally appeared at Organized Classroom.