Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 115: Self Care for Teachers

Transcript

Ep 115: Self Care for Teachers · New Teacher Talk

• 0:02
  Welcome to New Teacher Talk.
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  My name is Jameelah R.
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  Wright,
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  and I am a teacher educator and researcher at William
• 0:07
  Paterson University in New Jersey.
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  You'll find me on page 153 in the New Teacher's Guide
• 0:13
  talking about promoting family involvement.
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  Today, however, I'm talking about self-care for teachers.
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  One thing I love about the New Teacher Talk podcast is they
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  know that it's important to promote self-care for teachers.
• 0:29
  I recommend listening to the following episodes if you've
• 0:31
  not done so already.
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  Episode 113, Recharge and Reflect, Episode 71,
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  Fragile February, and Episode 65,
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  Self-Care Tips for Educators During the Festive Season.
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  As an educator, particularly a new one,
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  you know how much teachers pour their hearts and energy
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  into their work, don't you?
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  But what happens when your cup is empty?
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  Let's talk about how to fill it back up.
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  Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers,
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  but it's also one of the most demanding.
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  Between lesson planning, grading, meetings,
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  and managing a classroom full of unique personalities,
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  it's easy to put your own needs on the back burner.
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  Today, I'll share why self-care isn't a luxury.
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  It is a necessity.
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  And offer some practical tips for integrating self-care
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  into your daily routine.
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  Let's start with the why.
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  When we think of self-care,
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  we often picture bubble baths and spa days,
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  but it's so much more than that.
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  Self-care is about maintaining your physical, emotional,
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  and mental well-being.
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  For teachers,
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  this can mean the difference between thriving and burning
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  out.
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  Here are some stats to consider.
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  A 2021 survey by the Rand Corporation found that teachers
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  are almost twice as likely as other working adults to
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  experience frequent job-related stress.
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  That's an understatement.
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  Also,
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  nearly one in four teachers reported symptoms of depression.
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  These numbers are sobering,
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  but they highlight the importance of prioritizing your
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  health.
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  When you take care of yourself,
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  you show up as your best self, not just for your students,
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  but for your colleagues, for family, and friends as well.
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  Now that we have established the importance of self-care,
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  let's get into the how.
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  Here are some actionable tips, six to be exact,
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  to help you integrate self-care into your busy schedule.
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  Number one, start small.
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  You don't need to overhaul your entire routine to practice
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  self-care.
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  Start with small, manageable changes.
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  For example,
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  commit to drinking a glass of water first thing in the
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  morning or taking five minutes to stretch before your day
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  begins.
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  It's perfectly okay to lie your bed for a couple of extra
• 3:00
  minutes just to meditate, to think, to reflect.
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  You don't have to jump right out right away.
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  Number two, set boundaries.
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  This is a big one.
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  Set clear boundaries between your work and personal life.
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  For instance,
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  designate specific office hours for grading or responding
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  to emails and stick to them.
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  When your workday ends, let it end.
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  Also,
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  a boundary that I implemented when I was in the classroom,
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  I would let parents and families know that they are welcome
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  to text me or call me as long as it happened before 8 p.m.
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  That might be late for some of you.
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  Maybe, you know, six o'clock,
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  five o'clock might be your boundary time,
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  whatever your boundary time is, reinforce it.
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  I would let the families know that if they happen to text
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  me after eight o'clock,
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  I would make sure I would get back to them the next day.
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  Set your boundary and stick to it.
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  Number three, create a "you" space, a space just for you,
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  whether it's a corner in your home or even a quiet moment
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  in your classroom before students arrive,
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  create a space where you can reset.
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  Fill it with things that make you feel calm,
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  maybe a candle, a favorite book, or just silence.
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  That was also something I did when I was in the classroom.
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  Before the students came in the morning,
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  I would go into the classroom.
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  I wouldn't turn on the lights just yet.
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  You know, I would set up the classroom,
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  but it would be quiet.
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  Or occasionally on some mornings,
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  maybe I would have some soothing music playing,
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  but it was just a space for me and my thoughts.
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  So I could reflect on, you know,
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  what happened the day before and try to anticipate what
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  might happen this day, but it was a space for me.
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  Four, build a support network.
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  Teaching can feel isolating, but it doesn't have to be.
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  Connect with colleagues who understand your challenges or
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  join online communities where educators share advice and
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  encouragement.
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  I know there are a ton of teacher groups on Facebook.
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  There are spaces on Instagram.
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  There's communities on Reddit.
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  There are so many online spaces,
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  but if you prefer something in real life,
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  then maybe consider meeting up with your colleagues and,
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  you know, maybe grabbing lunch together or just in passing.
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  Just, you know,
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  give each other a nod and let them know that, you know,
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  they can come to you and also hopefully you can feel free
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  to go to them with anything you would like to talk about.
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  Five, move your body.
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  Physical activity is a proven stress reliever.
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  You don't have to train for a marathon.
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  Just go for a walk.
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  Try yoga or dance it out in your living room.
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  Dance as if no one is watching.
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  The key is to find something you enjoy.
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  Six, say no when you need to.
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  Teachers are often asked to do a lot.
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  Serve on committees, lead after school programs,
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  or take on extra duties.
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  It is okay to say no.
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  Remember, every time you say yes to something,
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  you're saying no to something else,
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  including your own well-being.
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  Do not put too many things on your plate.
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  You will get overwhelmed.
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  You might start to feel anxious.
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  So, say no when you need to.
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  So,
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  if I could just share a bit more about my self-care in action.
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  I've shared a couple of things already,
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  but something new that came across my desk,
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  thanks to my own personal therapist.
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  She recommended an app called Finch, F-I-N-C-H.
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  And it's just a cute little app that will hold you
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  accountable for self-care.
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  So you can download the app.
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  There's a free version and there's a paid version.
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  I use the free version and it does fine with the free
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  options that are available.
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  You can put in different things that you want to hold
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  yourself accountable for.
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  If you want to drink more water,
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  you can put that there as a task that you can do.
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  If you want to read more, if you want to rest more,
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  you can put all these different self-care activities into
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  the app.
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  And then every day you will go in there and click the ones.
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  And over time, you'll get little reports sent back to you,
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  letting you know how you have been implementing self-care.
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  And I adore it.
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  I've been using it for 118 days so far.
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  It acknowledges and rewards you for being consistent in
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  your use.
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  And so it's just a great way to stay on top of your self
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  -care and to hold yourself accountable,
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  especially if you don't have someone that can hold you
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  accountable.
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  You don't have a buddy that you can turn to.
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  You always have this app on your phone.
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  And that's just something that's been working for me that I
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  am so happy to share with you.
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  And hopefully you take advantage and check out Finch
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  yourself.
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  And remember what works for someone else might not work for
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  you.
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  And that's okay.
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  The goal is to find what fills your cup.
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  Maybe Finch won't fill your cup,
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  but you can find something else that will.
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  So in wrapping up, I want to leave you with this thought.
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  Self-care isn't selfish.
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  It is essential.
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  You cannot pour from an empty cup.
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  And your wellbeing matters just as much as the success of
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  your students.
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  I know you want what is best for your students,
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  but how can you do that if you don't want what is best for
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  you?
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  So this week,
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  I challenge you to choose one self-care practice and commit
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  to it.
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  Maybe it's going to bed 30 minutes earlier,
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  packing a lunch you're excited to eat,
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  or taking a deep breath before your next class.
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  Small steps add up.
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  Every bit counts.
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  So I thank you for joining me today on this episode of New
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  Teacher Talk.
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  If you found the episode helpful,
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  please share it with a fellow teacher, a new teacher,
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  or even a veteran teacher who you know might be struggling.
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  Everyone benefits from self-care.
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  And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the next
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  episode.
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  Until next time, take care of yourself.
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  And remember, a happy teacher makes a happy classroom.