I am a teacher. I give thanks for dry erase markers that work and pre-sharpened pencils, for chocolate and caffeine. I meet canceled meetings, bathroom breaks and snow days with gratitude and I am thankful for forgotten fidget spinners and silly bands that’ve come and gone, thankful for completed paperwork, planned fire drills, and a […]
Teacher Self Care
The Challenges of Mental/Emotional Health for Teachers
By: Scott Miller Phoenix When I began teaching, I never once thought about the challenges I would face when it came to mental health and stress. It never crossed my mind that stress would be a factor for a teacher until I had to manage a classroom. During my first five years teaching, I averaged […]
Going Through a Divorce While Teaching? Here’s Some Steps to Overcoming
Imagine this. You work 60 hours a week as a teacher, full-time parent, and devoted spouse. You spend your nights grading papers, checking your kid’s homework and making sure your spouse is ready for their day at work. You operate like this for close to a decade until you come home and like a “smack […]
What’s in Your Teacher Desk Drawers? Building a Survival Kit
Do you happen to have 63 pipe cleaners (aka chenille sticks)? Or a bottle of ketchup? You never know what you may find yourself needing as a new teacher. We are masters of thinking on the fly, especially when it comes to putting together a bang-up lesson, which means a lot of unexpected supplies. As […]
Fitting in Fitness as a Teacher..Can It Be Done?
Teaching requires an exorbitant amount of energy. Each day we face classroom management, grading, lesson planning, parent communication, and faculty meetings, so it’s hard to imagine squeezing anything else into our jam-packed schedule. Not to mention, going home and relaxing for thirty minutes sounds a lot more appealing that heading into a sweaty gym full […]
Initiative Overload: A Teacher’s Harsh Reality
“What do you do, as teachers, to take care of your students?” Hands went up throughout the room. My colleagues and I, at the school where I have been teaching for the past 15 years, were attending a CPI session on non-violent crisis prevention and intervention. After a brief discussion, the session coach then asked, […]
On Sickness: From a Teacher who Can’t Come to School Right Now
As teachers, we hold the fate of our students in our hands. When we’re sick, we often show up anyway because sometimes even a sick teacher outmatches a substitute who may or may not know the content being delivered. A couple weeks ago, I severely injured my leg. Let’s just say: once you’re over a […]