The Self Nurtured TeacherTM
The Self Nurtured TeacherTM
How often does the end of the school year leave you so drained that half your Summer is over before you finally feel like the person you wanted to be all year? This time of the year seems to pick up pace like a rollercoaster with a hard, fast stop that can leave you jilted with a little whiplash…and this year has definitely created a little more speed than usual.
Implementing 1 or more of these tips as you head into the final days and weeks will help your overall community and your own well-being as you head into your Summer.
Don’t be distracted by the shiny object (or teacher down the hall) that says you need to make the end of the year ‘special’ by doing out of the ordinary projects, field trips, and extras. Schedule changes create behavior changes.
I’ll say it again… schedule changes create behavior changes.
Your students (and you) have become confident in the flow of your days, of what to expect, and are secure in managing their end of the year emotions knowing how the day is structured.
Instead, try adding some fun writing topics or free write during writing time. Try a new game at the usual morning meeting time. Head outside for the read aloud that’s at the usual time.
Head outside as weather permits for some low-key lessons. Build your science around planting, the sun, the weather, trees, birds, etc. and do some lessons outdoors during that time.
Create a scavenger hunt for any subject and take it outside.
If you can’t go out, bring nature in. Create some exporation tubs with materials from nature and anchor a book with it. Students can explore, discuss, and write about what they see.
There is much going on around you, your students, the community, and the world. Stay focused on each lesson. Slow things down if you need to and let your students see you are in the moment with them.
You may want to intentionally build in extra mindfulness moments in your day now until the last day. Regulated students (and teachers) get more accomplished and stay centered, so taking the extra time will be well worth it!
You can practice this mindfulness WITH your students. Do some fun breathing exercises before each transition. Give them a few minutes for quiet time with coloring or free drawing.
Knowing what you have control over and staying focused on that will help guide you. The rest is noise.
Just because it’s the end of the year that doesn’t mean your students will remember and act appropriately on all the things you’ve established. Students are people too, and like you at this time of the year their emotions and energy are all over the place!
Review any anchor charts for learning expectations daily and don’t assume they will just do it on their own.
Read favorite SEL focused books, or some new ones, that highlight managing big feelings and responses. Keep your planning and prep stress low and grab my no prep SEL book companion lessons and activities for In My Heart by Jo Witek, Ruby Finds a Worry by Rom Percival, and I Am Enough by Grace Byers.
It’s the small things done consistently that matter!
Keep It SUPER SIMPLE. This is NOT the time of the year to decide to do the lessons or activities you didn’t do earlier in the year because you didn’t have time. It sounds good on paper (or in your head) until you start doing the work for it that leads to stress that leads to short tempered that leads to grouchy and will trickle down into how your student behave. It’s NOT worth it!
Let your students, and yourself, shine. Don’t create more work for yourself by planning new elaborate lessons. Use resources you already have, team up with a colleague, or find inexpensive resources online.
Only YOU can decide to do the things to take care of your needs during this time.
Work loads are a real issue in education…that is not a fix that is going to happen overnight.
Start with finding small, simple ways to take care of yourSELf (whatever that looks like for you). I will say that doing something good for your body will have a BIG return on your investment. Drink that extra glass of water. Get to bed 30 minutes sooner. Move your body (even if for 5 minutes).
Whatever you do, here’s what I want you to do AFTER doing that thing:
Acknowledge yourself for what you did and Reflect on how it made you feel. This anchors that action into a positive light and creates a confidence in yourself so that you are more likely to repeat a similar action in the near future (What you think about you bring about).
It could sound like: I acknowledge myself for going for a 5 minute walk after lunch before picking up my students. I felt proud and strong in mind and body.
Even if the things happening around you are less than ideal, you will ALWAYS win when you take care of yourself. Not sure how or what to start with? Start with my FREE 22 powerful Affirmations + Guide
