Most all teachers are now on summer break, and it’s natural to want to just let down your hair and relax. And I don’t blame you. That is exactly what you should do. And while you are floating in the pool with a margarita in hand, let your mind wander back to this past school year and do a little reflecting. Here are my tips for effectively digesting the school year.
Summer Reading for Wholehearted Teachers
Teaching with Authenticity
A wholehearted teacher knows who she is. She acknowledges her flaws and her strengths. She is kind to herself and uses failures as a sign that she needs to adjust her practice – not that she herself is a failure. She seeks out opportunities for growth, and believes she can make a difference in all of her student’s lives. She understands her power, and embraces it. She doesn’t bring her own areas of inauthenticity or insecurity into work nor does she try to get unmet needs met by her peers, leaders, or students.
This picture represents the ideal – what I call…teaching with authenticity. [Read more…]
7 Tips for Getting More Sleep as a Teacher
Teaching is an extremely draining activity – both physically and mentally. Standing all day, strutting our fast-paced “Teacher Walk”, and at least 500 squats to desks. Plus add in emotional fatigue, and it’s no wonder we’re exhausted!
Sleep is our body’s natural way of nourishing and replenishing our resources. But most of us teachers are completely sleep deprived. How can we get more sleep as teachers?
Manage Back to School Anxiety
You are on the downward slope of summer and each day you are thinking more and more of the school year ahead. You see school supplies in stores. You are starting to surf Pinterest again for classroom ideas. And you may also be feeling a mix of emotions: excitement, hope, dread, resentment, fear, and insecurity to name a few. You are not alone!! Here are some of the tips I give my teacher clients…
[Read more…]Cultivating a Grateful Heart as a Teacher
There is only one thing that can absolutely stop negativity, stress, overwhelm, insecurity, fear and disconnection dead in their tracks – gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most powerful mindset choices we can make in our day-to-day lives.
That’s why cultivating a grateful heart as a teacher is one of the foundational habits of wholehearted teaching. [Read more…]
Time-Saving End of the Year Teacher Hacks
Have you already begun your countdown? There are just a few weeks left of this school year. Will you end this year frazzled, tired, and completely dazed? Or will you end the year happy, purposeful, and peaceful? Here are some time-saving end of the year teacher hacks to ending the year with my joy, peace, and purpose. [Read more…]
Can Teachers Really Have Hobbies? +Bonus Recipe
Hobbies seem to be elusive as a teacher. We even joke about our hobby being teaching! So I’m going to answer this question: Can teachers really have hobbies?
While it may be true that having hobbies as a teacher is more difficult than for people with 9-5 jobs, I do believe it is possible to have hobbies as a teacher. Furthermore, I think it’s SUPER important that as teachers we express ourselves through hobbies.
10 Things to Do Before Leaving Your Classroom on Friday
Ahh Fridays! We wait for them all week, and get so anxious to leave school and focus on the weekend, that sometimes we leave and admittedly just say, “Whatever, I’ll do it Monday!” But here are ten things you can do before leaving your classroom on Friday (don’t worry – they don’t take much time) to set yourself up for success on Monday. [Read more…]
Happy Teachers Create Happy Classrooms
Today I woke up to the greatest gift – a New York Times article about how happy teachers create happy classrooms if we want to give students a chance to understand where true happiness comes from in life! Mind. Blown. I have been thinking, praying, and dreaming about this idea for the past two+ years as I’ve made this coaching practice for teachers a reality. And now it’s validated in the New York freaking Times!!! [Read more…]