Hi friends. On social media over the weekend, many teachers were discussing the crazy Friday they had with their students. They were also not really looking forward to the Monday after ? Halloween. Our students can be a little less focused with all of the ? candy that they consumed in the days leading up to Halloween and the days after the holiday depending on their candy stash at home. What does this do for us? It leaves us with some stressful days of inattentive students and time spent repeating lessons that our students weren’t paying attention to. So this week, I thought I would give you a few tips that might help you get through this week by practicing teacher self-care in various forms.

#1 Be flexible

There will always be days where lessons and the corresponding activities fall apart before you were able to teach the intended skill or concept. These are the days when we should just go ahead and stop the lesson and try something different.

#2 Get Extra Sleep (If You Can)

This one might be a little tricky if you have little kids of your own or have a side hustle, but it really can make a difference. A lot of us could definitely go to sleep an hour earlier if we just shut down Netflix or stop scrolling on our phones.

#3 Enjoy Your Car Ride Home

Most of us are back in the classroom so this can easily be accomplished. Turn on a mindfulness app and take some deep breaths as you drive home. Most of us also have family and other responsibilities at home that will need attention pretty much as soon as we walk in the door. ? ? So, take the time to listen to your favorite song or just turn off the radio and give your mind a little quietness before the rest of your day begins.

#4 Play Games & Have Fun

As my first teacher self-care tip suggested, teachers who are flexible with learning have a little less stress. Go ahead and plan some fun learning games and experiences this week and any week where you think your students are going to need a little bit of flexibility and some time to exert their energy. Get outside if the weather permits, play games that teach skills, or use some of those digital activities that we all stocked up on last year. Students will enjoy some digital time while learning at their own pace.

#5 Enjoy the Weekend!

After the long week, do something fun for yourself over the upcoming weekend. Watch a movie (Hallmark has started holiday movies ?), take a walk, take a nap, and/or order out for dinner. These are some simple things that will give you a little break from the hustle of the past week. I know these may seem like simple tips that everyone knows about, but sometimes we just need a reminder to actually do them. ? My fun activity this week is grabbing my book that I just can’t seem to finish and sitting down with it and nice cup of coffee. What are you doing for yourself this week? Tag me on IG and let me see how your week has gone. Have a great week! Tiffany

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