3 Ways to RENEW this School Year

We’re in the midst of the RENEWAL phase of our teaching season.  And as Allende assures us, our capacity for survival in the midst of tough things is awesome.  There is no doubt that the beginning of this school year has been a tough thing.

This RENEW phase is when we are starting from scratch.  We are ready to meet our new students.  There is anticipation in the air of what’s to come. Because of this intense emotion, we may work longer and harder hours during this season than at any other point in the cycle.  The trap can be to think that it’s sustainable (and expected) to keep up with this kind of schedule the entire year. 

However tough this time may be to find our footing, establish balance, leave on time, or avoid taking work home, you must treat your school year with the frame of seasonality because you can’t keep pushing like you may be right now for the duration of the school year.

So as we finish up our season of RENEWAL, here are some ways to begin to transition to the next season of REBUILD without it being such a shock to our system.

• 1. Now that you are in your school routine, set up SYSTEMS to save you time by STACKING TASKS. 

• 2. Start to plan for when you are leaving each day BEFORE the day begins.  Even if you decide to stay later right now because of the amount of things to do, plan a realistic time out and then begin to make the time closer and closer to the “real” end of your day.
  

• 3. Add a brief TRANSITION activity after you are done with school. Maybe it’s driving a different way home or going for a 10 minute walk somewhere before you go inside.  As the school seasons change, you can see if it makes sense to add more time to doing this. But starting small now will be a great way to establish this routine that is sure to have lasting impact on your health and wellbeing!

So, if you’re feeling like you’re moving forward full speed ahead, but no you can’t keep this up for the rest of the year, try to work some of these activities into your day to welcome the next phase of your school year journey.

And as always, if you’d like any support with this process, I have some openings in my 1-on-1 Teacher Wellness Coaching program.  Feel free to schedule a call so that we can see if we’re a good fit.

To teaching well,
Danielle

P.S.  If you’re looking for more a way to walk through the unknown of this school year, please check out The Path of the Mindful Teacher.  It’s packed with relevant and implementable ideas that are sure to support you in this year’s teacher journey.