What will you do with the time? Will you relax, reflect or renew? Either way you and the students will be refreshed and ready for the next nine weeks of exciting instruction.
Relax - Since school began there has been a constant pushing and pacing to get the material covered, the lessons taught and rules and consequences practice and in place, just in time for a two-week break. So take the time and modify your schedule. Do something that will allow you to relax. Change your routine around. Enjoy time with friends. Work on your hobby or visit places of interest that you can do as the Autumn season allows us to enjoy. The important thing is to make time for relaxation. To clear the mind and to change the routine so that you are doing things differently.
Reflect - Now that you are more relaxed, you can start to reflect on what worked, what didn't work and how you might do things somewhat differently in your classroom when school returns to session. This is a good time for self-reflection and for determining, without the pressure of a daily schedule, what really did work in the classroom over the last nine weeks and what didn't. If you are a list maker, then make a list of things to do again and things not to do again. Put the list aside for a couple of days and then look at it again. With fresh eyes and a mind that is clear you can then focus on what made the classroom work for you and for the students.
Renew - You ask isn't this the same as relaxing? Not really. To renew is to "become new or as if new again," according to the dictionary. So, maybe you need to read over your lesson plans, your text book, visit some websites and see what others are doing in your area of expertise. Perhaps a renewal would be to personally recommit to be a life-long learner and to teach the students that same trait. To help them to understand that just because you are "out of school" we never really stop learning. What can you do to renew? Glad you asked. Here are ten great renewal techniques for all educators:
#1 - Laugh. Out loud. Completely and deeply find something that is funny and laugh out loud. This can be such a cleansing and laughter remains one of the healing mysteries.
#2 - Listen to music. Put your iPad, MP3 player or anything that you can listen to music with and turn off all of the other media inputs. Really listen to the music. Use headphones that totally cover your ears so that you can become engulfed in the music. Listen to how the music flows, get lost in it. Enjoy your favorites and get lost in your own concert.
#3 - Eat right. When we have time off we don't eat on the same schedule. Just because we can doesn't mean we have to eat those types of foods that will add additional sugars or fats -- those that taste so good. Instead, focus on eating foods that will help you to relax without adding to your waist.
#4 - Breathe. That's right, breathe. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly. For some of us we have been so busy that we've even been overheard to say, "I'm so busy with school I don't have time to breathe!" So, breathe! Take deep breaths and exhale completely. The mind, heart and especially the lungs will thank you for it.
#5 - Exercise. Yes, even if it's just for a short time. Exercise doesn't necessarily mean power lifting at the gym or training for a marathon. A short walk around the yard or simply standing up to stretch during a break can offer immediate relief in a stressful situation. Getting your blood moving releases endorphins and can improve your mood almost instantaneously.
#6 - Sleep. Get some rest during this time. Unfortunately, lack of sleep is a key cause of stress. This vicious cycle causes the brain and body to get out of whack and only gets worse and worse with time. Make it a point to get the doctor-recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. Turn the TV off earlier, manage your time, and do your best to get into bed. It may be the most effective stress buster on our list. Don't try to make up for the lost sleep during the school year. Now is the time to start a better habit of time management and getting the proper sleep.
#7 - Change your attitude. When you have a positive attitude you will feel better, work better and see things in a better view. Over time you’ll learn to meet negativity with a positive reaction. A positive attitude will keep you from slipping back so easily into feeling overwhelmed. Don't let the attitude of a few make you join their negative ways -- keep the positive attitude and those with negativity will go away.
#8 - Plan. Plan. Plan. Yes, as educators we do a lot of planning. But this is more time management and planning of our day. Since you have some time now to look back at your daily schedule, then make some rules for your day. Drowning in papers. We’ve all been there, and it’s not a great place to be. To the extent you control your daily schedule, make your workload work for you. Time-management skills are vital to planning, prioritizing, and completing tasks. Set hourly or daily goals, but be realistic. If there’s no way you will complete a project in two days, do not push yourself. If, in the end, you’re left with some extra time after completing your project, consider it a few spare moments you can catch up on email or get ahead on your next task.
#9 - Just say no. Don't over commit. Sometimes we are asked to serve and to do and to work and we feel that we should. But there are limits to our commitments. We have to have a balance of time with our students, with our families and for ourselves. If you have no time left for you, then you will begin to regret the time you spend with others and it will add that much more stress. Take this time to look at your commitment and prioritize those things that you really want to be involved with and those that you don't want, just politely disengage yourself. You never know, but there maybe someone else who wants and has the time to volunteer, but doesn't because there are others already in place. Rotation of volunteerism is good.
#10 - Don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on the things you can change, you can do and you are prepared to spend resources (time, money and energy) doing. Then let the rest of it go. Identify what and who you want to be and do those things that support that decision. You will be much happier and your stress level will be reduced as well.
Enjoy the time provided in the nine and two calendar.
Our next break will be coming up after the next nine weeks of instruction and what you don't get done in this two week time of renewal and reflection you can continue. Enjoy the break and don't forget -- Laugh often, laugh deep and take care of you - you are an educator. You are priceless!
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