COVID Survival Tips for Educators
The research is startling, the amount of stress, time, and energy in the education profession has increased to scary heights for both educators and school leaders. Everyone demands more of you and it can feel like no one is here to help.
Students and families need their teachers, who are burning out. Teachers must rely upon their leaders, who are facing unbelievable pressure and uncertainty. School leaders must be responsive to the demands of superintendents, school boards, and governments, most of which have little to no idea of what to do during a pandemic. It is not necessarily their fault, but this is new territory for everyone.
So, while we wait for vaccines to be universal and pray that the virus disappears much like polio, we still face the same challenges that we have for the past 11 months. The main challenge being, how do I best care for my students without losing myself?
The answer to this is can feel difficult as it is a compromise. We are all finite resources, meaning that we eventually wear out and cease to function at a high level. Intentional compromising may be the best way to cope during this season (and probably future challenging times as well). This list below provides some ideas and suggestions to help manage your work with your self:
Lesson Planning - You invest a massive amount of your time in being ready to deliver awesome lessons. Although you may be teaching online, you still do your best to ensure your students are learning. While it can feel like a punch to the gut for some, learning to plan with others can be a massive benefit to all involved. Are you working virtually or the sole teacher of a subject at your school? There are tons of groups online who help and share their lessons plans, Facebook hosts many groups on their site. Feeling overwhelmed? Then do not be afraid to try paying for the lesson plans and assessments that you wish to use. This last option can be the easiest and least time consuming, just be sure to vet it first and ensure curriculum alignment.
Teaching - Some teachers have 45 minute periods, others up to 120 minutes. Emulating the classroom experience while online is a tough task and is not likely realistic. Although, keeping your routines as similar as possible would be recommended. When teaching online, remember that when students are in your classroom you do not instruct for the entire time. Feel free to keep it that way when virtual. Remaining online and available to your students should be a priority during your scheduled class time. For many students, these are the moments that are truly golden and the most beneficial.
Grading - Educators spend an incredible amount of time grading and providing feedback on student work. This is essential for student growth, but is not as important as instruction, guided practice, and the relationships built. Asking students to sit in front of their screens all day while they are being taught remotely is a big ask. Save some time and sanity for both the students and teachers by reducing the frequency and size of assessments. What is really needed to give the student and the teacher the feedback needed to know how the learning is going and what is needed next? Focus on the essential.
Communication - Whether you are teaching from your classroom or from home, communication is the essence of what our profession is. It is also much more complicated with physical distancing and virtual instruction. The best advice for communicating during this pandemic is to increase your frequency of communication and reduce its length. This means that talking to your supervisor, calling parents, or messaging students should happen more often and be more succinct. This is also true for your instruction, keep it short and sweet whenever possible (review point two above). The attention spans of our students, no matter their age, is short, especially if all instruction is virtual.
Self-Care - Teachers are givers, we live to serve our students and to make an impact on our community. However, you cannot pour out from an empty vessel. Self-care is very important, and knowing how to leverage it for better and higher quality output can lead to you being stronger after his pandemic and not completely worn down. To improve self-care, consider:
Establishing clear boundaries of work hours and time. Be aware that your work will increase around reporting periods, so design your lessons and assignments to reduce your personal workload during those seasons. Also, be willing to let a project or work to wait another day if necessary. Keep meeting deadlines, but plan ahead so you do not get buried over one exhausting weekend that will leave you worn out to teach the following week.
Create routines to re-energize and reward. Knock it out of the park with your first three lessons? Reward yourself with a nice walk, exercise, or yoga. Get all of your work done for the day within your boundary schedule? Go ahead and order food for delivery and celebrate with your favorite show. Creating routines that reward you for forming positive habits will only reinforce your hard work and dedication to recovery.
Keep up with relationships. Many video streaming apps now allow for watch parties, while I have never used it, it sounds fun to watch a show with a friend from across the country. Use video chat to talk with a friend, check in with a family member or loved one, and maybe surprise that special someone with a heart felt note or letter.
Seek help. For many, there are loads of local options for counselors and psychologists that may help bring you perspective and understanding of your situation. Stress, anxiety, and depression are all on the rise and there is absolutely no shame in seeking help. And, nowadays these services can often be paid by your insurance. Also, feel free to reach out to your local religious leaders. Your ministers, priests, imams, and the like can lend a listening ear and often offer wise advice.
Remember, you are not in this alone. There are hundreds of thousands of teachers worldwide that are all going through this with you. There are millions of students who are experiencing what your students are. Know that whether you feel it or not, your students and community cares about you. After all, a successful teacher leads to successful students.