Tips for the Daily Grind

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was planning what I wanted to do this summer with my family, and here I am already preparing for classes.  I can’t believe how fast the school year got here!  Everyone will soon be going back to the daily grind  of  lesson prepping, dry mouth from excessive talking, and marking, so I hope you’ve all enjoyed your time off.

I’m going to be honest — I was struggling to come up with a topic, especially on such a beautiful day like today. But then I thought about going back to work and how to best transition from no school habits like: sleeping in, (well, I haven’t had the pleasure of doing that since becoming a mom), and going wherever the wind takes me, to a quick shift into the routine of waking up early, standing for hours teaching, and the usual work-related things.

That’s why it’s important to get mentally prepared for the back-to-school reality of  piles of work, not enough sleep, marking, and so on, which we’re all about to face ☺. So without further ado, here are some quick tips to help you get started on the right foot this school year:

Positive Attitude

Approach the new school year with a positive attitude. It’s easy to get stuck in the “I can’t believe I have to drag myself out of bed at 7 a.m. for the next year!” mentality. Keep in mind why you’re where you are today and why you chose this very profession. Reminding yourself of your intentions will go a long way…hopefully in a positive direction ☺

Sunday Morning Deadlines

Have your lessons prepped for the coming week by Sunday morning. I think this is useful because this way you won’t spend your entire Sunday figuring out what to plan and how to execute your lessons. It’s important to maintain some time for relaxation. Peace of mind, my friends!

Icebreakers

Using Icebreaker activities for students is such a great way to get everyone to let loose and have a fun time getting to know each other, as well as getting to know you!  Here are a couple of sites that might be of interest to you:

http://www.eslcafe.com/idea/index.cgi?Ice:Breakers

http://www.eslconversationquestions.com/icebreakers-speaking-activities/

Keep a Journal

I love this. Although  I ‘m not consistent with writing in a journal myself, I do think having a special place where you can write all of your thoughts and your feelings down will help you cope with whatever little challenges you’re bound to experience this upcoming year. When you write down what you’re thinking, you clear your head of whatever it is that’s keeping your mind busy, allowing you to focus and get on with your day.

You Are Not Alone

Finally, remember you’re not alone.This one is important because oftentimes we forget that others are experiencing similar if not the same things we are. So if you’re feeling nervous about teaching your new class or meeting your students for the first time, remember that most of your colleagues will experience the same thing to some degree. You are not alone. ☺

I hope the above tips help you ease into this school year. I can’t make summertime longer, but I can try to help make the fact that it’s ending a tad easier to bear.

Here are a few more great articles to help you out:

http://teaching.about.com/od/pd/a/Back-To-School-For-Teachers.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/aug/20/teacher-wellbeing-how-to-prepare-for-new-school-year

Until next time. Happy reading!

What advice can you give to your fellow colleagues? I’d love to read them in the comments below!