THRIVE
What if I told you that you could make this school year great? What if I told you that you could make it your best year ever? And what if I told you that becoming a happier, more fulfilled teacher does not require reading an educational book, attending a workshop, or sitting through a long professional development?
Of course, there’s no silver bullet that will guarantee job satisfaction, but there are some relatively simple habits you can develop that will get you well on your to having the best year ever. Exactly which habits make for a great school year will vary from teacher to teacher, but the idea is this: If you make 10 small changes that each improve your day by 1%, you will actually improve your overall day by 10%. Twenty habits yield a 20% improvement, 30 habits equals 30%–you get the idea. And these habits don’t have to be adopted all at once. If you adopt one habit a week, that’s 36 habits a year and a 36% increase in your overall happiness. It’s sort of the teacher’s version of the Kaizen Effect.
To get started, check out these 19 small changes you can make right now that will make your day (and year!) way better.
1. Tidy your desk before you leave every day–even if you just pile everything someplace else
Those of you who are Type A teachers can keep on scrolling. If you’re Type B, you probably struggle to stay on top of the clutter, and that can be stressful. Starting every day with a tidy workspace (even if the rest of your room is a disaster) will go a long way toward reducing your stress level.
2. Get some plants
Keeping plants in your room can improve your air quality, reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve your classroom’s whole outlook.
3. Surround yourself with beauty
Maybe this means pictures of your family, a reproduction of a great work of art, or even your students’ artwork. The point is that your classroom and work area don’t have to look like the inside of an educational supply store. Instead, fill your space with images that make you happy or bring you peace.
4. Dress your best
What we wear does affect how we feel and think. That’s just science. So, be sure to choose clothing that makes you feel confident and professional. For some maybe that’s athleisure wear or jeans and a T-shirt. For others maybe it’s a cute dress with coordinating accessories. Either way, being intentional about how we dress matters, because if you feel good about what you’re wearing, your entire day will go better. In need of a wardrobe refresh? Try Teacher Style Box completely free for 30 days! 1,000s of teachers use it and swear by it!
5. Don’t eat your lunch all by yourself–or do
Just as we should be intentional about what we wear, it’s important to be intentional about how and where we spend our time without the students. Some teachers need time with other adults in order to feel recharged and ready to tackle the second half of the day. Some might require a few minutes of peace and quiet. Whatever the case, be sure you spend your lunch and planning time doing what you need to do.
6. Find time for silence
There are multiple benefits of silence. Even if you can only grab a minute here and there throughout your day, before school, or at home, take a little time to just be still and quiet. You can also make time for silence in your classroom. Start class with one minute of complete silence and build up to five or ten minutes. This is a great way to help kids decompress and learn a little self-control.
7. Walk when you can
Even short walks are good for you. Consider walking the playground when you have recess duty or getting outside with your team and walking around campus instead of meeting in a classroom. Or even get to school a few minutes early and jumpstart your day with a few laps around the parking lot.
8. Set aside a few minutes a day or a week to clean out your inbox
Again, Type A teachers can skip this one, but if you’re Type B, you know the low-grade stress that comes from having 40,000 un-deleted emails. Give yourself 3-5 minutes at the end of each day to delete unnecessary correspondences. Or better yet, find a way to delete multiple emails at once–then stay on top of things by setting aside a little time each week.
9. Don’t grade everything
Just don’t. It’s okay if some work is just for practice. Check out these 22 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half!
10. Whenever you can, take an extra recess
You need a break. The kids need to move around. The world of education will not come to a grinding halt if kids play outside a little more often.
11. Play games
This does not include games that only cause you more stress. Instead, come up with a repertoire of fun and easy go-to games that you and your students can play any time you need to take a break and laugh a little.
12. Make time for art
Coloring has been shown to relieve stress, so if you need to take a break in your day and spend a little time coloring with your kiddos, it’s in everyone’s best interest–no matter what the schedule says.
13. Plan some TNOs! (Teachers’ Nights Out)
Is there anything better for shaking off a long week than a fun night out (not necessarily a late night) with your teacher friends? Go to happy hour! Play pickleball! Hit a karaoke bar! Just make sure lots of laughter is involved.
14. Vent–but not too much
Having one or two good friends you can really unburden yourself to is a lifesaver. Having regular gripe sessions in the teacher’s lounge is a recipe for unhappiness. Join our Teacher Life Group for a judgment-free zone!
15. Get a comfy chair
If your desk chair is not super comfortable, ditch it and get one that is. You work too hard to get a kink in your back while making lesson plans.
16. Try some music therapy
Pump yourself up on the way to school with your favorite playlist. Play soothing classical music while you grade. Or help your class get the wiggles out with a pop-up dance party.
17. Only take work home once or twice a week–or never
Some teachers have made a commitment to never take work home. Good for them! But for other teachers, letting the work pile up just adds more stress. Instead, designate one or two nights a week for staying late or for working from home. Then take the other five or six nights off guilt free!
18. Stop revenge scrolling!
Nothing about your day tomorrow will be better when you do this.
19. Keep a gratitude journal–or photo journal
Being a teacher can be stressful and overwhelming. But even the worst days usually have a few bright spots. Consider keeping a journal at your desk and writing down one or two good things that happened each day. Go back and read it on particularly bad days or at the end of the month.
It isn’t likely that one or two small changes will make a big difference in your school year. But by adding one or two new habits a week, you might and up having your best year ever!
