Being a teacher is a very demanding job, you deal with different personalities and characters of children from various backgrounds and their well-being and academic excellence depend on you during your time with them.
This can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Be that as it may, you are still required to be at your A-game at all times. So, how do you do it? How do you stay on top of things with work and manage to guard your mental health?
Several health publications suggest techniques proven to help manage stress for teachers:
Prioritise: The Education Support publication advises that to avoid taking on too much or devoting yourself to work that does not fit with your priorities, practise setting and maintaining good limits. It is further stated that this has the potential to significantly impact your levels of stress and fatigue and that you should get comfortable saying no.
Know your stressors: List the things that emotionally exhaust you, along with one or two strategies to lessen the tension associated with each, states the above source. “When they occur, use them as an opportunity to practise your stress-reduction techniques and note what works.”
Accept what you cannot change: According to Averfi, as much as teachers need to focus on meeting students’ needs and adapting teaching strategies to their interests, they should also understand that there is only much they can do. “Forgive yourself when you’re unable to reinvent the wheel and accept that you’re a great teacher. You’re an even better one when your stress is in check!” It is also mentioned that mistakes can be learned from, stress should be managed and that having a shared experience with mentors or friends can help alleviate stress.
Adapt: The above publications also add that a teacher needs to learn to adapt to students’ unique personalities and incorporate their quirks into lessons. Classroom management strategies are said to include developing a mantra to handle tough situations and holding yourself to high standards. Questioning your impact is crucial, and creating a list of what’s going well in your classroom, students’ growth and goals can help you feel more successful, claims Averfi.
