Stress – the teacher killer!
Gone are the days when teachers did what their title suggests and simply taught. Many people are unaware of what being a teacher entails. Unfortunately, some outsiders only see the ‘holidays,’ or think that all we do is ‘babysit’ and teach from a book, handing out ready-made photocopies of worksheets. What those people don’t understand are the roles a teacher must play. Teachers are answerable to their students, parents, the principal and the government. All of which set a high standard, however, is that standard over-kill? Read on for some tips that have helped to reduce stress as a teacher.
Here are some of the different roles we play as a teacher; decide for yourself:
- Parents
- Psychologist
- Therapists
- Innovators
- Reporters
- Mathematicians
- Writers
- About life knowledge source
- Linguists
- Statisticians
- Cleaners
- Secretaries
- First Aid professionals
- Event organisers
- Managers
- And finally, teachers
Statistics derived by an SBS article showed that over half of Australian teachers suffer from anxiety, with nearly one-fifth being depressed. Oh, I wonder why?
Teachers, I wish I had the power to change this for you right now, as I’m sure many other people have that same wish. What I can do is give you some tips on what I do to manage my stress. I hope these tips find you well and begin to turn your high-stress levels around!
Leave work with the next day, planned!
Home should be a place to unwind (or deal with your hectic family), not a place where you need to prepare, mark, assess and report, on top of the house duties that must be performed. I know there is not enough time in the school day to get all the above done, however, do as much as you can at school, especially organising your next day. All the other work does not need to be done immediately; it’s work that can be done eventually when your mind is clearer.
Avoid the gossipers, backstabbers and the offended!
Unfortunately, some teachers still act like children, something that is probably also in every workforce. My tip is to be kind to all, friendly to all, and even spend time with those colleagues you enjoy to be around. However, unless you have become close friends, avoid giving too much detail about your life, or your thoughts. There are people out there that will smile to your face and then be the first to go straight to the principal, telling them the story of how you got kicked out of a night club for being too drunk on your 21st birthday. Or more likely, your opinion on the last staff meeting!
Leave a To-Do list on your desk!
There are so many things going on within a school on top of all the lesson creation, individual learning plans, reading assessments, and student extra-curricular commitments that arise right at the time they needed to finish their assignment. Trying to remember everything will leave your brain fried (possibly deep-fried) which will ultimately affect your ability to teach. That is why I leave a note-pad on my desk, where I can see it, with a list of to-do’s, so that I can prioritise what I do and when I do it. From here, I only need to remember one thing, to look at my list! I no longer have hundreds of things I need to remember, I only have one!
Detach your emotions!
This is much easier said than done – I know! Us teachers are a passionate bunch. We go home to deal with our issues, then only to be at work and help our students with theirs. No wonder the statistics put teaching high-up on the anxiety/depression list. It is a lot for any human to handle. I hate to say it, however, sometimes we need to be a drone, emotionless, going through the written process of dealing with a students problem. Please, take what is written in this section with a grain of salt, as I know opinions may be divided. Using a mental technique known as disassociation can help you with this. For me to be able to teach this, stems beyond this article, but I can give you an understanding of what it means. Your aim is not to feel what they feel, but to understand what they feel. Suppress your bodies reaction (emotion) from the event and use understanding to feel, then logic to solve. You may even want to imagine yourself as a drone, an emotionless being that responds to stimuli. For more in-depth information, there are plenty of web sources regarding disassociation and NLP.
Feel free to comment on any ideas you have or techniques you use to de-stress, and please share; you may reach someone in need.
Read here and provide your perspective on the current University system.
Much love,
Educationalist
