Work-Life Balance
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5 tips for managing your burnout today
Have you ever experienced burnout? You most likely have. According to a 2021 survey, over 50 percent of respondents stated that they were experiencing burnout. Within that group, about 67 percent believed that their burnout has increased due to the pandemic. Reasons for this are a lack of work-life balance, the pressure to work longer hours and less flexibility in scheduling and taking paid time off (PTO). After some reflection, I realized that I have experienced burnout several times during my teaching career. However, the worst experience was during the first year of the pandemic. During the initial shutdown, I had a hard time creating a balance between work and…
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7 wellness tips for working from home
For the start of the school year, my school district is having most of its teachers and students working and learning virtually. Many of us are also continuing to work from home this fall. Although working from home has its advantages, it can be strenuous on the body physically and mentally. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy while working from home. 1. Take frequent breaks away from the screen. In between classes or after completing a task, I purposefully walk away from my computer and do something that avoids the use of my phone or television in order to give my eyes a break. If you cannot…
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A teacher’s thoughts about returning to the classroom during COVID-19
With the start of the school year rapidly approaching, there have been questions and concerns about how to approach instruction and the safety of in-person learning in schools. Our leaders, governors, health experts and parents have pushed for schools to reopen. Based on my social media and teacher blog posts, teachers have concerns and believe that their safety is in jeopardy. If restaurants and bars cannot safely operate indoor operations, how are schools safe? Based on my experience as an educator and the current circumstances, here are my thoughts.
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Creating a balance: working from home during COVID-19
When I left work on March 13, 2020, I did not know that would be my last day teaching my students in the classroom for 18 months. That weekend, our county executive ordered all schools closed for two weeks out of caution. Before the shut down, our administration already had us create Google classrooms and admit students just in case of this scenario. Fortunately, I had already uploaded most of the materials before I left that afternoon and felt ready. However, this was just the beginning. Let’s just say WFH was not fun for me… At first, the constant barrage of emails and notifications were understandable since we literally started…
