A friend of mine (who I’ll leave anonymous, at her request) struggled with the challenges of teaching and personal life. Teaching was her passion, but its demands soon overshadowed her personal needs. Last year, she was assigned a particularly large class whose requirements consumed too many evenings and weekends, leaving insufficient time for her kids and husband. She found herself skipping family events in favor of school, taking phone calls during family get-togethers, and staying at school late rather than be home for children homework and bedtime. The guilt began to weigh heavily and the stress affected her health, giving her sleepless nights, anxiety, and temper flare-ups she’d never experienced before. She knew there had to be a better way to give 100% to students while respecting her own needs.
As we approach a new school year, the Ask a Tech Teacher team has some basic ideas to get you started on balancing what arguably for many are the two most important parts of their life:
Tips for Teachers to Balance the Demands of School Events and Their Personal Lives
Achieving the perfect work-life balance for teachers through the term can be tricky since there are several school events to keep up with. School events can be demanding, and this is one of the reasons a teacher can use a report writing service to be able to complete reports on time or have time for other personal engagements. Finding ways to discharge your professional responsibilities without compromising your personal life is essential. So, let’s take a look at some ways teachers can balance the demands of school events and their personal lives.
Learn to Say No
School can be demanding of your time, as school events usually run throughout the term. Schools often have a wide range of events organized for the term that require teachers to participate. Therefore, you can limit the number of commitments to ensure you get some time to unwind. If an event collides with your free time, you can opt out and let others take charge. For example, you can abstain from taking up events that land on weekends. It is okay not to add responsibilities that might overload your schedule and minimize your free time.
Conduct Regular Reflection
Taking some time for introspection helps you analyze your strategies and schedules. You can use this time to make the necessary adjustments that will help you find the right balance. Reflecting on how you have been going about the school activities will promote self-awareness, and it will be much easier to note if you have been overstretching. Without introspection, one may find themselves working long hours unconsciously. Thus, despite the busy school schedule, stop and think about your schedules and whether they are favorable to you.
Involve Your Family
A busy school schedule can take you away from your family unknowingly; therefore, you need to find ways to bond with your family without neglecting your responsibilities. You can quickly turn work even into family time. For example, if you have children, you can tag them along to the school’s fun days and have family time as you discharge your duties. Additionally, you need to communicate openly about your schedule with your family. They might help you handle some responsibilities at home that might free up your busy schedule.
Utilize Technology
You can use several applications to achieve organization and keep track of your schedules so that you don’t find yourself overworking. Additionally, utilize various tech tools to make your duties lighter and more accessible up time for your personal life. For example, you can use lesson-planning applications and automate some administrative tasks. Using these tools makes your work easier and can help you get more time to unwind and attend to other responsibilities that are not teaching-related.
Ask for Help
Colleague collaboration plays a crucial role in helping lessen the burden of responsibilities. Therefore, you need to communicate with colleagues and agree on how to split different responsibilities. For example, you can take charge of event organization while another person manages the event management. It means that after performing your roles, you will be free to attend to other aspects of your life. Splitting responsibilities also guarantees precision, which means you will deliver quality services since you are not under pressure. Taking up all the roles in different events can lead to burnout, which lowers your productivity even in class. So, if you feel overwhelmed, ask for assistance.
Manage Your Expectations
Sometimes, we set the bar too high for ourselves, and while we may intend to reach the heights we have set for ourselves, it will not always be possible. You need to understand that you cannot do everything perfectly, and thus, you must set realistic goals. High expectations for specific outcomes often lead to stress, which can be counterproductive. Thus, set realistic goals for every event you plan to ensure you do not use all your time to make it work.
Prioritize Self-Care
Regardless of how busy your schedule is, learn to take breaks. You do not have to wait for the weekend to relax; you can take short breaks within the day to help you recharge and maintain productivity. Also, find various self-care activities to help you unwind, especially after a busy day. For example, you can go to the gym or jog after a long day at school. Moreover, take time from your busy day to practice meditation or mindfulness. Meditating is a form of introspection that helps you relax and live in the moment, which promotes self-awareness. Most importantly, your schedule should not interfere with your sleeping hours. Not getting enough sleep will leave you tired and less productive.
Manage Time Well
Proper time management will help you get some free time for your personal life. The best way to manage your time is by planning, as it gives you an outlook of what to expect during the week or month, and you can find ways to free up your schedule or fit in some time to relax. Use a digital calendar or plan to schedule school events ahead of time. Knowing upcoming events helps you plan properly. For example, if you anticipate a busy week, you can decide to go for a movie or plan time for your family during your less busy week. Also, you can handle tasks in batches by grouping similar tasks to help free up some time in your schedule.
Final Thoughts
Achieving the perfect work-life balance can be difficult for teachers during the term, especially with a demanding school calendar of events. However, you can work around it in several ways to create space for your personal life. Specifically, learn to say no, manage your time well, manage your expectations, utilize technology, conduct personal reflection, involve your family, and ask for assistance when you feel overwhelmed.
Taking time out of school helps you recharge and become more productive with your professional responsibilities. It is easy to slip into burnout and depression without knowing; thus, you need to be more aware of your schedule to ensure you are not overstretching yourself.
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“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
