2.  Teachers have access to lead a healthy life

Teachers tied with managers, executives, officials, and non-teaching professionals on the Basic Access Index, which measures, "access to resources and services needed to lead a healthy life" including access to food, shelter, and a safe and satisfying place to live.

What does this say about teachers?  Many agree that teacher salaries don’t match the hours of work you put in, the years of training required. or the position of responsibility you hold in society,  but the data clearly shows that we have enough to be able to access those basic needs.

I know that in certain areas of the country such as San Diego, California,  teachers may not be able to afford to live where they teach.  The cost of living is out of sink, but in most areas, they are able to live comfortably and safely. 

Many teachers are married and have combined income.  Younger teachers often have roommates.  It is clear that the longer you are in education, the better off you are.  This is a benefit that we often take for granted.  We know from our salary schedules our future earnings and they always improve.

What we don’t see in this survey is that many teachers supplement their income with summer jobs, after school committees, or tutoring.   If you must supplement your income, it is best to look for what gives you the most pleasure, adventure, or reward while avoiding those things that add undue stress, boredom, or exhaustion.

That could be a blog of it’s own. 

Check back soon for Part 3 – Teachers tied in top for emotional health!

I have had  a vision of a tool to help teachers build balance  and into their daily lives and it has finally come true.  It is a culmination of the best tools I have been using with teachers to help them beat teacher stress and puts it all into one neat package. 

Check out the video I created below, and don’t hesitate to let me know what you think. Please feel free to share with all the teachers you know. 

The planner itself is on sale at http://wholeteacher.com/store.  Check it out!

The data collected between July 2008 and June 2009 found that teachers bumped out business owners by either scoring the highest, or tying for the top spot among all 12 job types in how they viewed their overall well-being. 

The areas included how they evaluated their lives, whether they felt they had access to resources needed to live a healthy life, emotional health, and their likelihood to engage in healthy behaviors.  As Lopez and Agrawal noted, the results shed light on a variety of benefits and drawbacks to the teaching profession. 

Let’s look at the first area below:

1.  Teachers view life with more optimism

This was determined by The Life Evaluation Index, which is based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale, where people were asked to rank their present and future lives on a scale of 0 – 10.  According to their scores, teachers were at the top of the list.

The Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale (Cantril, 1965) , developed by pioneering social researcher Dr. Hadley Cantril, consists of the following:

Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to 10 at the top.

The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you.

On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time? (ladder-present)

On which step do you think you will stand about five years from now? (ladder-future)

The results of the Gallup poll showed teachers to have higher rates of optimism.  I have been pondering this and have several thoughts on possibilities of where this comes from:

Teacher pay is usually based on a scale that increases with time of service and training  The amount they earn is usually increasing and 5 years can make a lot of difference.

As teachers we have a sense of renewal as each year progresses, giving us a great sense of hope for the possibilities.

Personal and professional growth and development are integral parts of a teachers life.  There are always new things to learn, new ways to do things, and chances for things to improve.

Our sense of purpose and desire to affect the lives of our students keeps us a bit "outside" of our selves.

What do you see as your reasons for optimism?  How would you rate where you are now and in 5 years?  Please comment below.

Well after the storm subsided the next day, I was able to get an x-ray and luckily it was only a sprained wrist.  This has meant that preparing for the holidays and sending out last minute college applications at schools has been a slow process.  I know the lesson for me was to let go of perfect and simplify. 

The other gift was in letting others help me.  My boys made me so proud, cooking dinners, hanging curtains, folding clothes, all the thins I would usually do myself so it was done right … but guess what … they did it better!  We had so much fun, and I think it made this Christmas a very special one!

The message for you:

May you keep it simple, let go of perfect, and let others help you!

Peace!

Here’s what they have to say about it:

"Full of succinct and practical ways to prepare our students for 21st-century success, this guide will educate and inspire
you to embrace the new-media frontier and embark on a new learning adventure. From “Breaking the Digital Ice” to
“Working Better, Together” each tip provides succinct and practical ways to turn your classroom into an environment
for learning with new media. And each tip includes a wealth of Web sites and additional resources to help you deliver
the relevant and meaningful education all students deserve."

Check it out here!

A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will's freedom after it.  ~Aldous Huxley

How true!  What you eat and when you eat it can have a tremendous effect on how you feel and how you are able to manage stress.  As teachers our time that we can eat is often dictated by our schedule, but that should not stop you from putting some very simple steps into place to maintain energy and patience throughout the school day.

Here are some simple tips you can put into place in order to eat healthier and feel better offered by friend and Registered Dietitian,  Nicole Cormier, RD, LDN:

1.  Have less than 12 grams of added sugar per day.

2. Drink more than 64 oz. of water per day.

3. Eat more than 5 full cups of vegetables and fruits per day.

4.  Eat a lean protein at most of your meals.

5.  Move at least 30 minutes per day.

6.  Keep a food journal.

7.  Portion out your proteins at least once a week.

For more information about these "Resolutions"  and some great workshops offered by Nicole please check out her site at www.deliciouslivingnutrition.com

There are many ways our students help us to keep our passion.  Their passion and perserveranceare often what keep us working on inspiring them to be excited about their learning.  The following website is an example of how they often do this with humor.

The answers to the questions on essays, tests, and quizes may not always be correct, but they are quite often humorous!

Check out http://www.adprima.com/humor.htm for some histerical student responses. 

I am sure many of you could add to the list. 

What’s your funniest student story or response? 

In  October’s Whole Teacher Tidbots I suggested you spend more time with people who lift your spirits.  One of the characteristics that is often associated  with burnout is negative talk.

We all know someone who is challenging to be around because they are constantly complaining about how bad things are.  Sometimes it feels as though they could suck the life out of the room.  There is a very fine line between venting and just out right complaining.

Complaining can become a bad habit and seems to breed more negativity, as we seek proof to validate how bad we says thing are.  Remember we spoke of 100% responsibility in the last blog?  Complainers play a very real part in creating their own reality.

Next time you’re met with a difficult or frustrating situation, instead of complaining, try putting on your "suit of armor".  Finding humor in a situation will quickly shift your energy, and often improve the outcome.  It will also attract others who are looking for the positive.

Be the change you are looking for!