Inspiration and resources for balance before burnout
Posts Tagged ‘free teacher resources’
The Whole Teacher TV – What are Balance Reserves
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Whole Teacher TV
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Just shot first video to post on you tube for The Whole Teacher! What a leap! It was a bit challenging to put myself out there like this, but I truly believe in sharing my passion and helping as many teachers as possible keep theirs.
Just as our students have different learning styles, I recognize that so do we. The videos are another format that you can access for support and resources to help you to build balance before burnout.
Look for them to be posted soon here on my blog and check them out on YouTube. I have plans of weekly short bits that continue building on the subject matter of teacher wellness and working on helping "The Whole Teacher" "the whole you", so that you are better able to help your students and school.
Enjoy!
5 ways to build Balance Reserves into your daily life
Monday, January 11th, 2010
Free Technology Resources
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009Wanted to pass along a link to a great downloadable resource and it’s free. If your like me you are constantly looking for how to use technology to enhance your teaching. Most of our students are way ahead of us, but edutopia.org offers some great advice on how to use it more effectively.
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."
7 resolutions for healthier eating to manage teacher stress
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
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
Organizing Paperwork – Binders work!
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
Preparing for back to school means a fresh start with organizing the mountain of paperwork we know is inevitable. There are a variety of systems we can use to help tame the paperwork we are inundated with at school.
One system to explore is a binder system. Keep your three-hole punch close at hand and organize your paperwork into known categories. Binders are great for papers you will need to keep for a while, want on your finger tips, prefer to keep in chronological order, or keep by student or topic. A benefit of the binder system versus a regular file folder is this added protection, and consistent order. They also can bee easily stored and look better on your shelf or desk than a file overflowing with mix-matched papers.
So, what are some areas of paperwork that would be best organized with a binder system? Here are a few:
Student/Parent contact information and Log – Important phone numbers, etc together with contact log and pockets for notes. One cover sheet with one pocket per student in alphabetical order for easy access.
Classroom procedures or sample lessons for Substitutes
Homework binder – organize by subject if necessary, separate by date with post it or colored sheet. As homework is passed out to students a student helper could put an extra copy in this binder for future reference and absent students.
Subject notebooks – a safe place to keep resources for specific lessons or subjects to alleviate researching the topic the next year.
Office notices and protocol – Keep important papers from administration and meetings in chronological order for quick reference.
Professional Development – Paper work on completed courses with a section for your plan.
What else could go in a binder? Please comment below and share with others. Best of luck preparing for a successful new year!
7 Colleagues Part 2 – The Wise One
Monday, March 2nd, 2009Everyone needs their own Obi-wan Kenobi to guide them through no matter how many years of experience you have. The Wise One has seen the educational pendulum swing in many different directions and has endured. In many articles and lessons at The Whole Teacher we talk of the importance of not re-inventing the wheel … pardon the cliche … and what better way to find some strategies and lessons that work, than from some one who’s tried them?
Your Wise One can help by listening to you, offering suggestions, or just supporting you. In our guidance office we have 2 women who will be retiring at the end of this year. They have been amazing mentor’s for myself and the other 2 counselors who also started the same year. One thing I truly appreciate is that when things have gotten really tough and overwhelming and I feel like I can’t keep up, they often are feeling the same way and this validates the fact that sometimes the job is just tough and that I don’t need to be so self critical.
A mentor can help with learning the ropes of a specific subject or the social constructs of your school. In addition to receiving help from your wise one you may also be offering the new perspective of the Fresh Colleague. In a few days I’ll share about the importance of someone "fresher" than you.
Accounting helps stop teacher burnout
Friday, November 14th, 2008
If you count your assets you will always show a profit. – Robert Quillen
In these tumultuous economic times is is difficult not to be consumed by worry and a sense of lack. Is it important to realize that just our perception of scarcity can be debilitating to ourselves as individuals and to the economy regardless of the reality of our situation. If we buy into this sense that there is not enough and hold on to our belongings, our money, or our energy and attention, then the natural flow of energy is interrupted, causing even more problems. Just your perception of scarcity can cause a great deal of fear and stress, even if our reality does not match up to this "worst case scenario" media message. For teachers this can be especially dangerous as we feel the financial strain of the local community we work in. And this fear can’t help but be passed along to our students through our demeanor and actions.
How can we remain calm and cultivate a sense of peace in these challenging times? As the quote above suggests, count your blessings.
In accounting assets are the items that show the overall value of a business or organization. So what are your assets? Some may be liquid assets, such as money or possessions that could be sold. In gratitude terms, these are our belongings we are grateful for, and often how we measure how well we are doing. But a wise accountant knows you must also look at your intangible assets. According to Encarta these are the "long term assets that have no physical substance, but have value based on rights or privileges accruing to the owner." In order to see the true value you have built in your life, you need to take the time to identify and appreciate all of your assets.
So here are some actions steps from a girl who earned an "A" in an accounting class I took years ago when I had once been feeling the burnout of teaching:
- In the morning list 5 things (don’t forget intangibles) you’re grateful for. I put mine right into my planner to look at later on in the day when things might be tough. Go back to this list and you’ll see how it bring you back to your reality.
- Are you a visual learner? Create your own "Gratitude Collage". Cut out words, pictures and other clippings from magazines and print or doodle with markers and art supplies to map out all of your blessings. Do this with your family or your students. this is a great activity for children. They pick up on our fear – help them see the wealth in their lives!
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