Author: AdminEllen

Helping teachers and people find reasons to be grateful in the darkest of times.

Most people look forward to the weekend. TGIF is a phrase that can be heard in almost every office, every school, and every classroom worldwide. I mean…who doesn’t love the weekend? I know I certainly do…

However, in my own school lately, I have noticed that the TGIF feeling is more than usual. The teachers are not just tired…they are beaten down. Listen teaching is tough, we all know that! Whether it be an urban, suburban, or rural school- public, private, or charter, there are many challenges teachers face.

Feeling defeated and beaten down is definitely not the type of emotions one wishes to see in themselves or others. Especially not in teachers whose sole mission is to teach and engage students. So, how do we fix this?

How do we fix teacher burnout and these feelings of defeat? When is TGIF indicative of something far greater than just excitement for the weekend?

All jobs have stress, that’s a given. However, everyday stress and burnout are two totally different things. Burnout is far more damaging and takes more than a mere Saturday and Sunday to fix. When a teacher feels beaten down, it is crucial to not only take notice, but to do what one can to “fix ” the environment responsible for these feelings. If this negativity has taken such significant toll on the teachers in five short days, what is it doing to our children.

Psychology Today describes burnout as “a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.” 

Those are some powerful adjectives. There is not one on the list I would wish on my worst enemy. However, this is a common “ailment” of teachers worldwide. It is crucial we determine the why and begin the how …how to fix this, how to ensure our teachers do not experience negativity to this magnitude, how to help teachers recharge and be and feel their best.

In any job feelings like this should be acknowledged, recognized,and treated.

So, what do we do? Self care is so important, perhaps the most important thing anyone can do for themselves. For teachers, this is crucial. In order to be effective and function at their best, we have to make sure our teachers feel their best.

First of all, it is important to know what the signs are- so we can recognize it and help as much as possible. How about some professional development on topics such as this? Topics so real, topics that truly could provide our teachers with the advocacy and assistance they desire and deserve!

Here are some signs to look out for in yourself and others.

• Fatigue and sleep issues.
• Appetite and weight issues.
• Depression and anxiety.

The article below is well worth reading.

Teacher Burnout: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention. (n.d.). Hey Teach!. https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/teacher-burnout-causes-symptoms-and-prevention1711.html

So it’s only day four of online school The stress and anxiety are already in full effect . Everyone is feeling it in ways we can make this time as productive as possible.

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· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The recent events surrounding Covid19 have simply left my head spinning. In what feels like a minute- the Corona Virus became a pandemic, shut down entire nations (Poor Italy), and shut down American Schools.

This is unlike anything I have seen or witnessed before as I am sure most agree. We are now using words like Social Distancing and Remote Learning as if they were common terms.

The amount of stress on a teacher during the regular school year is a lot. Now, teachers are expected to perform all of their magic via Google Classroom on moment’s notice????

I spoke to many teachers tonight from all over New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Some districts are off for two weeks, some until April 20th, and Mayor DeBlasio of New York- today said there was a chance that he may have to cancel the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. Cancel the school year???? What is going on?

It is the mission of TEACH TLC to help teachers find resources and do what we can to make your life the best that it can be- to do all the things for you that you do for your students each and every day.

Tomorrow morning schools all over the nation are going “remote” with little or no training for teachers or students. Though many of us wonder why there was no Plan B- why no one had addressed this sooner- we are here and we need to deal with it the best we can. The silver lining in this mess is that at least we are all in the same boat- trying to build the plane while in flight! We are going to make mistakes- and as we tell our students, that is okay. We will learn from our mistakes and we will be better for them. This is truly going to change education as we know it. Perhaps the value of a teacher in the classroom will finally be recognized.

Over the next two weeks that most of you are off… you are probably going to be busier than ever before. No matter what take care of yourself! It is crucial that you remember to breathe, relax, and to try to do things that make you feel good- things that “fill your tank”. Running on empty helps no one.

I am sure many of you have children or spouses, or parents, or even pets that really need you. Do not let the crazy lesson plans, uploading to Google, and whatever else has been thrown at you- destroy you. We WILL get through this- it WILL be okay. I know it is going to be a rough and probably scary time over the coming weeks- it will be for everyone. However, now more than ever, it is so important to find healthy outlets for stress, ways to relax, and to nurture your inner self.

Do not isolate yourself. Reach out to friends, family, colleagues. Workout, even in your living room. Play board games, watch movies, clean out the closet, take a bath. Do something to alleviate your stress.

I have attached an article I read and thought was helpful. I hope you enjoy.

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13876619/self-care-tips-to-get-you-through-the-new-coronavirus-normal

As we navigate this unchartered territory, there will be anxiety. Stress may seem inevitable. Now that you know that, you can deal with it. Take a breath- you are not perfect nor can you master something that is new to the entire world. Just as we tell our students- do your best, for that is all anyone can do after all.

Education is my passion. I love learning, I love teaching, I love my student, and value teachers more than I can express. I wish all the best and will post any and all resources I find and we will help in anyway that we can!

Stay healthy and good luck on your first day of :remote school”!

If there is anything we can do- please do not hesitate to reach out to us at :

ehealy@teachtlc.org.

A surprise two weeks off under any other circumstances would have brought so much joy to teachers and students everywhere…

Times have changed, not only in education… but in the world as we know it!

Yesterday, we got the word, that we, along with schools, businesses, cities, and towns all over the world, that we are closing our school for two weeks due to the Corona Virus. Teachers were given instructions to turn the careers they know and love- a career that prides itself with interaction, into one that is quite impersonal and exclusively online.

I sat with the other supervisor yesterday as we attempted to figure out how to assist our teachers in creating lessons that were both stimulating and rigorous, thorough, and engaging, all on a platform that until now- has been an accessory that simply accompanied teaching.

In a few short weeks so much has changed.

Yesterday’s 5 minute podcast was devoted to reasons to be grateful in this otherwise dark time. I felt the need to remind people that there truly is so much we can learn from and be grateful for during this crazy time.

Though the circumstances are far from ideal, this experience will most certainly change the face of teaching forever. I can see a new hybrid type learning environment being born. Gone will be the conventional days of teachers teaching and students sitting in a class absorbing all that they can from the words that are spoken and the lessons delivered. Now, I imagine, we will share space with a computer- that will deliver videos, allow the children to “virtually” go anywhere and do things a mere teacher simply could not.

However, there are some things that teachers do that not even COVD-19 can change.

We, as educators, at all levels, are still the ones who give the hugs, wipe the tears, encourage them to try, laugh at their jokes, know their families, listen to their stories, help them with their daily battles and drama, and too much more to list in a simple blog.

The job of a teacher is far more valuable and more significant than most even consider. It is not only our students that will feel the tremendous loss by this surprise time out of school, but also those of us who enter the building each day.

It is my belief that though this time will be difficult, it will make us grow as educators. I have been in touch with, received help from, and joined forces with more educators and more educational programs and agencies in the past week than ever before. That has been the small gift…the reason for gratitude in this otherwise dark time.

I have seen first hand teachers working together and dedicating themselves to maintain the environment (the home) they have created for their students- by attempting to put all of that hard work and love onto an online program. It always amazes me how resilient we educators are and how able we are to accommodate anything thrown our way.

Yes, this is a truly difficult time and yes, things are changing. Please remember to take care of yourself. Teachers are needed now more than ever to provide what they always do…love, nurture, and feelings of safety and security. With all that in mind- I want teachers to remember to do all of those things for themselves as well!

Take care of yourself, relax, recharge, ask for help when you need it. Do not go through this crazy time alone. There are so many groups offering so many services from education to self help. Please utilize all that you need to in order to care for yourself. Check in on each other, help each other, and know that despite it all… we will over come this and as always, be stronger for it.

As you console your students and perhaps your own children who, if anything like mine, are scared and angry that they are losing sports, and dances, and the second “home” they have come to love (and hate), and love.

We are all in this together. We have to figure it out as we go…This is an unprecedented time and the world seems very different. Remember, it is not. No matter what we face, how difficult it may be, we are human beings. We need love, to feel safe, and to take care of each other.

Each day take the time to be grateful for all that we will learn, how much we will grow, and how important the work we do is to so many of our students, colleagues, and communities. Take care of yourselves these two weeks.

Often when we lack classroom management – teachers teach THROUGH children rather than to them.

Throughout my teaching career and in my time spent as an administrator, I have been blessed to meet so many wonderful people. People who shared my desire to be the change we wished to see in this world and to do so through education.

As a single mother, I was determined to better the lives of all who crossed my path. I know that many times I struggled. As a single mother, struggling with money, commuting an hour, and dealing with personal issues, it was not always easy. It was my job, my duty, and my honor to help my students succeed and to make sure they had every opportunity for success. Unfortunately, my own self care was not a priority. My story is not unique.

I have met teachers who are single parents, widowed, dealing with domestic violence, family with opioid issues, financial concerns, homes that went on fire, flooded, or even worse…colleagues that were evicted or lost their homes. I have lost many colleagues who have unexpectedly passed in accidents or suffered from terminal illness.

Most teachers I know, work two jobs and have many struggles. And yet these same people come into work every morning with a smile on their face, planning fun projects for their students often bringing food and supplies (paid for with their own money) – doing all that they can to make the lives of their students better.

One can go on Google and find a million sites devoted to teacher resources, lesson ideas, and even sweepstakes that offer to redesign their classroom. There are a plethora of grants that will financially support any and all classroom wishes teachers may desire. In fact, I actually won one of those model classroom grants! I had the coolest classroom ever- furnished with $10,000 worth of stand up and write on desks- and every other tech accessory a 14 year old could want.

Whether it be spending money out of their own pocket, infinite hours outside of the classroom bettering their lessons and their craft, grading papers on a soccer field… teachers work harder than most could even imagine.

There is not an educator around that has not heard the phrase “No Child Left Behind”. As educators, we spend so much time on the social and emotional growth of our students. But what about the teachers?

What about the teacher going through chemo and coming to work? Or the teacher whose spouse was laid off and is struggling financially? What about the teacher whose car dies or loses their house? What about the teacher who has to take unpaid leave to take care of a dying parent? Or the fact that teachers (at least in NJ) don’t get disability. Never mind the fact that teachers have a summer off each year , because that summer without work, is without pay as well.

It is our goal that those who choose to be in a profession that serves to better our future- should at least have a place, or resources, or assistance when they need it. It is our goal that in the fight to ensure no child is left behind- that we can do all that we can to make sure no teacher is left behind either.

It is our mission to help as many teachers as we can, to find relief through self care, financial assistance, advocacy and support.

It is the goal of teachtlc.org to not only help teachers throughout the nation, but also throughout the world. Creating a network of teachers and resources- it is the vision of TEACH TLC to make sure our teachers are at least as well cared for as the students they serve each and every day!