Imagine you are running a marathon. 26.2 miles seems like mission impossible. Ask any marathoner and they’ll telll you all the secrets and tips for survival. Hydration, pacing, belief in yourself…
The school year is its own kind of marathon, and seasoned teachers know that the pace you set at the start needs to carry you to the finish. The same tips apply: hydration, pacing and belief in yourself… you can do it!
When you reach that last day of school for the year, you don’t want to collapse, you want to walk out of the building with your head held high, ready to decompress and prepare for the next marathon… I mean, school year.
Here are some end of the school year tips to keep you from falling apart before the finish line:
Keep with the Plan (Don’t Slack)
You’ve had a game plan all year. Whether it’s relying on past lesson plans in a pinch, or keeping a week or two ahead with your planning, make sure you keep up with it all. It’s easy to look ahead on the calendar and slowly start to take short cuts. These will come back to haunt you at the end of the school year!
Diet and Exercise
You battle all those treats in the faculty lounge all year, so don’t succumb now! Stick with your exercise routine and continue to eat as healthy as you can. Both of these habits give you the energy and positive attitude you need to make it to the end of the school year.
Don’t Put Off Anything
Like sticking to your methods and plans, make sure you are tying up all the loose ends as they come about. You don’t want to be the teacher who’s pushing off his/her vacation because he/she has to organize and file for next school year.
Stay Connected with your Coworkers
It’s easy to become bogged down with all the work we have on our desks and forget we are not in this alone. Make sure you take breaks (even if only for five minutes during lunch) to talk with your colleagues. Not only could you help save yourself, you’ll probably save someone else who’s going through end of the school year stress.
Reward Yourself
Hey, you motivate your students with incentives, why not do the same for yourself? You’re on the homestretch, so treat yourself right. Weather is warming up, so reward yourself with a frozen drink from Starbucks, or allow yourself to take a whole weekend day off from grading and planning. Making it through a whole year is tough! You deserve a few treats along the way.
What are some of your own tried and true end of school year tips? Share with us and all your fellow educators.