The Present Teacher

First Year Teacher Website

Categories: Teacher Self-Care

The Number 1 Thing Causing You Teacher Burnout

Teacher Burnout can seem nearly impossible to avoid, especially these days. 

In fact, did you know that according to a study done by the Middle-Class Dad, 41.3% of teachers new teachers leave the profession within the first five years?

If I am completely honest, this was me as well my first couple of years teaching. 

I felt overwhelmed, frazzled, and like the passion I once had for teaching was gone.

If this sounds like you, then I want you to know you aren’t alone.

Today we are going to cover:

  • What is Teacher Burnout?
  • Why is Avoiding Teacher Burnout Important?
  • The #1 Reason Why You Are Continuing to Burnout
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Categories: Teacher Self-Care

The Ultimate Guide of Self-Care For Teachers

“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”

-Katie Reed

Self-Care for teachers is so important but can be nearly impossible to be consistent with. 

You feel like you are exhausted and tired of staying late. You promise yourself you are going to do something for self-care today because it’s important. 

But by the end of the day, you are exhausted, stressed, and drained and the last thing you can think of is going to the gym or reading that book.

That’s exactly how I felt in my 1st year of teaching. 

It felt like no matter how late I worked, I was always behind. I didn’t feel like the teacher I was meant to be and if I am being honest, I felt like I was letting my students down.

If this sounds like you, I want to let you know that you are not alone. 

Did you know that according to Now Waiting For Superman 65% of teachers claim they are burnt out? 

And you see that’s where self-care comes in. Today we are going to talk about:

  • What is Self-Care For Teachers?
  • Why is Self-Care Important For Teachers?
  • Top Self-Care Strategies for Teachers That Take 5 Minutes or Less

That way no matter how busy you are, you still have time to prioritize yourself. So grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up and let’s get to it!

(Also don’t forget to download the Ultimate Guide of Self-Care Ideas for Teachers that comes with this post. It is completely free and it’s perfect for that busy teacher who just can’t find time for themselves.)

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Categories: Teacher Self-Care

How to Leave Work on Time as a Teacher

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” -Anne Lammot

Teaching has always been one of those professions where the to-do list never ends.

This is especially true while teaching during a Pandemic.

  • You are working a couple of hours earlier and stopping a couple of hours later.
  • You’re working during the weekends.
  • You are getting little to no sleep.
  • It feels hard to set boundaries.

The reality is you keep giving because you care about your students, but the fact is you have nothing else to give.

This is because you are pouring from an empty cup.

And let me tell you:

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

-Teaching Dunn Simply

That’s why I want to share with you “How to Leave Work on Time as a Teacher.” Let’s work on getting you out of the door or shutting off your computer at a decent time.

But first, I want to show you WHY this is so important.

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Categories: New Teachers, Teacher Self-Care

How to Set Boundaries as a Teacher in a Virtual Classroom

“Setting Boundaries as a teacher does not make you selfish. It gives you the balance to be the best teacher you can be.” -The Present Teacher

It wasn’t that long ago when I struggled with this. When I first became a teacher, I was so worried about putting myself first. The idea seemed selfish.

Instead, I would try to help as many people as I could. And when that wasn’t enough I would try harder. I would get frustrated at myself for feeling burnt out because I expected more from myself. 

But what I didn’t realize was that I was trying to fill cups when mine was empty. Instead of refilling my cup so I could help more people, I would try to help others when I had no more water (or help) to give.

That’s when I decided to go to counseling. Yep, I said it. I’m not terrified of the “stigma” around mental health anymore. 

And after I went and worked on myself for a couple of months I realized that because I was trying to help from an empty cup, I was being a ‘bad’ helper.

You see, instead of helping and showing up for my students as I should have, I was tired of helping others and I wasn’t being very Present. 

When you help others with an empty cup, you’re not helping at all. You may have the best intentions, but how can you help others when you have nothing else to give?

Through this process, I learned to Set Boundaries. I realized just how important Boundaries truly are. And the more I worked on it, the more water I had in my cup to give and serve others.

Especially during Distance Learning and teaching virtually. I feel like teachers are expected to give more now than ever. That’s why Boundaries are so important.

So in this post, I want to break the Stigma around Teacher Mental Health and talk about the hard questions. Today we are going to cover:

  • What are Boundaries?
  • Why are Boundaries Important for Teachers? (Especially for Distance Learning)
  • Good Examples of Boundaries For Teachers (Especially in a Virtual Classroom)
  • And How to Set Boundaries in a Respectful Way WITHOUT Being Selfish.

I am super excited, so let’s go ahead and get started!

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Categories: Distance Learning, New Teachers

Distance Learning As A New Teacher

Distance Learning can be hard, especially as a New Teacher. I still remember the day I found out we were going to start the year Distance Learning: 

I was scared.

Back then, I was scared that I was going to fail. That my students would learn nothing. Or that I would not be enough. I feared Failure. Eventually, I realized something that made me change my mind. And it gave me the drive to do better.

We are all scared.

I started to think of the Veteran teachers who had been teaching for years. And how they were now terrified because they didn’t know about Google Drive. 

I also thought about those New Teachers who came into this year with high hopes of their first year. Only to find out that what they had learned in College would not apply this year.

So I prepared.

I stayed up late and made as many resources as I could that would help other teachers. And I researched ClassDojo and came up with ways to use it for Distance Learning. After that, I set up a training for my school to better prepare them for the months to come.

That was 4 weeks ago. 

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