Mastering the Balancing Act

As a teacher, I feel that finding balance is truly one of the most difficult part of our job.  If you are anything like me, teaching is not just your job, but is your passion.  As cliche as that sounds, for those of us who find that true- it is SO true! Teaching is something that is not just Monday through Friday, 8:00 till 3:00,  August through May. It is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year type of commitment.  It can be life-consuming, if you let it.

I am still, in my own mind, a new teacher.  I have two years under my belt; in those two years, I have learned more than I can imagine.  With that being said, I realize I still have an expansive amount of knowledge left to gain.  As a new teacher, balance is even harder to find for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, you haven't fully learned who you are as a teacher yet, making every decision that much more difficult. You are making decisions that will impact these kids forever... no pressure at all, huh?  You are also trying to maintain your old life while being on top of things with your new job.  Not only are you a teacher, but you are a daughter to son, sister or brother, significant other, and a friend.   Talk about overwhelming!

You are also feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders.  While Pinterest, blogs, and Instagram are absolutely fantastic, they create huge (and sometimes unrealistic) expectations for future teachers.  Who doesn't want the perfect room with everything organized to a T and color coordinated everything?! I know I still do, but as a new teacher, it is just impossible.

Add all of those factors together and you've got a recipe for what very well could be a disaster.  What is a new teacher (actually, any teacher) supposed to do to find balance? Here are the nuggets of wisdom I have either been given or discovered for myself.

Above all else, keep your family, friends, and faith first. 

As I began my first year of teaching, I let so many relationships slide.  I began to think that my job was number one and while it was important, letting my relationships with my family, friends, and God suffer did not make me a better teacher.  In fact, my teaching suffered because of it! Luckily, I gained some wonderful teacher friends who helped me discover this balance.  I will tell you this, it is not easy to balance this.  There will be sometimes when things will have to take a backseat to work, but those instances should not make up the majority.  Rely on these three foundational aspects of your life and I promise your students will benefit in the long run.

Take time to exercise!

I know that as you read that one, you laughed.  The last thing you want to do after a long day of teaching is workout.  Please trust me when I say that you will never regret it.  Even if it is a 15 minute walk with you dog or children, it will relieve so much stress.  I have grown to love quick programs from Beachbody like T25, Insanity Max: 30, and 21 Day Fix.  If you can swing it, work out in the morning before you go to school.  You will have so much more energy and will not have to worry with it after school.  If that isn't an option, treat it like an appointment you have as soon as you get home.  Getting out some of the energy and stress will be so worth the time you invest.

Eat as clean as you can and on a consistent basis.

 Before you sigh and get frustrated, I am not saying you can't enjoy ice cream, pizza, fast food, or cupcakes.  I am saying, however, that you need to enjoy those things in moderation.  If your food is clean, your body will have the fuel it needs.  Following on the coattails of this, make sure you eat consistently! It will be so tempting, especially as you are getting your feet under you, to skip lunch to do work or get ahead. Don't do this, at all costs.  There is nothing worse than a hangry teacher!  Keep your foods simple, balanced, and clean.

Keep it simple, sweetie!

Don't try to overdo it this year.  You'll want to do all the cutesy things on Pinterest and to buy all sorts of things for your classroom.  Keep it simple. Pick a few cutesy things to do and then put your focus on the huge things that will make or break your year.  What are those things, you ask?

In my opinion, they are (in this order): classroom management, communication (between parents and students), and using effective, research-based strategies.  With hindsight being 20/20, I wish I would have spent more time focusing on those 3 things than all the other hullabaloo that I actually focused on.  The way you approach those things will be effected by your school, which brings me to your last point.

 

Lean on those around you and do NOT be afraid to ask for help. 

I look back on my first two years of teaching and one thing stands true: asking for help from my teams and learning from them were pivotal to my survival.  Veteran teachers know what they are doing and are (usually) more than happy to help.  Don't be afraid to go outside of your team and ask for help.  There were so many wonderful teachers in my building who I did not get to know till my second year because I didn't step out of my 4th grade box! Ask for help from anyone and everyone and use their advice to make you a better teacher.

 

Hopefully this helps someone out as the stress of back to school is coming.  I would love to hear what tips you have from your experience on achieving that so heavily desired feeling of balance!