Boundaries. We all know we need them, in our personal lives and in our classrooms, but are we actually implementing them? If you are like most teachers, you’d do anything for your students, and you probably do more than you should on a regular basis. We may think we’re doing our students a favor, but overworking ourselves on unnecessary tasks is a direct path to burnout. It’s time we recheck ourselves and figure out what tasks we can give back to students. This not only empowers them to solve their own problems, as well as taking care of themselves and others, but alleviates some of the load teachers carry so we can do important things like, you know, teach! We also know that some age groups, students with special needs, and other exceptions come up. Keep helping those kids with the tasks they need. But for the others, they may be relying too much on you. Check out these 10 tasks you may not even know you are doing for students, that they can do themselves.

1. Coats, gloves, and shoes, oh my!

Anyone who has their own small child at home knows what a task it can be to get them ready to go outside. There are shoes, gloves, hats, socks, coats, and more. Multiply that by 25 kids, and you will spend until your lunch break just dressing kids.

2. Sharpening their pencils

If they don’t like sharpening them, everyone’s second choice should be mechanical pencils, not asking you to do a task that even a preschooler can complete.

3. Doubling as the school nurse

While you may be tempted to check a student’s bruise, cut, headache, bellyache, and other bumps and lumps, it’s not your job. Instead, if it’s more than handing out a Band-Aid, send them to the nurse. Let’s stay in our lanes.

4. Cooking, heating, and cutting food

With more students staying put in one classroom through the pandemic, you may find yourself eating with your students. That doesn’t mean they should be handing you their pasta to warm up for them. If you do have a microwave you allow kids to use, show them the buttons once and let them have at it! (Maybe review that no foil in the microwave suggestion though!)

5. Finding the owner of “no-name” papers

If you are still listing off students who didn’t turn in an assignment or trying to match the no-name papers with their owners, it’s time to stop. Throw them in a no-name drawer or pin them to a board and watch the kids go. If they want the points, they will find their assignments.

6. Cleaning up project supplies

Make enough time at the end of the project to give students their own clean-up time and process. Nobody should be leaving unless it’s clean, and that doesn’t mean you are the maid who needs to do it.

8. Chasing down missing work

If a student is missing an assignment, it’s their job to figure it out and turn it in. Whatever grading system you use will clearly communicate this to them. If you find yourself verbally reminding them, especially more than once, it’s time to give the choice back to them.

7. Acting as a human spellchecker

Sure, kids may act like they don’t know what a dictionary is (totally valid, it’s 2021) but they sure do know how to Google, ask their devices, or check with the classroom Alexa.

9. Carrying their stuff

You are not a pack mule, and you do not need to carry backpacks or other supplies for students. This is a great chance for them to learn to ask each other for help to work as a team.

10. Providing answers to questions they can find themselves

Just like you aren’t a human spellcheck, you also aren’t Google. If you answer each question for them, they won’t rely on each other for collaboration, and they sure won’t become the expert researchers you hope they will become by college and life beyond.

Any of these sounds familiar? Shake off that I’m-the-teacher guilt, and return the responsibility of basic, everyday tasks to your students!

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/tasks-teachers-need-to-ditch?fbclid=IwAR1xg5VZ6HBPDg68C6QbMW1l-7Bze3eCesxd10Jt0kzdNv17tgyo6FCTqZ4

1. Find a friend at school.

Perhaps the most helpful thing you can do is make a friend at your school site. Someone who “gets it” and understands that this is not just normal stress you are dealing with here. Someone you can text at any time to help you through a difficult moment or an oncoming panic attack. You want someone who will not only listen to you when you’re having a bad day but someone who can also step in your room to watch your students if you need to take five.

2. Explore available resources.

Check with your union leadership about resources that might be available through your city or county health services. For example, Los Angeles County offers free mental health services to educators. It is likely that similar services are available in your area.

3. Get professional help.

Start with an honest conversation with your primary care physician. They can refer you to a therapist or, if necessary, prescribe medication. Your PCP can be your greatest help in managing your anxiety.

4. Read some good books.

There are some great books out there that can help you manage your anxiety. A few that I would recommend are The Relaxation Response and Mind over Mood. Both offer very practical strategies.

5. Be ready for a bad day.

Depending on the severity of your anxiety, chances are you may find yourself in the middle of an anxiety attack during the school day. Or if not a full-blown attack, you are likely to have a bad day every now and then. Have a set of emergency lesson plans for those days when you’re having a bad day, lesson plans for group work or individual seatwork that students can do without you. Essentially, be your own sub for the day. This keeps your students engaged and learning, but gives you a break from being “on” all day without having to take a sick day.

6. Take care of yourself.

Your body can be a delicate ecosystem and the slightest disruptions to eating, sleeping, or exercise patterns can spell trouble. There is a ton of research that shows the importance of good sleep hygiene, proper diet, and exercise when it comes to your mental health. I know it’s difficult to do these things as a teacher; teaching is a stressful job that can keep us up late at night. But do your best to maintain healthy habits.

7. Use your sick days when you need to.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. You would call in sick or leave early if you had a bad cold or the flu, so don’t be hesitant to take a “mental health” day (or two) if you need to. And there is no need to feel bad or feel the need to apologize for doing so. You cannot give your best to your students if you are not in good health, physically or mentally.

8. How to handle an anxiety/panic attack at school.

An anxiety attack or panic attack can happen at any time. The first, and most important thing is to recognize what is happening to you. You are having a panic or anxiety attack. Next, practice your mindfulness techniques. Take slow, deep breaths (there are a number of apps to help with this). Sit down and close your eyes for a moment, or focus your gaze on an object in the room (give students a seatwork assignment or a topic to discuss in groups while you do this). If necessary, text or call your buddy to cover your class for a few minutes so you can take a short walk or go to the restroom to splash cold water on your face.

Teaching with anxiety can be difficult, but with the right supports in place, it is definitely manageable. 

Also, keep in mind that many of our students struggle with stress and anxiety. Whether it is due to external stressors in their lives or an actual diagnosable disorder, our students are dealing with a lot of mental health issues. Our own struggles can be a source of empathy and understanding. 

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/teaching-with-anxiety-is-hard-8-tips-to-help-you-cope?fbclid=IwAR1duOshYJcdKqXp1Hep7vNZrzy91i2OypeE1VMeMZWMNUk0vsBIUloKPcQ

1. Meetings that could have easily been an email -10%

At least half of all meetings could probably have been a short email. The other half could be kept to under half an hour. Instead, we sit through hours of Mrs. Jones voicing her concerns and asking questions that don’t apply to anyone else.

2. Piles of paperwork- 7%

There are attendance rosters, and weekly attendance verification sheets, and parent contact logs, and behavior reports, and IEP surveys and progress reports, and grade verification forms, and weekly grade checks for athletes. And if we counted how much time we spend “off the clock” completing these administrative tasks, then the percentage would probably be closer to 10%.

3. Reading and answering emails – 3%

(And deleting emails from people who clicked “reply all” instead of “reply.” Seriously, ya’ll. Stop it.)

There are emails from colleagues, administrators, parents, and students; all of which require a response within 24 hours. We’d be happy to bump up that percentage in order to skip some unnecessary meetings.

4. Lesson Planning – 15%

Next to actually delivering our lessons and interacting with students and watching them have their own “aha” moments, lesson planning is probably one of our favorite parts of teaching. It’s when we get to create and plan and research and learn new things ourselves. Yes, this is an enjoyable and even rewarding experience, but there is only so much that can be done during our prep periods. Most of the time we spend creating those wonderful lessons is “off the clock” time that we could be enjoying with our family or friends or by ourselves with a good book.

5. Preparing for, proctoring, and analyzing the results of standardized tests – 15%

We have state testing in the spring, which eats up a week or two of classroom time. But we also have quarterly benchmark assessments mandated by the district to track progress. And then there are common assessments that we give as grade-level teachers. So not only do we take up precious instructional time giving our students all these assessments, but we also have to use our own time to analyze the data and create targeted lessons to help fill in gaps in students’ learning.

6. Grading – 10%

Grading is like the mythical Hydra; when you have finished grading one assignment, two more appear in its place. 

7. All the other little things… fire drills, PA announcements, troubleshooting technology, covering a colleague’s class, assemblies, pep rallies, and phone calls from the office – 10%

It’s no small miracle that we can get anything meaningful accomplished during the school day with all these other interruptions.

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/i-became-a-teacher-for-the-kids-but-all-the-extras-stop-me-from-actually-teaching?fbclid=IwAR1V23FrdYul-15fIOYDBkh6X0x4l9lrbfhWdOoLmAKPzoUO-OJjKz_JofE