Teachers do an incredible job. Those of us with children are in awe of their ability to handle a class of 30 when sometimes getting just one child to put their shoes on feels like a major challenge. At Lime, we have been thinking about what teachers are facing heading into the new academic year and we wanted to say thank you and good luck!
Encouraging and inspiring young minds to learn and prepare for a lifetime of learning is no mean feat. Most of us are aware of just how hard teachers work. Yes, they may get a lovely long summer break, but boy do they earn it, with many of them working long hours lesson planning and marking. A 2019 report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found that job-related stress is higher among teachers than other professionals with one in five teachers (20 per cent) feeling tense about their job most or all of the time, compared to 13 per cent of similar professionals. And that’s before COVID-19 came along.
As the new academic year begins, teachers are facing challenges like never before. COVID-19 has meant many children have been away from school for up to six months. New procedures and restrictions to keep staff and pupils safe have to be implemented and navigated daily. Plus, anxiety levels from parents, staff and children are likely to be at an all-time high. All this while the usual stresses and strains of school daily life continue unabated.
Teachers need to be on top form, but that can be difficult when life is so busy. Of course, we all know that we should eat healthily, sleep properly and exercise regularly, but what else? We’ve put together a little list of quick and easy new daily habits that teachers (and anyone else) can use to help destress and stay fit and well this year:
Finally, if you don’t feel well for any reason, make sure you take time to rest and get better. If you have a concern about your health, whether it’s mental or physical, don’t wait for it to get worse! Make an appointment to see your GP so that you can get things sorted as quickly as possible and get back to being you.