Teaching and training can be a very difficult job. Lesson planning, grading, professional development, meeting with students, and faculty meetings are just some of the things you have to make sure your'e on top of, before you even start training! When you add in the teaching, all of these things can add up to a good deal of stress. Here are some ways to relieve stress so you can be great at what you do!

Prioritise

There are countless things that you need to be doing as a teacher. Unfortunately, your time is limited so you need to realise what your priorities are and focus on those first. It can be challenging when you are up against deadlines (like turning in grades) but you also need to finish your lesson plans for the next week and grade tests and meet with students. There will always be lots to do, so decide what is most important and start there. Don’t let the urgent crowd out the important!

Be Realistic

This is especially true in the beginning of a course or at the start of a course, school year, or term. It’s easy to get swept up into the excitement of it all and get in over your head. Be realistic as to what you can accomplish with the tools available to you. Don’t overextend yourself. Instead have realistic expectations of yourself, your students and your course.

Leave Work at Work

Don’t take work home! Stay at work as long as you need to in order to finish, then leave it and enjoy your time off. Taking tests home to grade only extends the time you spend working and cuts down on your break. It is important to rest and relax and that is difficult to do while mountains of work are waiting for you to do over the weekend.

Say No

You don’t have to volunteer for every committee, or agree to sit on every curriculum design team. Learning how to say no is vital to new teachers! Focus on your immediate job: being a teacher and providing excellent training. It’s hard enough already without adding additional responsibilities. Make sure you have the fundamentals covered before accepting additional responsibilities.

Get Some Exercise

One of the best ways to relieve stress of any kind is to exercise. Whether you talk a walk after school, ride a bike or go for a jog, you’ll feel better once you get moving. Not only will your body thank you, chances are you will be less worried or frustrated once you get your heart pounding and sweat some. Try it!

How Do You Deal With Stress?

Teachers, what are some other stress relievers that have worked for you? Send in your tips to info [at] getadministrate.com and we'll add them to our blog!