By: Jovana Cupac

With school holidays commencing it is important for teachers to take some time to ‘switch off’ and enjoy their well-deserved break. With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in teachers going above and beyond the already strenuous demands of their workload, it can be hard to know when to switch off and even harder to know how to do so.

Several studies demonstrate why teachers need to take a break to restart and destress. For example, research shows that a two-week break during the middle of the year can help teachers to energise their emotion and psychological health (Teacher Magazine, 2016).

To prevent burnout, it is important for teachers to have regular time off to recover from the considerable demands of teaching. With the current circumstances we are facing in the world, teachers have been working so hard to ensure their students are still provided with the right resources to continue to grow and learn.

So how do we take a break and manage our priorities?

1. Reconnect with your purpose.
   This could involve taking some time out of the day to sit with your thoughts and remember why you became a teacher in the first place.
2. Create boundaries between home and school.
   Although our students are a priority in our lives, it is important to connect with other important aspects in your life. This could include connecting with family, pets and hobbies.
3. Investigate solutions that can help reduce workload and plan.
   Have you been spending countless hours pre-planning for children, marking tests after work hours, and trying to differentiate for your students? There are plenty of digital solutions available to support teachers in the classroom with activities such as practice, assessment and marking.

Teachers, your commitment, and dedication to your work is of undeniable value to our society. Enjoy your break and remember take this time to switch off, re-energise and simply enjoy being at home with yourself and loved ones.  

References:

Vukovic, R. (2016, December 1). Why it’s important to switch off from work. Teacher magazine. https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/why-its-important-to-switch-off-from-work

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us