5 New Year’s resolutions for teachers

We are two weeks in to the New Year and it’s easy to quickly lose sight of the resolutions that we made before the Christmas break. We have compiled a short list of possible resolutions to help keep teachers on track during the challenges of the first term of the year and beyond.

1. It’s OK to give time to people other than pupils

Teaching is not a 9-3 job, we understand that, the pressures of marking, assessments, planning and meetings alongside actual teaching can wear hard on even the most experienced, hardy teachers. The best way to combat the inevitable burn-out, is to remember to set aside time for family and friends, the influences that calm you down. Of course, teachers are hardwired to constantly want to improve their lessons, but make sure you give your time to the people around you in your personal life and you will reap the benefits.

2. Escape from school on your own

Even if you work in the deepest part of the city, we are very lucky that on our little island, we are never too far from connecting with nature. Picking up a personal hobby alongside teaching can help you to escape from the perils of the classroom, often something outdoorsy can also relax the body and mind. Some of the most popular hobbies include; swimming, yoga, dance classes, photography, sports, painting/art and bird-watching. Whatever you’re in to, make sure you set time aside to enjoy it and forget about work for a short while.

3. Make time to read

This can be helpful in a couple of ways, it can be used as a break from teaching by picking up your favourite fiction novel or an informational book based around your interests. But, it can also be used as a benefit to your career, from having more widespread reading opportunities, you’ll find plenty of learning can be adapted to improve your everyday teaching practices.

4. Record your day or experiences

Worrying about incidents is not the only thing that this resolution can help with, it can also help to educate a person via experiences. As teachers work so quickly and don’t get much time to think, it helps to write down, either in an online blog or a diary, some of the stand-out occurrences from within the day. You never know when you (or others) may run in to a situation which you have experienced before, you can go back through your diary or blog to see how you dealt with it and how you can improve moving forward. It’s good to share, so blogs are becoming more prominent in the world of education and teachers are finding new ways to help one another. As modest people in an often negatively portrayed education sector, teachers don’t always share their successes, if something has gone well, let the world know!

5. Don’t let the system win

Promise yourself that you will never lose sight of the pupils as individuals and people, as much as the system is geared towards marking and assessments, it is the thoughtful feedback and comments from the teachers that really makes pupils tick and ultimately what they will truly remember about their own progression and experiences from school.

What were you New Year’s resolutions? Have you been sticking to them this year? Let us know in the comments section below.