Unit 10 - Activity 2: Teacher Wellbeing

Teacher Wellbeing (Recommended Time: 45 min)

Physical: depending on course loads, numbers of students and length of terms, long hours may impact physical energy / required rest - I can see well intentioned instructors getting up early in a.m. / staying up late in day, eating short meals, and working on lesson plans, activities, and marking to get the work done

Physical stress buster: make sleep & healthy eating a priority, explore ways of exercising (walking) outdoors if in classroom most of day so exposed to natural light of day and different environments to stay energized and fresh. When creating assignments, consider having some designed for easier/expedited ability to mark but still lend meaningful feedbacks

Emotional: like some students, you may feel alone if teaching abroad in a foreign country, you may feel disconnected with family and friends, you may come to resent the incessant demands on your time, you may take on too much of the responsibility for student learning

Emotional stress buster: when possible set down regular scheduled "outings" or connection times (thank you Skype) to look forward to with those you care about and who care about you. Be sure to set boundaries when teaching so that your time is valued and respected. This may include setting 1 hour between classes each day (or every other day) where students can schedule blocks of time with you for mentoring / feedback. Take care to understand the learning contract and how students also have responsibilities for their own learning.

Mental: feelings can precede thinking which can precede actions. At times you may feel frustrated at the volume of work, tireless hours, repetitive questions, student derailment, challenging student behaviours, feelings of being alone, and office politics.

Mental stress buster: make time for self to read, listen to music, quiet reflection or meditations if that works for you. Always appreciate friends, leverage your PLN on classroom experiences (it is likely someone out there has experienced what you are going through and may have helpful ideas).  Put at least as much energy into planning your holidays as you would a lesson plan! Learn to say "no" sometimes. Reflect daily with a focussed view to do one thing better the next day. Take stock of your feelings, emotional triggers (we all have them) and how they impact your thoughts. Have a plan for those difficult moments in the day. 

Spiritual: students will come in with unique needs that may exceed the scope of ESL learning environment and expect you as the teacher to be able to help. Some situations may be sad - and some horrific depending on their experience. Some students will struggle and others simply derail leaving you feeling somehow responsible or disheartened. 

Spiritual stress buster: Know the variety of formal and informal student resources that are available. Know and leverage the wider team of professionals with whom you work to be able to refer students to a more appropriate authority. Learn new things - give yourself permission to be the student for a change. Take pride in being a professional among professionals but don't take yourself too seriously. Find the humour in people and life. Take responsibility for what you can influence and learn to let go what you can't. Know that most of the time (if you truly care) you should get it right but also understand you will make mistakes. Be kind to yourself, do your best to correct the situation, learn from it, and move on. Know that you are making a difference in the lives of others.