{"id":16761,"date":"2019-10-07T14:52:19","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T18:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/?post_type=education_blog&p=16761"},"modified":"2023-04-26T03:51:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T03:51:01","slug":"how-we-beat-the-october-slump-8-tips-for-teachers-from-teachers","status":"publish","type":"education_blog","link":"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/education-blog\/how-we-beat-the-october-slump-8-tips-for-teachers-from-teachers\/","title":{"rendered":"How We Beat the October Slump: 8 Tips for Teachers From Teachers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s October, and Success Academy teachers are officially settled into the school year \u2014 time to break out the holiday sweaters and plan a weekend to pick pumpkins! Ironically, studies show that this time of year tends to bring on the “teacher blues”\u2014 a time when teachers might especially feel the weight of their workload, or even feel a little discouraged. We asked veteran teachers to share how they reboot when the days start getting shorter, <\/span>and they offered up some valuable tips and tricks on how to push through. Whether you\u2019ve been in the classroom for a few weeks or a few years, we hope you find these eight tips helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Not Personal! Change Your Attitude Toward Feedback<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

My first year, I was so hard on myself whenever I got negative feedback, which peaked around October. During one of my first field trips, I remember feeling like my Lead Teacher (LT) was particularly harsh towards me, telling me I should\u2019ve paid more attention to my scholars. The next day, I obsessed over the feedback \u2014 I was convinced she thought I was a terrible teacher and that we would no longer be able to work well together. But that turned out not to be the case at all. It turns out that, most of the time, feedback is not personal. I realized my LT was just trying to help my growth in that specific situation, and it didn\u2019t mean I was a bad teacher.  Now, I look forward to feedback and view it as a challenge to push me to be a better teacher and person. The second I flipped that switch, everything was a little less overwhelming. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Anabel Schmelz, teaching five years, fourth grade teacher at SA Bed-Stuy 1<\/b><\/p>\n

Make Time For Yourself<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019ve finished your work, <\/span>leave<\/span><\/i>. Bring a coworker with you <\/span>\u2014 <\/b>to yoga, to dinner, to a Broadway show. And try to talk about anything other than work. When you\u2019re in a slump, it becomes so easy to talk about how much work you might have or how miserable you feel, which makes things even more painful. When you develop relationships and a life outside of work, it\u2019ll make coming back the next day that much more enjoyable.  <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Agatha Cummings, teaching seven years, third grade teacher at Hell\u2019s Kitchen<\/b><\/p>\n

Schedule Daily \u201cRecharge\u201d Sessions<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

When I first started, I thought I had to fill every free minute with intense planning. While of course planning is important, I learned very quickly that this was not sustainable \u2014 and it left me battling pure exhaustion! Now, I make sure to set aside ten minutes every day to meditate or unwind. When I jump back in, I feel much more ready to tackle the day\u2019s challenges. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Adelaide Bullock, teaching seven years, kindergarten teacher at SA Harlem 2<\/b><\/p>\n

Bounce Ideas Off Each Other<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Whenever I feel stuck or overwhelmed, I remind myself I can lean on my fellow teachers for advice and perspectives, too \u2014 not just my managers. I\u2019ll invite another teacher to pop into my classroom, even just for a minute. If they see that something isn\u2019t working, they\u2019ll suggest another approach. Even in those times when I am discouraged, these people can often see the bright spots in my lesson that I can\u2019t see myself! Getting that perspective from a veteran teacher is so encouraging and freeing. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Aleah Tarnoviski, teaching eight years, kindergarten teacher at Harlem 6<\/b><\/p>\n

Get Some Helpers<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

For me, it was at the start of my second year around October that I began to feel overwhelmed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Each day, I was working well past 6pm, swamped by what seemed like the never-ending, non-teaching tasks of a teacher. I\u2019d observed that other teachers saved time by getting their scholars involved with simple tasks, so I decided to try it out with the basics. So I announced the names of scholars who would be \u201ctable captains\u201d or part of the \u201cclean up crew.\u201d Over the next few days, I watched in amazement as my first graders fulfilled these responsibilities perfectly and even began to volunteer to wipe down the tables \u2014 they <\/span>wanted <\/span><\/i>to be a part of this! Giving my students work \u2014 not just school work, but actual tasks \u2014 was an incredible time-saver and also had other unexpected and profoundly positive effects. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Hannah Inglut, teaching six years, now assistant principal at SA Springfield Gardens <\/b><\/p>\n

Read more about Hannah\u2019s classroom management tip <\/span><\/i>here<\/span><\/i><\/a>. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Underestimate the Importance of Sleep<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The absolute best piece of advice I can give to get through the October blues is to get to bed at a reasonable time. I used to stay up until midnight regularly, but during my first year it clicked with me that I needed to be in bed by 10pm. It was hard at first, but I will say that being well-rested made it easier to handle my stress. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Kirsten Anderson, teaching six years, first grade teacher at SA Bushwick<\/b><\/p>\n

Find Joy In Little Moments With Your Scholars <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

One year, I had a scholar in my class who just hated coming to school. Every morning, I\u2019d pull her aside to give her a huge smile, a hug, and a pep talk about having a great day. I didn\u2019t think it was working \u2014 until one day, I read the personal narrative she wrote in class. In it, she told the story of how, even though she often felt too tired to go to school, I made her feel comfortable and confident enough to push through. That when I hugged her, she knew it would all be okay. Moments like these help me rediscover my \u201cwhy\u201d and help me get through my blues. You might not have a moment like this with every student, but there is something inside of each student that you\u2019re going to love, value, and cherish, and when you take time to appreciate these qualities, you\u2019ll feel reenergized.  <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Anabel Schmelz, teaching five years, fourth grade teacher at SA Bed-Stuy 1<\/b><\/p>\n

Know That This is Only a Phase <\/b>\u2014<\/b> It Will Get Better!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m constantly telling my teachers to remember that feeling discouraged at this time of year is so normal that it has actually been <\/span>documented as a pattern by researchers<\/b><\/a>! This research reveals the fact that not only are October and November a recurring period of disillusionment for teachers, but also that teachers who stick it out usually experience what\u2019s called <\/span>\u201cThe Rejuvenation Phase\u201d<\/b> in late winter and spring when they feel more confident and start looking forward to the next semester. <\/span>Reach out to your more veteran peers <\/b>and ask them what they\u2019re doing or have done to get through the hard times, so when you\u2019re feeling the gloom and doom, you\u2019ll know that you\u2019re not some anomaly\u2014and most importantly, that it does not reflect your capacity and potential as a teacher. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Liz Vandlik, principal at Hudson Yards Middle School<\/b><\/p>\n

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Cover photo: Agie Cummings and class<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16786,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[25],"tags":[211,28,419],"class_list":["post-16761","education_blog","type-education_blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-staff","tag-excellence-awards","tag-teacher","tag-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow We Beat the October Slump: 8 Tips for Teachers From Teachers | Success Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn tips from veteran teachers to push through the "teacher blues", discover the importance of self-care, feedback, and so much more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/education-blog\/how-we-beat-the-october-slump-8-tips-for-teachers-from-teachers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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