5 Draining Teacher Habits to Leave Behind in 2021

Here were are! January 31, 2021. The Year is gone and a new one will arrive in mere hours. This time of the year is often left for reflection on the past year and looking ahead at the new year.

Recently, I wrote a post entitled, “Teaching is Your Job. Teaching is Not Your Life.” I wrote this after a difficult bout with Covid. I learned several lessons through that experience, and I realized I should try to make some practical changes to how I view and do my job in 2022. I would like to share some of the things I have come up with. Let me know what your thoughts are!

Bad Habits I Intend to Leave Behind in the New Year

1. Comparing myself to other teachers

I surely can’t be the only one who struggles in this area. Whether it is comparing myself to the teacher down the hall or the really amazing teacher with 70k followers on Instagram who seems to have her life perfectly put together, I need to put a major stop to any comparisons. Other people should not be our bars. We should utilize others for inspiration. We should NOT use them as a way to make ourselves feel less than adequate. This is one thing I will be striving to leave behind this year.

2. Working more than 10 hours past my contract time each week

We all know it is impossible to fit all of the requirements into our contracted hours. However, I will find ways to not be at work for so many extra hours. My family and my health are of utmost importance. My job can stay in the hours my job belongs.

3. Answering emails in the evening and over the weekend

Now, granted, there will be exceptions to this rule. I am understanding of how life happens, and if an emergency were to occur, I would, by all means, make sure it is taken care of. However, 9 times out of 10, the email can wait to be answered until the next morning. I would like to do better with this as it cuts into my time with my family. I always tell my parents I will get back to them within 24 hours, but I answer them as if my life depends on it.

4. Not drinking enough water because I don’t have time to use the restroom

I can’t tell you how many times I have arrived at the end of the day and realized I have not consumed more than 16 ounces of water… ALL DAY! It is a problem. Water is vital to so many parts of your health. I will prioritize drinking enough water even if it causes a bit of a disruption to my day. I intend to partner with a teacher to watch one another classes so we can take bathroom breaks a bit more often.

5. Grading every single small group assignment.

I realized I was requiring my students to turn in almost every single tiny assignment they were completing. This makes for a TON of papers, missing work from absent students, etc. Instead, I plan to have them keep their assignments in their notebooks/binders and do a weekly check of their assignments. Of course, I will continue to thoroughly grade weekly assignments, just not every single one. It is all about balance and proper assessment strategies.

Let’s Change the Pressure we put on ourselves everyday in our jobso we DON’T BURN OUT!

These are just 5 quick and easy ways I want to balance my job and personal life. I have a lot more reflecting I would like to do today before diving into 2022. So, I will sign off for now! Have an amazing New Year’s Eve, friends!