Recharging the Battery

One of the speakers who came to class to answer some of our question talked about how easy it is to become burned out as a teacher. Obviously, I do not want this to happen to me so finding ways to recharge my battery is important. One thing that I found helps me relax is sports. Unlike some people who can become extremely frustrated and angered while playing sports, I find sports to be very calming. Sand volleyball, soccer, basketball, or ultimate frisbee are all activities that are extremely enjoyable and hep me to relax, and get my mind off of how busy or stressed I am. Sports have always had a calming effect on me. Even the most stressful and important games were always fun, even when we lost, although it often a day or two to get over the loss. At college, the sports that I play are all intramural or for fun, so there is no pressure to get worked up over. Instead, the games become about playing the sport and having a good time. Playing sports and staying active is something that I plan to continue to do as a teacher. Hopefully I will be able to help out with sports as well as teach math. I want to be able to do this not only because sports help me relax, but also because it is a good place to develop better relationships with my students. I hope that sports can both be an outlet for stress, and a place to meet and get to know more people. If this is not possible I still want to stay active. Buying a gym membership or playing in parks are also viable options.

Meditation and reflection are things that a good teacher does. I have been learning to find times to meditate and reflect on both my life and on teaching and the classroom that I am in almost everyday at Pierre Moran. The most effective way to do this that I have found is by taking walks along the dam and Mill Race trail. By listening to soft music and walking along this trail I find that I can think clearly about my week and experiences without being distracted. This time of reflection has helped me not get stressed by a busy schedule. Taking time by myself also helps to get out of a college environment where people are everywhere and there is always something to be done. Walking around aimlessly on a trail is a great way to unwind, get away from people, and think about life. Sometime I think we can go through life and not really understand what is going on around us or miss out on important opportunities. Meditation and reflection help avoid that and help bring meaning to life. It makes you think about every event in your life and the things you are experiencing, and helps you learn more about yourself. As a teacher I think that reflection and meditation are especially important so I hope to continue this habit of talking walks. Teachers must constantly reflect on their own teaching methods, their students learning styles, discipline methods, and essentially whether their teaching is effective and how they can make it more effective. This is a lot of reflection that needs to happen, and by continuing to take walks I hope to effectively reflect and therefore adapt to my students needs. as well as my own.

The life of a teacher can be very satisfying, but also very stressful. Classroom management, discipline issues, and keeping students interested in the subject can all be sources of stress. Making a plan to relieve stress is very important. I am not someone who gets stressed very easily, but I think that in a classroom setting the stress can easily become overwhelming if I am not ready for it. My plan for stress relief that has worked well for me is to schedule out time for things that I must get done. By planning out activities such as class, homework, sleep, sports, and reflection, I can ensure that I get all the things done that I need to. Making a schedule for the day that includes all of these things helps me avoid stress. Because I have this schedule I know exactly when I will get the things done that I need to get done. One key that I have found to this plan is that I shouldn't schedule my whole day. Doing this makes me feel constantly pressed for time and constricts me. By only setting times for certain events, I can keep most of my day free, which, in my mind, makes it less busy. Planning into my day events that I enjoy doing, like sports, is also important. This gives me something to look forward to throughout the day. Having one event that I look forward to all day helps keep me from being constantly worried about all the things I have to do. As a teacher I want to implement this same method of stress relief. I hope to be able to plan out certain things that I need to get done like lesson plans, grading, or reflection. While I realize that I will not have the same amount of time then that I do now, and that I will have to schedule fewer "fun" events, I think the plan will still work.