burnout
-
Dealing with Hard Days in the Classroom
We all have tough days in the classroom – but what about when those hard days start happening regularly, or even every day? How can you turn things around and get more of the days that you really enjoy? Let’s talk about this, what can help when you’re dealing with never-ending classroom challenges? I’m big on reflection, taking time to dig deep and think through what’s really behind what’s happening in the classroom. This can be hard when you’re right in the middle of it. If you’re in a place where it feels like nothing is going right and there’s nothing you can do about it, then we need to…
-
Finding Joy
I’ve been sharing my experience with burnout, and today I wanted to revisit a product that I created while feeling ALL of these feelings. A common suggestion for staying present and building a little more positivity is to practice finding something to be grateful for each day. If this works for adults, then it can certainly work for kids too – and it’s never too early to teach these kinds of coping skills. That’s where “Joy in Everyday: Building Positive Thinking” comes from. In practicing identifying those things each day that brought me more joy, I realized that I needed a way to keep all of these thoughts organized so…
-
One Thing That Brings Me Joy
I promised that I’d share some of the things that have helped me refocus and work through burnout, so here’s one of my favorites. A big thing for me has been paying more attention to the positives. This always worked for me when things were tough in the classroom – recognizing positive behaviors, celebrating little wins – it shifts my mood and that of those around me. In looking for a way to do this in my own personal life I settled on the idea of challenging myself to take at least one picture a day of something, anything, that brings me joy. Trying to find one thing each day…
-
Where in the world have I been?!
Hey all! It’s been a bit – 4 years to be exact. I’m really looking forward to refocusing my work here and giving you some amazing new content, but first I want to share why I disappeared because it’s a pretty common store that deserves some attention in this space. I burnt out. Big time. When you truly love the work you do that enthusiasm is obvious, and all too often it gets taken advantage of. I’d done everything “right” in my early childhood career – started in child care as a college student working at a before and after school program, moved into a long-term sub and eventually full-time…
