Classroom management tip: 7 Ways to Slow Down

The unknown is hard. What will happen next? Am I prepared? Did I do my best? Could I do more?
This week we started our two weeks of teacher training for online learning because our school begins after Labor Day.
I learned more than I could imagine about computers—way more than my brain can handle.
I have a lot of work to do, but this weekend I decided to STOP and rest.

Here are 7 ways I rest:

• Take a walk. I hear this all the time but I don’t always do it! Take a walk. Just take a stroll right outside your home. You’ll feel better – I promise!

• Read a non-work-related book. If it is left up to me, I will read everything educational I can get my hands on. Read a book for enjoyment! Get lost in the plot. You’ll thank me later.

• Garden or get a plant to care for. Plant something! Plant anything! Feel the soil fall through your fingers. Watch your plant grow! My plants are my friends because I talk to them.

• Stay in bed longer. Give yourself permission to stay in bed and rest a little longer than usual. My mother stares and the wall and recharges her batteries. I like to play on my phone or read a good book!

• Cook/buy a fun meal and eat it slowly. I can eat my lunch in 10 minutes or less. It’s a bad habit, but I learned to eat quickly during my short lunch breaks. Perhaps spend time enjoying your food and experiencing each bite! Yum!

• Call/text a friend. Everything is better with a friend. I usually call my older sister when I get upset or need to chat. Other times I call my good friend that I’ve know since junior high. Sometimes I text my teacher friend and check in.

• Breathe!: This is my favorite tip. Sometimes I am so busy that I forget to breathe deeply. Often, I schedule times when I stop for a minute and inhale and exhale deeply. Feeling the air go to the tips of my fingers and toes helps me relax!

Teachers need to slow down and be people too! Our students deserve a rested teacher who manages his/her class, having had a chance to slow down and be human for a minute or two. Our families do too!

How do you slow down?

How do you relax when your brain doesn’t stop? Let us know in the comments below.

If you are interested in my store click here.

I can’t wait to use my online learning expectation cards in the next couple of weeks. My students are going to love my stories about each bird! If you’d like to learn more about them click here. You can purchase them here.

See you soon!

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