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Tips to help teachers wind down in the classroom and at home
As we count down to the end of what has arguably felt like the longest school year in history, we wanted to share with you some easy ways to help you wind down, both in the classroom and at home.
We’ve also pooled together some great, FREE, resources to help introduce mindfulness into the classroom. Mindfulness is proven tool for helping reduce anxiety, increase concentration, and for helping students learn to communicate their feelings more effectively.
Enjoy!
3 ways to help wind down in the classroom
Take time to celebrate
A wonderful way to see out the year on a positive note, is to celebrate the successes of your class. Perhaps you could plan a small celebration event in the final week to acknowledge the positive things each student has contributed. You could hand out awards, share a lunch, and just spend an hour or two relaxing and celebrating together.
Take time to reflect
At the end of each year, it’s important to reflect on how the year went. Take some time to consider what went well, what you learnt, and what you’d like to differently into next year. It’s also nice to ask students for their reflections – allow them to share what they liked about this year, and if they have any ideas on how things could be improved going into next year. This could be done in person, or using an anonymous survey.
Take time to connect
This year has been particularly rough on young people, and so taking time to connect individually with students is a beautiful way to unwind, together.
3 ways to wind down at home
Indulge in some self care
Allow yourself to take your ‘teacher hat’ off and to not think (or worry) about your students for a moment, as you indulge in something you truly enjoy. It could be a Netflix marathon with a glass of wine, a bubble bath, a long walk in the bush, a pampering session, a day out with friends or family, the list is endless. Choose something you love, and remember that self care is not selfish. When our cup is full, we are able to pour more into those around us.
Listen to music
Music is a fantastic tool for relaxing and unwinding. If you don’t already have one, put together a ‘wind down’ playlist with some of your favorite tunes. That way, whenever you feel overwhelmed, or are just wanting to unwind at the end of the day, you can hit play, sit back with your favorite drink, and enjoy.
Plan, or allow yourself to ‘plan to plan’
Some people feel better ending the year with a plan in place, while for others, the need to plan can be a cause of stress. The solution? Do what is right for you. If planning helps you to unwind, set time aside to do exactly that. If planning at this time of the year stresses you out, then give yourself permission to ‘plan to plan’, and to do it when you are in the right frame of mind.
Tools for teaching mindfullness
Why mindfulness in school matters
Here are 18 quick mindfulness activities you can use to promote mindfulness in your classroom.
A mindfulness teacher shares eight tips for teaching moment-to-moment awareness to teenagers.
Here are some wonderful mindfulness activities that you can do with your class.
