Comments on I Want to Teach Forever: A Simple Blueprint for Stress Relief

Alycia: The feeling after I went watchless was def...

2009-11-09T22:40:53.736-06:00

Alycia: The feeling after I went watchless was definitely the inspiration for this post. It's so much more powerful than most people think.

The watch/clock thing is so spot on. The day I gra...

2009-11-07T00:25:36.566-06:00

The watch/clock thing is so spot on. The day I graduated from high school was the day I stopped wearing a watch. 7 years later, returning as a teacher, I wear a watch again. I hate it. Hate it with such vengance!

Great tips, especially the one about going clockle...

2009-10-22T16:58:08.808-05:00

Great tips, especially the one about going clockless/watchless! I am part of the generation that relies heavily on my cell phone. One day I was running late and accidentally left it on the kitchen table and it was the BEST day in the world. I didn't feel restricted and got so much more done than I could have ever imagined. I'm sure part of it had to do with the fact that I needed to finish everything ASAP so I could get back home to my phone, but it didn't matter. It was definitely a stress-free day for me! I recommend everyone go cell phone-less for a day! =)

But anyway to add to your great list of tips, I think you should take a look at TeachHUB's Daily Stress Buster section on the Teacher Tips page: http://www.teachhub.com/teacher-tips/

Great tips! For me, one of the best ways to deal...

2009-10-22T15:16:55.097-05:00

Great tips!

For me, one of the best ways to deal with my teaching-related stress is to find a way to put it in perspective. This often happens spontaneously and unexpectedly, like a conversation I had earlier this year.

I was feeling overwhelmed by teaching in a new school. After school, I asked a fellow new teacher (from the engineering department) how her year was going, and she (shockingly!) commented on how much LESS stressful teaching was than her previous job. She had been working as a structural engineer, and she said that she used to have constant nightmares about making a mistake that caused a structure to collapse. She said that no matter how much went wrong in her day while teaching, she could feel sure that she wouldn't cause any deaths.

Wow. Suddenly my pile of grading seemed a lot less urgent and I felt lucky to have a job where I could make a mistake without that fear! No one will die if my lesson isn’t perfect, and I try to remember that when I start feeling stressed.

Good post, good advice! Its so hard to separate y...

2009-10-22T11:39:30.590-05:00

Good post, good advice! Its so hard to separate yourself from schedules and obligations. I haven't done it in a while, but last time I did, I felt like a carefree teenager again!