Damon Lewis, the principal of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., follows the same little ritual every day: The minute he sits in his car to drive home, he switches off the radio and reflects on his day in complete silence.
鈥淚 try to remember every conversation I had. In every interaction, what was my tone? What was my body language? Was the message received?鈥� Lewis said during a webinar about self-care for principals hosted by the National Principals Association on March 18. Lewis said the exercise helps him keep work and home separate.
Careful use of his calendar is another tool he relies on to enforce that work-home separation鈥攁nd to stay organized. To that end, every teacher observation and important conversation goes on Lewis鈥� calendar.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 not on the calendar, it鈥檚 not going to happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when you get lost in the minutiae and that鈥檚 when you find yourself bringing stuff home.鈥�
Educators鈥� workdays hardly ever end with the last bell. There are lessons to plan, student work to grade, reports to files, and games to coach. And the past several years especially haven鈥檛 been easy: Student misbehavior has been on the rise, chronic absenteeism remains a stubborn problem, and the dual threats of budget cuts and school closures loom large.
Educators need moments of calm鈥攐r even joy鈥攖o refresh themselves amid the stress. So self-care is important for professionals caring for their students and colleagues. But it鈥檚 not always easy to recall a tip or practice from a long-forgotten webinar or conference session on de-stressing and separating work and home life.
That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e developed this educator wellness scorecard below. We鈥檝e curated the best tips on how to reenergize yourself, especially during stressful moments at work. See how many you typically follow.
You can:
- Bookmark this page and keep coming back to it.
- Download this scorecard to use in team conversations to brainstorm ideas that promote wellness.
- Place it in a spot in your office that鈥檚 always visible to you. That way, you鈥檒l always have a reminder to relax!
