Look around your work place. Do you see employees bending over backwards to meet deadlines? Supporting workers? Covering each other's projects because of an overload? For my fellow educators, you can definitely answer yes to these no matter the staff culture because we are required to prioritize our school, students and parents' needs before our own.
Teachers, do you take your work home? Work on the weekend? Did you know most other professionals do not? They leave at 5pm and call it a day. Crazy, I know. We need to take more time for ourselves and any loved ones at home. As much as we think we can, we can't do it all. We can't expect for students to practice positive social-emotional practices if we can't model it. So, it's time we put together a self check assessment for teachers.
I'm eager to design this assessment with the intention of requiring teachers to take time for themselves to reflect. As reflection is a key component in growth, it's critical to evaluate and validate our emotions, needs, and overall well-being. Stay tuned to learn more about this Staff Self Check!
Resources:
Pop Sugar Fitness (2020). Mental Health Matters. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/mental-health-month-2020-47416737
Arana, A. (2018). Supporting Your Own Mental Health as a Caregiver [Photograph]. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/November-2018/Supporting-Your-Own-Mental-Health-as-a-Caregiver