New Teacher Tip #1: Give Yourself a Cutoff!
A cutoff?? I have so much to do! You can't expect me to stop without finishing EVERYTHING.
First off, breathe. I'm going to put it right out there you will get it all done. If not now, later for sure.
I'm five months into my first year of teaching and I am continuously trying to come to terms with a cutoff. There have been many days already where I have woken up, gotten to school an hour early, worked all day, and come home and worked until I got into bed. My brain wouldn't even shut off because I would be thinking about what I didn't get to or what I should have done differently.
A couple months in I could tell I wasn't happy, and I recognized I couldn't keep going like that. I knew if I did continue on like that then this would be one long school year.
I noticed that on the evenings that I stopped working a couple hours before bed I felt better about what I had accomplished. I came to terms I still had work to do, but that I would get it done eventually.
Most nights I try to give myself the cutoff at 8:00 PM. I usually take a break when I get home for a hour or so before returning to my task list that needs to be accomplished. I tell myself that I will work until 8 and whatever I get done I get done. Whatever I don't, I don't. It will be there in the morning.
Once 8 comes around, I pack up for the next day and I kickback. I might go through social media. I'll pick up a non-educational related book. I'll watch some TV. I'll get cozy under my blankets.
I let myself slow down and forget about school for a little bit. Some nights that is easier said than done. However, I have found that I have fallen asleep easier and slept more soundly on nights I have followed through with my cutoff. I wake up ready for the next school day!
This is what works for me! You might have children of your own that you need to assist with homework or drive around to different practices and rehearsals. You need to find the cutoff that is appropriate to your schedule and makes you feel comfortable.
Let me know how you wind down for the evening, especially on those Monday - Thursday evenings!
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