Everyone
is talking about the physical health of teachers and students during virtual
classes: Don`t sit too long, exercise, go for a quick walk, stretch, turn off the tech ect, but what about the teachers'
mental health, their ability to stay focused, their ability to stay motivated in this totally foreign teaching environment? I have spoken
to dozens of teachers who feel as if they have lost
their way, who feel disconnected from reality, who are lacking direction, focus
and who are questioning if they are achieving their goals and obligations.
Going from the physical, to the virtual classroom as been a difficult
adaptation for the majority of teachers for many different reasons. Being
unable to have a physical presence in the classroom, unable to work with
students face to face, unable to directly monitor their work, unable to
regulate their participation or influence their level of motivation has taken
its toll on many teachers.
For this reason, one of the challenges that teachers in the virtual classroom
must overcome is losing their own personal comfort zone and subsequently their
level of motivation or focus.
Although this is an inevitable part of our present situation, there are
ways to get through these times and to continue to be the motivated, focused
teacher that your students need and deserve.
Tips for staying motivated, focused and mentally healthy.
Being an online teacher can be an emotional, and mental roller coaster ride.
It’s hard to keep up the good work and to remain motivated when that which
normally motivates you has completely changed.
People who teach tend to be the caring, sensitive, and perfectionist type,
which makes it easier for them to experience burnout. However, you can do
something about it. Simply, switch up the routine, as there is a certain
tendency for teachers to always be in teaching mode. They use their analytical
thinking skills in everyday activities, even when they are off duty. Something
like sitting down to read the newspaper turns into a huge intellectual effort.
Online teachers often tend to search for a suitable lesson or challenging
practice in their everyday surroundings. However, try to put your teaching
manner aside from time to time. This way you will feel way more refreshed in
the virtual classroom.
If you have ever been overwhelmed with teaching, then read the tips below on
how to stay more relaxed, in control, and motivated.
Identify
the situations that cause you to stress:
Make a list of
events that leave you emotionally drained or stressed. Next, give these
situations great thought and come up with one or two ways to reduce the stress
for each. When they occur, use them as an opportunity to practice your
stress-reduction techniques and keep notes on what works for next time.
Prioritize. Have a "Things to do" book:
All of my life, I have kept a small notebook and pen in my top pocket. I
call this my "TTD", my Things to do book because no matter how
organized you are, at times of stress, we all forget things or make mistakes.
Keep a list of everything that you have to do – make the tasks realistic. Prioritize
the tasks in order of importance and tick them off when they are done. This one
simple book is guaranteed to lower everybody's level of stress.
Remember to spend time with those people most important in your life:
Sometimes, especially when we are very busy, and especially now when we are
navigating a strange new virtual educational world, we forget about the most
important people in our lives. Schedule time to be with them every day, time
when you can turn off work, forget about classes, time when you can relax, talk
about other things, resolve private problems or just have a laugh. This can be
one of the most important activities that you can do in your day as it allows
you to switch off and spend time with those people who mean the most to you.
Read:
The key point here is to dedicate some time for yourself. If you want to
read something academic, figure out what you love the most in your professional
field and find a book, blog or article with practical ideas. Another option is
to choose a book with inspiring teaching approaches or bios of famous teachers
and mentors. If you prefer, you can also choose a more scientific approach and
find an appropriate paper related to your field of study. Personally, when I
have my downtime, I prefer to wrap my mind around a great fiction book,
something adventurous that whisks me away to foreign lands and stories that
enflame my imagination.
Go to an online workshop/webinar or take a continuing education
course:
If your temporary drop in motivation means that you are lacking the energy
for a full-blown course, an online workshop or webinar could be the boost that
you need. Taking a continuing education course, or attending a webinar will
give you the feeling that you are back on track, and it will distract you from
the adversity that you are facing. Adding a new professional achievement to
your resume may also increase your confidence level.
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Get
to know your students:
After a certain
amount of time teaching online, students tend to seem like one single group
rather than individuals. Therefore, the solution is to get to know them. Try to
remember their names and learn more about their stories and hobbies. Plus,
spending one class getting to know them could turn into an excellent virtual
classroom activity. To sum up, ask questions and offer them a more personalized
approach. You’ll be surprised how motivated you will feel when you know that
your work can really make a difference for someone.
Acknowledge your achievements and professional growth:
It is easy to lose sight of what matters when you are bogged down by your
everyday duties. So, no matter how busy your schedule is, make sure that you
take the time to note how far you’ve come. It is important to set goals each
month, course, or school term. Then revise, reflect and celebrate success.
Reflect on your past teaching experiences or try teaching an old lesson plan,
and see how much better you can do it now. However, keep in mind that you can
always perform better. Therefore, don’t be too hard on yourself.
Lend a hand to others:
Whenever you use your experience to pass the knowledge onto others, you
will feel more motivated than ever. Watching others succeed is a real
motivation booster and it will make you will feel valuable and successful. It
doesn’t matter if you help a colleague or your current online students, the
feeling will keep you motivated for a long time.
Don’t react to imagined disrespect or insults:
It is a waste of time and energy to be oversensitive to imagined
disrespect, insults, innuendo or sarcasm from students, your peers or those
whom you work for.. We need to remember that at this time, our students, our
peers, our employers, just like ourselves, have had their entire lives turned
upside down, and are feeling many, if not more, of the same stresses that you
are. Give people the benefit of the doubt; evaluate everything before you
react, be patient, be understanding, talk over the situation with someone you
trust, but most of all, don`t overreact.
Move on:
Don’t dwell on your past mistakes. Feelings of guilt, remorse, and
regret cannot change the past, and they make the present difficult by sapping
your energy. Make a conscious effort to do something to change the mood (e.g.
employ mindfulness techniques or do something active that you enjoy) when you
feel yourself drifting into regrets about past actions. Learn from it and have
strategies in place for next time. Learn to forgive yourself for past mistakes.
Don’t internalize anger & frustrations:
Express and discuss your feelings to the person responsible for your anger
or pent-up frustration. If it is impossible to talk it out, plan for some
physical activity at the end of the working day to relieve tensions. Let go of
grudges – they affect you and your state of mind more than the other person.
Pace yourself, remember the importance of time management:
Rushed activities lead to errors, regrets, and stress. Request time to
prepare yourself for the situation. At work, if rushed, ask people to wait
until you have finished working or thinking something out. Plan ahead in order
to be on time, relaxed, and having made allowances for unexpected hold-ups.
Practice approaching situations ‘mindfully’.
Think positive:
Smile, be positive, upbeat whenever possible – it’s an easy and effective
way of improving how you feel. Try and find something positive to say about a
situation rather than dwelling on the negative. Never criticize unnecessarily,
remember negativity breeds negativity whilst positivity breeds positivity. You can
visualize situations you have handled well, and hold those memories in your
mind when going into future stressful situations.
Take care of your physical and mental health:
Eat well and go for a short walk during your breaks. Get more sleep. If you
are an active person, exercise more often. Enjoy every step of the way in your
own way. Meditate, do yoga or aerobics and be mindful. Be aware of your
emotions inside and outside the virtual classroom. The less stress you allow to
slip into your life, the more fulfilling your professional life will be.
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Love
it or leave it:
Online teaching is
a passion for some, and poison for others. Therefore, as soon as you notice
that your desire to teach is slipping, change direction. Stimulate yourself and
your students so that your educational process can be a useful and positive
journey for all. Focus on teaching a particular subject or topic where your
enthusiasm is contagious and your students will be happy to participate no
matter how skilled or advanced they are.
Do the opposite:
Sometimes you need to react totally differently in order to see facts in a
new way. Break free of the plan. For instance, try a totally new approach to a
lesson in order to escape from the boredom and structure of the learning plan.
Combine subjects in an unexpected way or introduce a completely new assignment.
Your online students need variety and challenge as much as you do.
Change the channel:
In many ways, the human brain is like a television, every once in a while
we get bored with what we are watching and we need to change the channel. If
you spend your days in front of your computer, teaching, interacting,
motivating others but always in a way that benefits others more than yourself,
ultimately neglecting your own needs, then during your out of class time,
change the channel. So, what does it mean to "Change the channel?"
Well, instead of worrying about others, instead of being mentally stuck within
a subject all day, do something that you love to do. Listen to music, turn the
volume up hi and sing, dance, or just jump up and down. Maybe you like to read
books or to watch movies that help you to escape your day to day reality. The
point is to change the entire direction of your mind, your thinking and to do
something that you love, something that you are enthusiastic about, something
that relaxes your mind and releases unwanted stress and pressure, something
that is totally unrelated to that which you teach all day to your students.
Think about how you can change the channel.
I hope
that this article has been able to help you to maintain your enthusiasm and
sanity during your online classes.
Good
luck, and good teaching.
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