At the best of times, teaching is exciting, exhausting, scary and rewarding. First year teachers find it is all of this and more!

There are so many new things to learn and so, so much work to do. 

Non-teaching friends and family don’t really understand the demands of the job, you are still feeling like a bit of an imposter (are they really letting me in the classroom by myself?) and the students can and will test you because you’re new. 

There are so many expectations to meet, a lot of new names to remember and lots and lots and lots of paperwork.

It is all too easy as a teacher to always put your needs at the bottom of the list. 

This is even more of an issue in your first year as you are eager to prove yourself and likely trying really hard to avoid any negative assessments of your abilities. 

But with anywhere between 8% and 50% of early career teachers leaving the profession in Australia, it’s absolutely vital that you look after you.

Self-Care tips for First Year Teachers

Here’s a few dos and don’ts for self-care in your first year:

  • DO prioritise your sleep. I cannot stress this enough. It’s too easy to stay up until the wee small hours every night trying to get your preparation perfect and finish all the marking and get everything done. But without adequate sleep, you are no good to anybody, especially yourself. You will be far more productive and efficient with proper rest. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and good sleep is what will keep you carrying on for the whole term, semester and year. Practice sleep hygiene and be disciplined about making sleep a priority — everything else will be easier because of it. And, if you are having trouble sleeping seek help sooner rather than later.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

  • DON’T talk about teaching with people who don’t get it. Unfortunately, there are still people out there who think it’s “9 to 3, all those holidays and full of softy whiners”. If you are anything like me, you’ll be tempted to engage in a debate with them or try to convince them that actually, you are doing 60 hour weeks minimum and the holidays are often spent working too. But don’t do that. Conserve your precious energy and also your even more precious mindset. Just give them a token response and change the subject.
  • DON’T over-schedule yourself. Err on the side of under-scheduling so that you build some slack time into your life for when things take more time than anticipated. And they will. Everything will take longer to do in your first year, so give yourself the benefit of being prepared for that. Be very discerning about what commitments and engagements you say yes to, both at school and at home.

Build some slack time into your schedule.

  • On that note, DO make time for a social life. It’s really, really important for your mental and emotional health. However, don’t spend the whole time talking about school! If you socialise with other teachers, make sure you plan to do some things that will completely distract you from schoolwork. Also, allow yourself to say no to social engagements that you know will leave you feeling drained. You know, the ones that you feel obligated to attend, the ones that you know you will have to spend time with people who distress you, and the ones that are on the night before report cards are due. DO socialise, but make it enjoyable rather than another stressful item on your to-do list.
  • DO incorporate some kind of daily relaxation practice. When we are chronically stressed we operate a lot of our day in ‘fight or flight’, which isn’t good for us over the long term. The antidote is to activate our relaxation response and trigger our body to ‘rest and digest’. I recommend doing this in the evenings, before bed. It makes for much better sleep! There are many ways to do this: a variety of types of meditation, guided relaxation, visualisation, EFT, sex, yoga….the list goes on. The trick is find what works for you. There are loads of videos on YouTube to get you started for free.

Activate your relaxation response.

  • DO remind yourself that ‘this too shall pass’. This disaster of a lesson, this crappy day, this boring staff meeting, this stressful reporting period, this hectic term, this full-on first year….it WILL pass. But remember that that applies to the good stuff as well as the tough stuff, so remember to enjoy the great moments as they come and go too!
  • DO plan snacks, and lots of them! There will be days when you will only get 5 minutes to eat here and there between classes and playground duties and lunchtime lesson prep and after school meetings. Have an abundance of quick, healthy, filling snacks to grab and go so that you can keep your motor running all day.

  • DON’T be an island. Communicate with your colleagues and speak up if you need help, sooner rather than later. It’s so easy to be worried about being a burden, and sometimes our pride makes us feel that reaching out is weak. But remember that most people are happy to help, and it’s much easier to plug a small leak than repair a sinking ship. If you’ve made a mistake, admit to it early on — we’re all human, everybody makes mistakes. If you don’t know something, ask — we’ve all been first years, we know there’s a lot to learn. If you need to vent or help finding resources or back-up with a student’s behaviour or advice on how to discuss something with a parent, your colleagues are a wealth of knowledge. Yes, we’re all busy but we know that a rising tide lifts all boats.  Reach out, communicate, speak up — you won’t regret it.

It’s much easier to plug a small leak than repair a sinking ship.

  • On that note, DO find a mentor, coach, professional adviser (or one of each!) and also DO practice discernment in your choice. Take note of how you feel after you speak with them. If you leave feeling worse than when you arrived, find somebody else to debrief with and ask for advice. It could be a trusted colleague who will be your mentor at school, or you might seek out the services of a professional outside of school.
  • DO monitor your expectations. It’s going to be a busy year. You aren’t going to be perfect. You aren’t going to be able to do everything like the experienced teachers. You are going to get sick (kids love to share their germs!). You are going have good days and bad days with the students in your class. You are going to be completely exhausted and it is going to be a roller coaster ride.

Ultimately, it’s an amazing, exhausting, scary, rewarding learning curve. 

Remember to prioritise your needs. 

Self-care is so important and will be vital to your success both professionally and personally this year.

 

Want more tips?

Take the free Teacher Wellbeing Persona Quiz to find out your strengths and weaknesses and some actionable tips tailored to you!

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Self-Care for Teachers
SC4T Blog Post Titles Self-Care for First Year Teachers
What lessons have you learned on your wellbeing journey? 
I've been on a personal wellbeing journey for 14+ years now and I've learned a lot, and am continuing to learn. 
These are the top 15 lessons I've learned so far. 
Tell me in the comments whether any of these lessons are ones you've learned/are learning too?
Sometimes (often!) self-care is a chore.
Are you the teacher or staff member who is the
LAST CHANCE to join this round of the Resilient Teacher Coaching Program

.
We start TOMORROW at 6pm QLD time (which is 7pm NSW/VIC/ACT/TAS)


Sometimes one of the hardest things about making an investment in your personal wellbeing is feeling like it’s the right time to take the leap into action.


You know there’s work involved. 


You know it’s going to be a bit of a commitment.


You know I'm going to be holding you accountable to the goals you set for yourself, so you can no longer stay in your comfort zone of self-neglect.


So maybe it's not the right time for you to join, and that's totally okay. 


There will be another round down the track. 


But if this year is the time that you finally focus on your wellbeing and you want my support to stop depleting yourself and start prioritising yourself?


Then I invite you to join me in The Resilient Teacher Group Coaching Program.

https://selfcareforteachers.com.au/resilientteacher
We start tomorrow. You in? Link in my bio
Gentle reminder that time is running out to join this round of the Resilient Teacher Group Coaching Program. 
Here's what one of last year's participants, Jessica, said about it. 
The Resilient Teacher is a 6-month Group Coaching Program for teachers who want to not just survive in this modern education system but learn to thrive and put themselves first. 
If this is the year that you finally treat yourself like a person first and a teacher second, and develop those habits that sustain you throughout the term, not just on the school holidays, then I'd love to welcome you into the program. 
We start Tuesday evening! 
Enrol here: www.selfcareforteachers.com.au/resilientteacher 
(live link in @selfcareforteachers bio)
What would more wellbeing and resilience look like for you this year? 
🍎 Having more energy for day to day life?
🍎 Feeling less stressed and overwhelmed, more calm and collected?
🍎 Having a life outside school?
🍎 Being able to actually switch off and sleep through the night?
🍎 Reigniting the joy you once felt in the classroom?
I know the last 2 years have been full on and extremely demanding on already tired teachers. 
I know you are reading this full of uncertainty about what this term will look like for you professionally, let alone the rest of the year.
I know the end of the school holidays can loom large with a sense of the Sunday night blues on steroids.
I also know that this year can be different for you. 
Not necessarily because anything external changes (after all, we can't control the external pressures on us), but because you make the shifts in your own life that make a difference day by day. 
I know there is a way for you to build more resilience as a person first and a teacher second this term and beyond. 
It doesn't happen overnight. There are no quick fixes or magic pills. It's a wicked problem after all. But with realistic and relevant strategies, it can happen.
Despite the huge challenges we face as a profession, when teachers are well and have fuel in their tank, they can do fricken anything. 
Yes, it’s much easier to find time for you on the school holidays but it’s possible to incorporate it into your life during the term too. 
My Resilient Teacher Framework offers you 5 areas to focus on to make big improvements in your wellbeing and resilience overall. 
If that sounds like something you’d like to explore and if you’d like support with your wellbeing this year, I invite you to join me in the Resilient Teacher Group Coaching program, enrolling now.
Enrol today: www.selfcareforteachers.com.au/resilientteacher (link in my bio)
The Resilient Teacher Coaching Program starts on Saturday. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
I know you might feel like it’s not the best time to start. You've just come back from school holidays, you're feeling relatively refreshed, and there's just so much schoolwork to do.⁠⁠
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But let's not delude ourselves that any other part of the year is any less busy, or that there is a mythical 'perfect time' to begin a program like this. ⁠⁠
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If not now, when? ⁠⁠
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Do you need to wait until the end of next term, or the end of the year, until you're fully depleted again, to decide that it's time to make a change?⁠⁠
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Are you SO ready for this to be the time you get off the Depletion Spiral once and for all, and become the Resilient Teacher you long to be? ⁠⁠
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It's not easy, I know. ⁠⁠
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There are no quick fixes and I won't promise you any overnight transformations. That's now how this works. ⁠⁠
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All the info you need to get started is in the webinar (replay available until 31st Jan), but building resilience takes more than just information. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
You have to take action. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
With the right support around you, you can finally keep you and your needs on the to-do list, stick to your healthy habits, nourish your body, nurture your mind, maintain your support networks, design your life and feed your soul.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Heading into this school year, it is not the time to be complacent about your personal wellbeing and resilience.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
You are a PERSON first and a teacher second.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
It's time to be proactive and solutions-focused, and I want to help you do so.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
The Resilient Teacher is a 6-month Group Coaching Program for teachers who want to not just survive in this modern education system, but actually enjoy work and life again.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
And if this year is the time that you finally prioritise your health and wellbeing, stop falling down The Depletion Spiral and wind your way up the Resilience Spiral?⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Then I invite you to join me in The Resilient Teacher Group Coaching Program.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
We start on Saturday (or Tuesday 1st Feb if you choose that cohort). Are you in?⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Enrol here: www.selfcareforteachers.com.au/resilientteacher⁠⁠
(live link in @selfcareforteachers bio)
We all know what day it is. I'm of the belief that if it's causing pain to an important part of our population, then as an inclusive society, we should listen and do something about that. ⁠
⁠
Unfortunately, whether or not Australia is an inclusive society generally depends on who you are (which means it's not really inclusive at all). ⁠
⁠⁠
Anyway, I don't want to centre myself in this conversation. Plenty of First Nations voices to listen to on this matter. I do, however, want to make my values very clear to anyone following. ⁠
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Inclusion. Equity. Justice. Believing people when they share their lived experiences and explain how things impact them.⁠
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These are things I value deeply and for everyone, not just for a select few. ⁠
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I live and work on the land of the Giabal people in Toowoomba. I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. ⁠
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I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, always will be Aboriginal land, and today is #notthedatetocelebrate
One thing I want you to remember is that this term, whatever it ends up being, will not be the 'be all, end all' of education for your students.
There are some messages flying around, perpetuated by politicians, media personalities and regular folk in comment sections, expecting teachers to sacrifice even more than usual. 
And yes, sure, it's going to be tough and you'll need to rise to the occasion, as you always do. 
But there is gaslighting going on about this back to school being 'make or break' for Australian students. 
In case you don't know, gaslighting is defined as