There’s no doubt that maintaining teacher well-being is vital. Not only for our own mental health, but for that of our families and the pupils we care for. School closures as a result of the global pandemic has meant that all known routines have been lost in the uncertainty; confusion of what lies ahead is difficult to comprehend. Maintaining your well-being throughout this time will not only help whilst you adapt to your new day to day practice, but also make the transition back to your usual routine much easier when the time eventually comes to head back into school.

Here are four ways you can do that:

Keep whole team morale high

Even in school, keeping team morale high is no easy task. Therefore, working remotely brings twice the challenge. It can be done though.

Streamline and minimise workload: if it has very little impact during this time, then why do it? The power of positivity goes a long way. Connect and check-in regularly with others to ensure every member of the team feels valued and respected. Send a virtual smile where possible: it’s amazing what a boost like that can do. If you’re a team that regularly gets together for meetings or social events, don’t stop now. Maintain the team mentality by meeting and socialising virtually to share experiences and lessons learnt. Can you set up a virtual staffroom?

Boost your motivation

Self motivation is tough, especially when you’re stuck at home. If you’re lacking the drive to do things then ‘buddy-up’ with a fellow teacher so you can motivate each other. Daily check-ins to discuss your tasks or by sending funny and inspiring content to each other can give you a little lift to get you in gear.

Don’t get overwhelmed with long to-do lists, focus on three main tasks to complete for the day. Set yourself little rewards for completing your tasks: an hour watching your favourite show, a nice bubble bath or a video call with your family, for example.

Stay healthy

Keep yourself as healthy as possible, both physically and mentally. It’s easy to let things slide when your routine does. Build a new, temporary routine to get you through the coming weeks.

Take time to unplug, not just from technology, but from everyday distractions. Mindfulness can help. Making your environment more positive and strengthen relationships with others during this time. It will help reduce stress.

Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants and squeeze in a workout when you can. Take advantage of your new sleep pattern too, no commute means more time to rest. You’ll be less grumpy and more productive…

Improve your productivity

Learn to manage your time better, boost your efficiency and ultimately make your life easier. Setting blocks of time is a great way to be more productive. Set realistic goals, minimise distractions and focus on one individual task for a short time. Follow that with a break to do something nice.
Don’t reinvent the wheel, take something that worked well in school and adapt it for home learning. Reach out to others to find the best resources and planning that have worked well for them. Social media is a great place for this. Find more productivity tips here.

Don’t forget, Pobble.com has thousands of teaching ideas to support you.

Written by Anna Whiteley

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