Damon Lewis, the principal of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., follows the same little ritual every day: The minute he sits in his car to drive home, he switches off the radio and reflects on his day in complete silence.
“I try to remember every conversation I had. In every interaction, what was my tone? What was my body language? Was the message received?” Lewis said during a webinar about self-care for principals hosted by the National Principals Association on March 18. Lewis said the exercise helps him keep work and home separate.
Careful use of his calendar is another tool he relies on to enforce that work-home separation—and to stay organized. To that end, every teacher observation and important conversation goes on Lewis’ calendar.
“If it’s not on the calendar, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “That’s when you get lost in the minutiae and that’s when you find yourself bringing stuff home.”
Educators’ workdays hardly ever end with the last bell. There are lessons to plan, student work to grade, reports to files, and games to coach. And the past several years especially haven’t been easy: Student misbehavior has been on the rise, chronic absenteeism remains a stubborn problem, and the dual threats of budget cuts and school closures loom large.
Educators need moments of calm—or even joy—to refresh themselves amid the stress. So self-care is important for professionals caring for their students and colleagues. But it’s not always easy to recall a tip or practice from a long-forgotten webinar or conference session on de-stressing and separating work and home life.
That’s why we’ve developed this educator wellness scorecard below. We’ve curated the best tips on how to reenergize yourself, especially during stressful moments at work. See how many you typically follow.
You can:
- Bookmark this page and keep coming back to it.
- Download this scorecard to use in team conversations to brainstorm ideas that promote wellness.
- Place it in a spot in your office that’s always visible to you. That way, you’ll always have a reminder to relax!
