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The 3 steps to ending the back-to-school stress

So remember the first step was, “Why am I stressed?” For the first example, you realize, “I'm worried about what people will think of me. I'm worried about what my administrator will think. I'm worried about what my students will think. I'm really worried about whether or not people are going to like me as a teacher.” So if that's the issue, how would you work through this?

The next step is to look at the stress through the lens of the Gospel. Sticking with the example, the reality is that I work for God, not man. My worth is not in whether or not people think I'm a good teacher or whether they like me the most. I need to have the realization that my worth is in Christ. I can be firm and confident in him. In that way I can show up for work, ready to pour into my students and colleagues, rather than needing their validation and getting stressed when I'm not getting it.

The final step is about the practical. Are there any areas I've struggled with in the past that I do need to improve in? In the past, I’ve worried about whether or not my students think I'm a good teacher.  

So I might ask myself, “Okay, are there any specific areas where I honestly do need to improve a little bit?” If I can think of one, then I can seek out solutions or training, like our Teach4theHeart+ program, where we help teachers with a variety of struggles like classroom management, balance, engagement, and so much more. So there's an example if you're worried about what people think.

2. i'm worried about student behaviors

Let's go through this with another example. At step one, analyze why you're stressed. Let’s say the answer is, "I'm actually really worried about student behaviors. I don't know if my students are going to listen to me. I don't know if they are going to behave. I don't know if they're going to do the work."

So now let’s go through the spiritual piece. Am I thinking correctly about this? I might think about it and say, “I am worried about this because I really want to do a good job and I want my students to behave, but I think I'm actually tying my value as a person and as a teacher to how the students behave. And that shouldn't be. My identity is not in whether or not my students behave.”

Once again, as with the other example, my identity and worth is in Christ. I'm here to serve him by serving my students in helping them succeed. I do want to see my students behave for their sakes so that they can learn, and for the sake of our classroom environment, but I need to be careful about feeling like my students' behavior is somehow tied to my worth. 

Then let's move on to practical. Thinking practically, I did struggle with this a lot last year, so I think I actually need to make some changes. Let me sit down and think through what I want to do differently, so I can set up a situation that's good for my students. If I’m focused on what's good for my students and not having my worth tied up in that, that frees me to look for solutions with less stress attached to it.

Once again, I can go seek out specific solutions. I can ask a colleague, I can talk to my administrator, I can go online. If this is your situation, we have a free training called How to Reduce Disruptions Without Yelling, Begging or Bribing. You can get it here. 

3. I'm stressed because there's too much on my to-do list

If I analyze why am I stressed, it might be because there is so much to do and I don't feel like I have time for it. Maybe there’s another layer, like I didn't get enough rest. 

Now let’s think through the spiritual. I'm so stressed about this, but the reality is that God has given me this work to do. He has called me to do my best in each moment, but he has not called me to overwork. He hasn't called me to anxiety, so if I'm this stressed about my work, something's off. I might ask myself the question, “Am I placing too much of my value in whether or not I finish my to-do list? Am I putting my to-do list in too high of a place? Do I need to do all the things on my to-do list, or are some of these here to impress other people that I don't really need to impress?”

This thinking through, it's going to look different for everybody, but maybe your conclusion is, “I need to trust God that it either doesn't need to get done or there will be time to do it another time.”

Now it’s time for the practical. Okay, if I feel like I have more to do than I have time to do it, I need to get clarity and make sure I'm spending my time on the things that really matter. So when I'm feeling like this, what I like to do is a brain dump, which means write down on paper everything that is in my mind that I feel like I have to do. Then organize it by putting a star by things that are most important. 

Now do you need to do everything on this list? If the answer is “no,” choose to cross them out now because you know you don’t have time for them. We call that trash in the 4T system. 

Now are there things that I can trim because my time is limited? For example, for decorating my classroom, I was going to make these elaborate bulletin boards, but can I just put up some posters and have the kids create something with this bulletin board later? That can cut down on a lot of work. So there are things that we can trim and make a lot simpler, do less of them, or do a quicker version.

Finally, make  a to-do list for the day and focus on one thing at a time. This helps you not waste time feeling stressed and allows you to  get right to work.

By the way, if you are looking to save even more time, check out our FREE webinar:   5 Time-Saving Practices to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed. Or, get the all-in-one solution with the course: Reclaim Your Time 101. In just a few short weeks, you'll cut 5-10 hours off your workweek, dramatically reduce your stress, & unbury yourself from overwhelm!

4. I'm stressed because of controversial issues

The last example is a common one. I'm worried about controversial issues in my school, or social or political differences. There are a lot of hot button issues right now. 

This is a tricky one and I know it's on a lot of your minds. To be honest, I don't think any of these things are going away anytime soon. So let's think about them. Why are you stressed? Is there a specific situation that you're worried about that actually exists, or are you stressing about hypothetical situations?

That is a helpful differentiator in your mind because if you're stressed about a specific actual situation that is happening, then you can address that specific situation. If you're stressed about a hypothetical situation, you can still address it, but you need to be careful about allowing yourself to stress out so much about something that's only hypothetical. So that's a helpful differentiator.

Now let's think about the mindset or spiritual piece of this. Here are some good questions that you might ask, “Am I placing too much value in being comfortable in this world? Or do I understand that God's kingdom and his work involve trial and difficulty?"

For a while, we as Christians, particularly in America, have been pretty comfortable. But more and more, the beliefs of the Bible do not match what society is saying. Is that stressing me out because I'm placing too much value in my comfort? Am I really worried about the kingdom of God? Or am I just worried because I want to be comfortable? That's a hard question, but honestly I think a lot of our stress in these areas comes from, "I don't want to have to deal with this."

And that's normal, but that's not what we see in Scripture. In Scripture, we see God has called us. We are aliens and strangers. It's not going to be easy. The fact that it's been so easy for so long, that's the anomaly. We are now entering more of a reality of what is normal for the church and what is happening all over the world. And we're not even there yet.

Now I have another question. Am I resting in God's sovereignty? In other words, do I truly believe and act on the belief that God is in control, that he knows what's going on and he's allowing big and small situations for a reason? Do I rest in that? Or am I somehow worried what's happening is almost like we're losing the battle? Remember, God has already won. I don't have to worry about God's purposes and plans being messed up because of the craziness going on in our society. God is not threatened by any of that.

Another question is, “Am I trusting that God will guide me if and when I face these tough situations? And if it does happen, can I trust that God will guide me through that?”

As for the practical, especially if you have a specific situation or you are anticipating a specific situation, seek advice. Seek advice from a pastor, trusted friends, and the church community about the specific situations you're concerned about. Real life relationships are the best place to explore tough questions like this, especially within the church where God has placed you. Reach out to people, open up a little bit, and seek advice about specific situations.

Real life relationships are definitely the best place to explore tough questions like this, but we do also have a Facebook group. That does not replace real life, but sometimes it's helpful to ask in that format as well. There are a lot of like-minded people there. So if you're not part of our Facebook group, you can join here. 

Another wonderful resource if these are the types of things you're concerned about is Christian Educators. They are a wonderful organization that specializes in helping teachers with a variety of situations like this. You can find out more about Christian Educators here. 

I believe this is going to be a great year for you. That doesn’t mean everything's going to be easy and there won’t be trials. But God is good and he loves you, so whatever he brings into this school year, good or bad, hard or easy it will be exactly what you need and he's going to use you. Let's trust in him, and walk in the steps that he has put before us. 

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What is hurry sickness? 

According to John Mark Comer's book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, hurry sickness is "a behavior pattern characterized by continual rushing and anxiousness" or "a continuous struggle and unremitting attempt to accomplish or achieve more and more things or participate in more and more events using less and less time." Doesn't that sound like our field of education? Doing more and more with less and less time?

Comer goes on to say that hurry is a form of violence against our souls. We were not created to go and go without a break. Teacher souls need to be cared for so we can do the best job God has called us to do for our students. 

The Symptoms of hurry sickness

There are 4 key principles to counteracting busyness.

• Silence and Solitude- There's a lack of quiet in our minds when we're always listening to podcasts, music, etc. and never being comfortable with our own thoughts. There's something powerful about silence and solitude. 
• Sabbath- Adding a true Sabbath- a day completely set aside to rest, delight in life, and connect with God- is revolutionary. Stopping for one entire day may feel foreign, or even impossible, but I promise with creative planning, it's completely possible.
• Simplicity- Use minimalism to simplify your life. Find joy in the simple things.
• Slowing- Specifically make decisions that help us not to hurry, like driving the speed limit or getting in a longer checkout line. These little things signal to our bodies we don't need to go so fast.

The idea of these is hard when we feel so stressed, but this is how we teach ourselves the opposite of what we've normally been doing. It's a way to push back counterculturally.  Hurrying shouldn't be the default setting.

At the end of the day, there's always more to do. You have to choose your pace of life now; you can't wait until your to-do list is empty. 

The idea of margin

Margin is the white space on the edge of a paper. It helps us to be able to see more clearly when reading. Just like paper margins, our lives need white space- wiggle room. 

Margin starts when you leave 10 minutes earlier than you "need" to.

Margin is giving yourself 2 weeks for a big project, working a little each day, instead of doing it all in 2 days.

Margin is praying every morning---then taking time to sit and listen to God as well.

Simply put, margin is intentionally slowing your life down. And often it is where the beauty of life, the best moments for teaching, and unexpected ministry show up!

bonus tools to help

Another resource that can help is Pray & Plan. This planner continually points back to Christ.

There are moments of prayer and stillness woven into the design. 
Even the coloring pages are begging teachers to slow down.

Pray & Plan helps with blocking off Sabbath time, setting hours when you are intentionally not working, and making notes to connect with people and God.

If you are craving the slow down (Who isn't these days?), I encourage you to take a thoughtful look at Pray & Plan for a resource to live life a little more abundantly.

Another tool that can help you simplify and build margin is the Reclaim Your Time 101 course. In just a few short weeks you'll cut 5-10 hours off your workweek, dramatically reduce your stress, & unbury yourself from overwhelm. You CAN break the stress cycle and finally enjoy teaching again. 

resources mentioned:

Reclaim Your Time 101

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

How to Un-Hurry Workbook

Pray and Plan

Simplify Your Teacher Life with a Minimalist Approach

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Planner Tips

Both versions of the planner contain the regular planning pages for your to-do list, prayer list, notes, etc. (more about that further down), but there are two versions. One has lesson planning pages and one doesn't. If you do lesson planning on paper, you will want the lesson planning version because it will have everything in one spot for you.  It has 50 extra spreads, one for every week of the year, that allow you to lesson plan right in the planner.  But if you don't lesson plan on paper (if you lesson plan on the computer, or if you don't teach regularly and don't actually make lesson plans) then you do not need all those extra pages and you want the version without lesson plans. 

As you look through the planner pages, if you wish you had more of certain pages or maybe less of others, or if you prefer a three ring binder or disc binding, there is a printable version of the planner available. If you want to customize it a little bit to what you want it to be, add your own pages, take some out, etc., the printable version is for you. 

2. decide how to best mark your place

You know if you've used a planner before that you need to be able to find the page you need quickly. So we're really excited to announce that this year we do have a version that has tabs in it for the months. So many of you requested that, so we're excited to offer that as an option this year when you purchase Pray & Plan. But if you choose not to use monthly tabs, then there are some other options. Amazon has movable tabs; they’re pretty affordable and come in a large pack. Check them out here. 

Some teachers love to use a magnetic bookmark to mark the page they are on. Another super simple idea is having paper clips or cutting the corner. Once I'm done with the week, I cut off just a little corner and then I can just put my thumb there and it will go right to the newest page, because all of the previous pages have cut corners. 

3. USE Different colors

This tip came from a couple of our team members to use different colors of pens for different spheres of your life. So you can have a particular color that you use for anything that relates to home and have a different color for things that relate to school. You can also use different colors if you're working on various projects, or clubs, or want to differentiate between different classes. A lot of times it's helpful in our mind to keep these different parts of our life a little bit separate, yet you need everything in one place in your planner. So using different colors for home and school, or for different projects or tasks, can be a way where you can easily see everything at once, but you can have them differentiated as well.

And by the way, our planner does have thick pages, but to make sure that your pens don't smudge or bleed through, we recommend the Zebra Sarasa gel ink pens. In fact, you can read an article about the best pens for planners here. 

4. Start using reflections and brain dumps in the summer

Our planner starts at the beginning of July, and so even though you're not back to school yet at that point, you can start using the reflections already because it's a great habit to get into. The reflection just asks six simple questions:

Concerning the previous month:

• What accomplishment are you most proud of and thankful for? 
• What didn't go well and what will you do differently next time?
• What did you spend too much or too little time on? 

Looking ahead to the next month:

• What's most important to you in this month?
• What's one thing you need to stop doing, or let go of?
• Who should you pray for or connect with this month? 

We also then have a brain dump section, designed for you to clear out your mind and prioritize your to-dos every month. So you brain dump everything that's on your to-do list, both regular and one-off tasks, and then you go through our four "T" process, deciding:

• What am I going to stop doing?
• What am I going to trash?
• What am I going to trim? What am I going to do less of?
• What am I going to get someone to help me with (transfer)?
• What am I going to treasure, to really value? 

If you’ve been following Teach4theHeart for a while, you're familiar with this system, but if not you can find out more about it here.

5. Use the chart to plan your work times each week

We had so many questions about what this chart is for in our last version of Pray & Plan. So there's a chart at the bottom of the weekly spreads, and it's there to help you plan your work time. It has symbols for start, stop, and home. What you do here is plan when you’ll start working each day, when you’re going to stop and head home, and when at home you’re going to work in the evenings (if you do). 

What's great about this chart is that when we sit down and actually decide with intention ahead of time when we're going to work and when we're not, then it provides so much balance and clarity. It helps keep work from overflowing, but it gives you the flexibility to say, “I've got research papers coming up, I'm going to need some time to grade. I'm going to designate Thursday night from 7:00 to 9:00 for working on research papers.” Then your whole family knows and everyone is on the same page. 

6. estimate how long to-do list tasks will take

This is so valuable because when you're sitting down to do the task, it helps you try to keep it in the box of time. If you put down 30 minutes, you're going to try to get it done within 30 minutes. It also helps you be realistic. If you put three hours worth of stuff on Monday and you only have one or two hours to work, that's not realistic. It helps you recognize that ahead of time so you can adjust your plan, rather than trying to get it done and getting frustrated that you can't, when it was never realistic in the first place.

In the planner there are actually two different to-do sections, a weekly to-do and daily to-do, and they're on the same page, so you can see them together. You can choose which you want to use or use both!

7. Put a box around appointments

Taren says, “Put a box around appointments so they stand out from regular to-dos." This makes so much sense because sometimes we put our appointments, like meetings, or doctor's appointments, on our daily to-do list, but they get mixed in with to-dos and we don't realize that we actually have to show up at a certain time at a certain location. So putting a box around them helps them to stand out and make sure they don't blend in and you don't forget them.

8. Use the habit tracker to build healthy habits

This is another new feature of the planner this year. We have a habit tracker section where you can record up to four habits each week that you're working on and check them off. That intentionality alone in choosing to check them off will help you so much to actually build the habit.

9. Record prayer requests or journal prayers in the designated spot

One of my favorite things about Pray & Plan is that it has your to-dos and your prayer life all in one place. We believe our life isn't meant to be fragmented, our faith is meant to be part of everything we do. So there's a spot right here to either jot down prayer requests or to journal a prayer, and there are prayer prompts to help you as well.

10. memorize scripture

You can actually use this planner to help you memorize scripture. There are a couple ways you can do this. There is a spot on the monthly calendar page to choose your own memory verse to write down and memorize. If every time you open your planner to the monthly page, you take just 15 seconds to read that verse, you'll probably have it memorized by the end of the month without even really trying. There's also a verse on each weekly spread, so if you read them every time you look at your planner, chances are you'll have it close to memorized, or at least you'll be meditating on that scripture throughout the week.

11. Use the flexible lesson planning columns to your advantage

If you are using the lesson planning version of Pray & Plan, there is a spread for every week to do your lesson planning. The way the columns are lined up, you can choose to use either four larger columns or eight smaller columns. The nice thing about them is they're all so flexible.

You might need more room to plan certain subjects you teach and then you can use the large columns for that. If you have block classes, you can use the 4 large columns. If you teach 8 classes every day, you can use the 8 smaller columns. So make sure you check that out and if you have any questions about it email us at Linda@teach4theheart.com and we'll be happy to help.

12.  Use the student checklist

In the back of the planner, there are student checklist pages, which are just a chart. You can use them as a grade book if you want, but you can also use them to track data, standards, behavior, mastery, or any other data that you need to track. Those are really flexible and you can use them in a variety of ways.

13. Document parent communication

There's also a place in the planner where you can document parent communication, which is so valuable.  You don't necessarily need to document all emails because you can just save them in a folder electronically. But when you make a phone call, or you talk to someone in person, there's no documentation about this. So the communication log is just a really easy way to jot a quick note of what you talked about, what day you talked about it, and the resolution that you came to.

14. Color (if you want!)

Pray & Plan is designed with plenty of beautiful elements that you can doodle with or color if you'd like. The Pray & Plan is beautiful without coloring it, so you absolutely do not have to color, but if you do enjoy coloring, there are some beautiful elements on the pages. Then there is also a page each month with a Bible verse that you can color if you want.

one last thing

You'll notice we actually have no tips this year about keeping pages from falling out, or keeping the cover from tearing, because we have updated this version of the planner to make it super durable. So it is now spiral bound, and there's practically no way that pages are going to fall out of the spiral. The cover has been upgraded as well to be laminated with an edge seal. I think you'll find it very, very durable.

So we're so excited for you guys to enjoy Pray & Plan and you can check out more about it here. If you have any other tips for how you use Pray & Plan, or just planners in general, we would love to hear your tips, you can add them in the comments.

The colson center

This podcast episode and blog post is sponsored by The Colson Center. Students learn in the classroom for 12 years, but if God isn't part of the discussion during those years, it's not surprising that our students don't see him as a meaningful part of their lives. The Colson Center believes that God is in control of every square inch of creation, including your classroom, so they created a library of free courses for educators that will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills you need to form your worldview, and that of your students. And a bonus, you're eligible to receive several CEU credits for completing these courses. So check out these free courses at Colson Education. 

resources mentioned:

Pray & Plan Planner

Moveable Planner Tabs

Zebra Sarasa gel ink pens

The Best Pens for Planners

4 Powerful Ways to Tame Your To-Do List

The Colson Center

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something has to change

A queen bee role (also called “QBR”) is a recognition that there is a function within every organization that is its most important function. If you can recognize that function and then prioritize it, that will make or break your success. Mike Michalowicz came up with this concept by observing how bee colonies work because they are incredibly efficient. 

Here is an excerpt from Michalowicz's Clockwork book:

"Number one, a hive has a queen bee and her role is to lay eggs. The task of laying eggs is the queen bee role. If the queen bee role is humming along, eggs are laid and the colony is positioned to grow fast and easily. If the queen bee is not fulfilling her role of laying eggs, the entire hive is in jeopardy. 

Number two, every bee knows the most critical function for the colony to thrive is the production of eggs. So the queen bee, who is designed to fulfill that role, is protected and served. She is fed. She is sheltered. She is not distracted by anything other than doing her job.

Number three, don't confuse the queen bee as being the most important part of the colony. It is the role she serves that is most important. Eggs need to be made quickly and continually. One specific queen or another is not critical, the queen bee role is what is critical. So if the queen bee dies or is failing to produce eggs, the colony will immediately get to work spawning another queen bee so the queen bee role can get going again.

Number four, whenever the bees are satisfied that the queen bee role is being served, then they go off to do their primary drop, which could be collecting pollen and nectar, food, caring for the eggs and larvae, maintaining the hive temperature, or defending the hive from being exploited… After learning bee hive skills so efficiently, I had the aha moment of a lifetime. I realized that declaring and serving the queen bee role would radically improve any business and quality of life."

the emergency room example

How does this apply to organizations? He gives an example from an emergency room that started applying this concept. They asked themselves, "Okay, what is the most important thing that is being done?" And they realized it was doctors treating patients.

They said, "Okay, that is the critical function of our ER. What if we rearranged our workflow so that that was prioritized and protected?" So the doctors were only doing what only they can do- the nurse can't be the doctor, the receptionist can't be the doctor. Only the doctors can do that. But the doctors had been taking up so much time with paperwork and dictation, and other things that they didn’t need to be the ones to do. 

They rearranged their ER, so that the role of doctors seeing patients was prioritized, and everyone in the ER worked to clear space for the doctors to do what only they could do. The doctors prioritized doing the piece only they could do and let other people take the other part. And before they knew it, the ER was humming so efficiently. You came in, you got seen, you got out. It was incredible. So that's the idea of how this works. 

USING THE queen bee role to prevent teacher burnout

I hope to come back to this in the future. But once again, the main goal of this episode is to get you thinking and to get you to ask this core question: What would it look like if we recognized helping students learn as the queen bee role in our school and we started supporting it however we can and protecting it at all costs?

If we can start taking small, but consistent, steps in this direction, we can hopefully avoid the possible educational apocalypse of teachers leaving the education field in mass that is potentially lurking around the corner and move education in a better direction. 

If you need more help with work/life balance, time management, and mindset shifts, please join us in the Teach 4 the Heart+ program. We have an amazing community where we can discuss these important issues! 

resources mentioned:

Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Michael Michalowicz

Teach 4 the Heart+

Class disruptions wrecking your focus? 

Even the best intentions and the BEST plans can go off the rails when disruptions occur. Spending extra time (and energy) to adjust to outbursts and negative behaviors can leave you overwhelmed and behind schedule.

Get help in our FREE training: How to Reduce Disruptions without Yelling, Begging, or Bribing.

Get the free training here.

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how to save time

Here are some things teachers have stopped doing altogether to save time:

• Correcting students' work- Some teachers have stopped correcting student mistakes on test while grading. This is something students can do themselves, even as an assignment.
• Extra roles their hearts are not in- Responsibilities at home, school, or church that you said "yes" to out of guilt and have decided are not the best use of your time can be stopped. 
• Giving and grading homework- Some teachers don't give homework at all anymore.
• Making PowerPoints- Creating PowerPoints can use up a lot of time.
• Video editing- Leaving the mistakes in your video and letting them be raw and simple can save so much time compared to making them perfect. 
• Changing bulletin boards or classroom décor- You can leave the same one up for the year.
• Keeping a paper gradebook back-up- Just have one gradebook.
• Grocery shopping- Use InstaCart or something similar to do grocery shopping for you. 

"Trim" examples

Here are some examples of things teachers are doing way less often:

• Grading-  No teacher should be grading everything and almost every teacher could grade less than they currently do.
• Emails- Commit to checking your email 1-2 times a day instead of all through the day. Remove email from your phone so you're less likely to check it on evenings and weekends. 
• Social Media- Put specific boundaries around your time spent here. 
• Sending a classroom newsletter- Some have stopped doing it altogether and others have switched to sending one every other week.
• Lesson-planning- One simple tip is using a timer to give yourself a deadline so you can stay focused and not go down a rabbit hole. 
• PowerPoints- Instead of getting rid of them completely as above, some teachers are making them much more simplified and not elaborate. 
• Dinner- Make two day meals, for example, double the recipe and make the meal for both Monday and Wednesday. 

"Transfer" examples

These are tasks teachers are transferring to other people. Note that these will always take some training in the beginning, but if you can train someone in the beginning of the year and they can do that task for you the entire year, it's definitely worth it. Wondering how to train someone efficiently? You'll want to check out Tame Your To-Do List that goes into a lot of detail about this. 

• Tutoring- Sometimes parent volunteers or older students can help tutor.
• Newsletter- A parent volunteer or paraprofessional could create your newsletter.
• Grading- Students can exchange and grade smaller assignments or an adult helper can take over.
• Cleaning the classroom- Students can be trained on these procedures. 
• Decorating the classroom- Instead of stopping completely, you can transfer this to students or parent volunteers.
• Setting up or tearing down- If you have labs or activities that require a lot of set up and tear down, transfer that task.
• Planning classroom parties- A parent volunteer or room mom can plan and coordinate all the parties. 
• Making copies- A parent or student can help with this.
• Monitoring zoom or small groups- A parent or paraprofessional can help monitor. 
• Creating review games- Students can often help with this by creating questions for the review game. It can be a whole class assignment.
• Household tasks- Is the home all your responsibility? Or are your roommates or family members helping? You can divide household tasks with your spouse and even children.
• Classroom library organization- A student or two can be in charge of this.
• Answering the classroom phone- A teacher has a student answer the phone and then relay the message. 

We don't expect anyone to stop doing all of these things, but hopefully you got some ideas for what to stop doing to get some time back. If you're nervous about dropping any of these tasks, think of it as a temporary experiment where you just try it and see how it goes. 

What have you stopped doing? Share in the comments to help your fellow teachers!

Transfer EVEN MORE by delegating meaningful classroom jobs to students!

Meaningful classroom jobs not only save you time and energy but also give ownership & responsibility back to your students.

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If you're really struggling with time management, consider enrolling in the Reclaim Your Time 101 course from Teach 4 the Heart. This workshop-style course takes you from stressed & frazzled to prepared & energized - in just one afternoon!

Learn more and sign up for Reclaim Your Time 101 HERE.

resources mentioned:

4 Powerful Ways to Tame Your To-Do List

Reclaim Your Time 101

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1. Start your day with beautiful routines

2. Keep the chaos at bay

There have been multiple studies about how chaos and clutter trigger stress hormones in us, especially if you are a woman. If you have child(ren) over the age of 3 and/or a spouse, you can start delegating! Everyone in your home can work together as a team. Whiteboards and corkboards all over the house can help with organizing things- keeping the shopping list updated, assigning chores, etc.

Boundaries are hard to set, but are very important for keeping the chaos at bay. If you are asked to do something, set a date in the future to help with that task. 

Setting classroom procedures helps everything run smoothly. Delegate tasks to your students in the classroom as well. Just as you would declutter at home, declutter at school. If you need help with decluttering and minimizing, check out the blog post Simplify Your Teacher Life With a Minimalist Approach. 

3. Identify and change your thinking about joy killers

No matter how much you plan and prepare for each school day, how long you’ve been teaching, or how great your morning routine is- there is always that one student, that one class, that one day, that one week, or that one year that brings extra challenges. My students' behavior used to determine if I had a good day or a bad day. That was not fair to me OR my students! Here’s what I learned from one very challenging class period:

• The rough moments are the times when I can show the love of Christ the most.
• There is nothing that grows my joy more than “being an imitator of God.” (Ephesians 1:5)
• Grace does not mean allowing misbehavior.
• Consistency is really important.
• My bad mood only makes me a “target” for students (especially older students).
• I get to choose how I respond.
• Rough moments are GOLD. (James 1)
• Separate the students from the behavior.

To counteract the joy killers, "be where your feet are." That means being present in the moment. Learn from yesterday, but don’t live there. Each day needs a fresh start and your students need your full presence.

4. bring in the good stuff

Gratitude is a practice that goes so far. Bring it into your classrooms and help your students recognize it, too. 

It’s also important to practice self-care. What do you do to take care of yourself? Take time for your hobbies, whatever it is that you enjoy. Bring what you enjoy into the classroom, so that your teaching is authentically YOU. Maybe that means bringing in music or talking about your family. Spend time with your friends. Get the amount of sleep your body needs. Finally, spend time in nature! 

5. Pivot any time you need to

Do not let shame hold you back. Be brave and make the changes you need to. Listen to the Holy Spirit's leading. When you do that, it shows others what big things God is doing in your life. Sometimes you have to pivot to teach with joy! 

This podcast episode was originally a summit session at our 2020 Rise Up Christian Educator's Summit. We are happy to announce that the Rise Up Online Conference will be returning again in October. Learn more at: Rise Up Christian Educator's Summit. 

resources mentioned:

50 Classroom Procedures that Will Save Your Sanity

Simplify Your Teacher Life With a Minimalist Approach

Rise Up Christian Educator's Summit

How to Reduce Disruptions Without Yelling, Begging, or Bribing

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The 4 Time-Management Strategies

resources mentioned:

Angela Watson's 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club

Free webinar: 5 Time-Saving Practices to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

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practical planning strategies

planning strategies for your spiritual life

I love how we integrate practical planning with our spiritual walk and put them side-by-side in Pray and Plan. Whatever system you use, you can include the spiritual.

6. Renew your mind with Scripture- There’s a Scripture verse at the beginning of each week’s planning in Pray and Plan. We look at our to-do list every day, so it’s a great way to keep God’s Word in our hearts. You can add Scripture to whatever planning method you use. 

7. Integrate prayer into your planning- Before you plan, pray that God would direct and guide you and show you what He has for you this week. Pray and Plan also has spaces to write prayer requests or journal prayers. The prayer section is right next to the weekly and daily to-do list so it gets prioritized and not lost in the busyness of daily life.

8. Choose a memory verse- Each month, Pray and Plan has a spot to choose and write down a memory verse. The goal is that you’re looking at this verse throughout the month, so you’ll probably have it memorized at the end of the month without much extra effort. I have found so much help from memorizing Scripture and actively focusing on it. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, but it can be so valuable. 

We hope you find these planning strategies helpful! If you want to incorporate all of them and have the formats already created for you, please check out our Pray and Plan planner. 

Check out Pray & Plan here.

resources mentioned:

4 Powerful Ways to Tame Your To-Do List

Pray and Plan

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Here are some of the key points discussed in this episode; listen above for more details:

Different types of burnout 

• To hear Linda's story of burnout, go to the Burned In Teacher podcast episode Classroom Management Solutions with Linda Kardamis. 
• Amber's personal story of burnout. (8:32)
• “Rather than looking at burnout as a sentence, I really needed to pay closer attention to it and to look at it as an opportunity.” (14:23)

combatting burnout

• There are two places that changes need to be made when you experience burnout. (16:00)
  • Yourself- People who are going through burnout often jump to change the environment. But if you haven’t worked on yourself first, you’re going to carry those beliefs and habits into your next school or job.
  • Your Environment
• Burnout can manifest differently according to personality type. (17:40)
• There are different stages of burnout. (21:07)
• "We have to stop the teacher narrative of 'Well, good teachers exhaust themselves. Good teachers are always overwhelmed. This is just the way it is.' We have to say, 'Enough' and give ourselves permission to say 'No, I refuse to live this one life that I have settling for overwhelm and frustration and anxiety and sadness as my reality every day.'” (27:32)
• Teachers should take action when they feel burnout. (28:30)
  • Check out the Burned In Teacher’s resources.
  • Figure out what you need and work on it.
• “I believe that you are capable and you are worthy of a happy and fulfilled life. The challenge is that if you don't believe that yourself, that’s not what you’re going to get.” (35:30)

resources mentioned:

Teacher Burnout Quiz

The Burned In Teacher Podcast Episode Classroom Management Solutions with Linda Kardamis

The Burned In Teacher Website

Teach uplifted

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what the bible says about work

• God instituted the Sabbath rest based on the pattern used in creation. (5:53)
• There's a deep spiritual significance for the Sabbath. (6:28)
• Rest is an act of faith because it encourages us to trust God with our work. (9:45)
• We are called to work heartily for the Lord; we are not called to laziness. (12:40)

what if you're in a "busy season?"

• Sometimes we wait for things to slow down instead of making changes. Consider these questions when you’re in a "busy season:"
  • Is this temporary?
  • How temporary?
  • Can I sustain this pace for this season?
• The answers should  tell you if a change needs to be made.

implementing the ideas of rest from the bible

• If we're not resting, it may be a sign that we are working for man instead of God. It could also reveal that we are getting our fulfillment or our identity from our work. (16:30)
• Grinding, overwork, and laziness are not of God. Make a decision to work in partnership with God. You can find out more about this idea from our episode, "Grace Over Grind." (18:23)
• Choose at the start of each week when you will and won't work. (19:15)
• When you feel stressed, go to God. Choose to pray and trust Him, rather than being anxious. (21:33)
• When you have time off, try not to think about work. Pray about it instead. (22:23)

resources mentioned:

Grace Over Grind: Eliminate Teacher Stress by Working in God's Grace

We are excited to announce that many of these ideas will be reflected in Pray & Plan, our new planner to help teachers prioritize what matters most - at school, at home, & in their personal lives.

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This article may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase a resource after clicking the link, Teach 4 the Heart may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping support Teach 4 the Heart in this way.