Read about 3 empowering mindset shifts for teachers that will help improve your life for the better.
Life in the classroom can be challenging at the best of times, but now! Oh boy, are there some learning curves. This is where your mindset is so important.
When I first started teaching I was full of excitement, hope and expectation. All these things filled me with energy to go into the classroom each and every day and feel like I was changing the world – one student at a time!
But, do you know, as the years wore on, with the energy drain, the massive workload, and all the demands on my shoulders, it all started to wear thin – my positivity and my teaching lifeblood started to crumble.
The next thing I noticed was, I had slipped into a really negative state – I had let the stress get to me and the burden was now weighing me down.
Long story short, I allowed myself to burnout and along with that, my whole outlook became very fixed, dark and honesty ‘yucky!’ I probably wasn’t very nice to be around because all of this ‘yuck’ just poured out of my mouth to anyone who would listen.
This is when I discovered the power of controlling my thoughts, my emotions and my mindset. I had a HUGE awakening!
I realised how important it was for us as teachers to learn to manage our energy and protect our thoughts.
So this post is about the important part of protecting your mind, as a teacher.
And specifically, the 3 most important mindset shifts for teachers you can make, especially if you’ve found yourself slipping into the spiral of stress, negativity and burnout, as I had.
Just like this picture says – If you continue to have the same old thinking – you get the same old results.
I’m hoping my words will help you make a positive shift in your life because if I’d known what I’m sharing with you, I don’t think I would have crashed as badly as I did.
Send for the FREE Positive Affirmations for TEachers. Get it in the Resource Library with so many other helpful printables to work smarter (Plus much more!):
Mindset shifts for Teachers No. 1: Teaching isn’t your life, it’s your job
This is a tough mindset shift for teachers to make because often, we think our job is who we are as a person. We can get so wrapped up in our role that it takes over our lives – we seem to only hang around with other teachers (because ‘they’re the only ones that understand us’) and we just talk about teaching ALL. THE. TIME. Ask my husband!
I was stuck in this trap for a LONG time.
Do you know what I realised?– only after burning out and having a mental breakdown with it – that I’m MORE THAN a teacher! — I’m a wife and partner, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a blogger and online content creator and finally a teacher. (And this doesn’t include all the other passions in my life either!) Thank you, Brene Brown, for your insights in your book, The Gifts of Imperfection, and making me see this!
And I realised it’s OK to have a life outside of teaching.
I realised that there’s so much more to ME than this.
Unfortunately, there was a time when I felt so guilty on the weekends when I wasn’t planning or getting ready for school or marking or laminating or doing anything towards my job. HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!
Do you relate?
Unfortunately for me, it took over 12 months away from the job, I originally loved; as well as lots of soul-searching and LOTS of reading/study, to develop this understanding.
So, out of all this, I want you to know, whatever you can do to ‘get’ what I’m saying, DO IT! Because TEACHING IS NOT YOUR LIFE!
And, if you need to take some time away from it to work this out (before it takes a too big of a toll on you), DO THIS TOO!
Intention becomes Action:
To start the process and to begin reconnecting with who you are as a person, (outside of teaching) answer these questions?
- What makes you light up when you think or talk about it?
- What do you enjoy to do outside of school?
- How can you do more of what you love every day?
Mindset shifts for Teachers No. 2: You can’t do it all
This mindset shift follows nicely along from the previous one.
For many years, I struggled to get through my massive to-do list each and every week. I worked on becoming as productive as I could with my time, (which I think it’s important for any teacher to do) and I loved time-saving tips too — I even took courses to help manage my time and reduce my working hours, all in an effort to assist me to cope with my workload.
The sad thing is, I’d often hear colleagues say – that even if you worked 24 hours a day as a teacher, it would never feel like you were doing enough. They’d even joke about setting a camp bed at school, so they could keep working as long as possible. Oh, dear!
But, do you know what I realised?
I needed to reframe my thinking about TIME or the LACK OF IT.
Teachers can be so burdened with how much they have to do and get through each week (and honestly this is warranted). It can weigh you down and then you can take on the misconception that you’re not doing enough. This, in turn, makes you ineffective.
Well ladies, this has got to change!
Remember, there are only 24 hours in a day and while we can certainly learn to be better managers of these hours to get more things done in the time we have — (which is really just becoming a better steward of our time), we can’t create any extra hours in the day!
If you’re weighed down and so overwhelmed with your to-do list and overburdened with how many tasks you have to complete in your day, this is when you need to SHIFT your thinking.
Start realising, that with just a little mindset shift – YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL and EVERYTHING GETS DONE AT THE RIGHT TIME – and then your outlook about your teaching job will change for the better! (and it will lessen the load on your shoulders and mind, that’s for sure).
Intention becomes action:
- Start saying these reframe statements out loud each day – I can’t do it all and Everything gets done at the right time.
- Use this effective to-do list system to learn to manage your workload and your to-do list.
Get other great helpful resources from the FREE Teacher Library HERE:
Mindset shifts for Teachers No. 3: Good enough is OK
This shift is about reframing your perception about perfectionism.
This is a BIG mind shift that I needed to make personally, and I also think it’s needed for many teachers to make too – this is that GOOD ENOUGH IS OK!
Think about this: As humans, we’re NEVER truly perfect.
We can strive to be perfect, but I don’t think we’ll ever get there! (Thanks Brene😀)
In saying that, to get to this realisation, I think it will take a big adjustment of your thinking, especially if you’re a perfectionist like I was!
Yes, I know that we all want to do the VERY BEST in all that we do. But, according to Brene, this is not perfectionism. She states that ‘perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth’ … She believes that if we ‘live perfect, look perfect and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement and shame’…and ‘at its core, it’s trying to earn approval and acceptance’ or filling the deficit in our self-worth.
I learnt this the hard way.
Many a time I suffered from ‘Imposter Syndrome’ as a teacher. I worried that what I was doing wasn’t enough. That people around me would ‘find me out’ or see that I didn’t know what I was doing and I’d be in ‘trouble’.
I’ve since found out that Imposter Syndrome is felt by many professionals, but often it’s seated into our feelings of lack in own personal self-worth too.
Sometimes, we try to look perfect on the outside and have our classrooms ‘Pinterest perfect‘ or even have our student assessment data be the best of everyone’s.
But do you know that when we’re striving for these result just to please other people or to gain their approval or take actions based on what others think, this is not healthy and is certainly not sustainable as a teacher?
IT’S A FAST-TRACK TO BURNING OUT!
You don’t need to do things in your life in the classroom to feel worthy.
Make your work about your students. (and I know you do, so don’t misunderstand me). Take the focus off yourself and realise that if it’s ‘good enough for them,’ that it’s good enough for you too!
This is pretty deep stuff – and what I’ve found out, these types of mindset shifts often don’t come easy to us… SO let it sink in for a bit…consider your motives and stop getting caught in the perfectionist trap!
Intention becomes action:
- Reuse lesson plans, classroom resources or other materials, from previous year’s work, so you don’t have to make new ones – if they work, why not use them again?
- Leave your display boards blank at the beginning of the year. Only add material when you use it in class and when your students know what it is and what it’s for.
In conclusion – Mindset Shifts for Teachers
In closing, I hope my words in this article have made you think.
I also hope that you’ll consider choosing even just ONE of these 3 big mindset shifts for teachers to implement – to help improve your life and make teaching much more sustainable, more enjoyable and get you out of that burnout spiral. They can really be so empowering!!
Good luck!
Michelle x
More Helpful Articles:
- 6 Important Lessons I Learned from Teacher Burnout
- How to Enjoy Your Life with 9 Relaxing Hobbies for Teachers
- 6 Easy Holiday Energy Boosters for Teachers
- The Benefits of Fostering a Growth Mindset for Teachers
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