Friday, August 27, 2021

Blog Post #9

What are your Core 5?  Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

56 comments:

  1. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?
    My Core 5
    1. My kids
    2. My extended family and friends
    3. Faith
    4. Exercise
    5. Nutrition

    Self-care needs to be essential for educators because we deal with little humans. We make MANY decisions on their behalf every day. Ideally we serve others with patience and kindness. When we are practicing on-going self-care, we give them our best because our cups are full. MANY demands are placed on us and if we don't stay balanced we will reach burnout. Then everyone suffers, including our students.
    My forms of self-care are walking, stretching, listening to music, catching with family and friends, reading and cooking.

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  2. What are your Core 5?
    1. Family
    2. Friends
    3. Pets
    4. Sleep/Mental Health/Health
    5. Home/Work

    Self care is so important as educators. We need to be the best versions of ourselves, so we can give our students our best. Our cups need to be filled every day in order to fill students cups and help them succeed. We need to enrich ourselves so we can enrich others and teach them to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.

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  3. My essential five are:
    1. family and faith
    2. friends
    3. reading
    4. sleep/rest
    5. teaching

    I feel that self-care is important because if you don't take care of yourself, how can you take care of others. My ideas of self-care are getting pedicures with my daughter, reading books of interest and just relaxing spending time with family and friends.

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  4. 1. Husband
    2. Kids
    3. Work
    4. Creativity
    5. Helpful
    I continue to go back and was affirmed in this section that 'your job will be posted before your obituary'. Ensuring your needs are met will make you a better person, spouse, parent, teacher, friend, everything! I am not sure what my care routine should look like, but I am working that out by testing out physical activity, meal planning, and creating routines that help me: reading before bed, watching a show with my husband, calling my sister on the way home from work, making fun plans for the weekend, and putting down my phone in favor of my children. Giving myself permission to fail at these attempts has been tough, but I am keeping in mind progress over perfection!

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  5. My core 5:
    1. Family
    2. Health and wellness
    3. Hobbies, things that bring joy
    4. Sleep, rest
    5. Work, close coworkers
    Self care is important for educators because you can't fill others when your bucket is empty. When you are nourished, happy, rested and taken care of, you can focus more on your job. Think about a time when you were either tired, not feeling well or had some personal thing worrying you, were you the best teacher? No you were probably distracted, irritable and short. When you feel your best, you can be your best.

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  6. My Core 5:
    1. Husband and Kids
    2. Faith
    3. Extended Family - Parents/Siblings
    4. Work
    5. Nature- outside time
    Self care is important for everyone and as educators we give a lot of ourselves everyday to the students in our classrooms. I need to make sure I am taking care of myself, so that I can show up every day and do my job well. My self care activities include reading, walking, relaxing and having down time with my husband/kids.

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  7. My Core 5:
    1. Time with my kids
    2. Time with my husband
    3. church
    4. reading
    5. a hot bath/time in solitude

    Self care is incredibly important to me. My own self-care routine is nothing fancy. It wasn't until I was 37 years old that I found out I have ADHD. This is something I have struggled with my entire life, and finally understand why I am the way I am. That is OK, but I require a great deal of time by myself. As a mom, wife, teacher, and pastor, this does not happen without a great deal of effort. I think each of us knows what we need. Maybe it is a Diet Coke, a quick nap, or a hot bath ( as Sylvia Plath wrote, "There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.). Whatever it is, teachers (and all people) need to take the opportunity for self-care, because we are no good for others without caring for ourselves.

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  8. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    My Core 5:
    Faith
    Family
    Nature
    Homesteading
    Exercise
    Self-care is vital for educators because unless we are our best selves, we can not be best for the children we serve. My essential self-care practices include, finding balance by immersing myself in nature, spending quiet uninterrupted time with my infant grandsons, and baking. In all of these situations, I slow down, sit in silence, and just be!

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  9. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?
    My Core 5 are my relationship with God, relationship with my husband, time with my family, healthy food, and exercise.
    Self-care needs to be a priority for educators because it is very easy to get burnt out-physically, emotionally, and mentally. We have to take care of ourselves in order to show up as our best self and be able to serve and take care of others.
    My essential self-care practices are prayer and meditation, going for walks, doing yoga, meal planning for the week, and having good conversations with family and friends. When I do these things, I feel much more balanced, less anxious, and am in a better mood. The author made some good points about self-care. Before reading this chapter I probably would have said watching shows and eating popcorn was one of my favorite self-care practices!

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  10. My core 5 are:
    1. Family/faith
    2. Health
    3. Rest
    4. Hobbies
    5. Work
    Self- care is important for educators because we are constantly giving and taking care of other peoples' needs. Teaching can also be very overstimulating and exhausting. No matter how we are feeling or what is happening in our personal life, we “perform” and be on for our students. The main ways that I practice self- care are making sure I take care of my health with exercise and getting enough sleep. I also make sure that on most weekends I plan one thing that I can look forward to. This could be a date with my husband, activity with my kids and husband, spending time outside, going out with friends, shopping, a movie, etc. Most school nights I also like to the end the day with a relaxing bath. Keeping organized and being in a clean space also feels like self-care to me.

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  11. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices? My core 5 has changed over the last two years. I start with myself right now (which includes a lot of what could be the core 5-because it works on and addresses mind, body, spirit). I have learned that I am unable to give to others if I have not given to myself first. Family/friends is my second, work and then other commitments. This is more of a broad overview.
    Self care has become crucial for me. As I said I am unable to give to others fully unless I have given to myself. My entire view and focus has changed on taking care of myself. Truthfully, I wish I had learned this earlier.

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  12. 1. Family
    2. Faith/Jesus
    3. Exercise
    4. Extended family/friends
    5. Time Outside
    I think self-care is so important for educators because we are helping students learn their standards for the year and helping them learn how to handle their own emotions while being kind humans. If we are not in the right head space when we get to work, our own patients can wear thin. If I am running on empty, I will not be able to give my students my best. which isn’t far to them.
    Some of the things I do for self-care is spending quality time with family/friends, reading my bible, going to church, or listening to worship music. I also like to exercise; going for a run, stretching, doing yoga, or having a dance party with my girls. I also need to spend time outside. Even during the winter months, I always feel so much better even if I just spend 10-15 minutes outside. I think the sun and the quiet rejuvenates me.

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  13. My Core 5 are:
    1. Faith/Family Relationships
    2. Health/Exercise
    3. Relationships with Friends
    4. Work
    5. Rest
    Self-care is important for everyone. It is especially important for educators because as they say, "you can't pour from an empty cup." We have a classroom of students every single day who need us to create the safe, stable learning environment they deserve.
    Some of my essential self-care practices are: a routine of getting up early in the morning, daily exercise, having good sleep habits, and reading.

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  14. My Core 5 are:

    1. Quality time with my family.
    2. Time to be by myself and recharge
    3. Keeping organized (home and kids stuff)
    4. Being a librarian (work to do list, going to libraries, etc)
    5. Keeping up on the world (sports, pop culture, news, etc)

    Self care needs to be a priority for teachers because our jobs revolve around caring for others. We get tapped out easily because during our job we are not thinking about ourselves, and rarely have the time to do basic things that an office job or other job might have built in time for (an hour lunch, for example). My essential self care practices are doing no work over lunch, arriving and leaving at contract time, reading every day, being present with my kids from 4-7, and getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night.

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  15. My Core 5 are:
    1. Quality time with family
    2. My faith- quiet time to pray and be present
    3. Exercise
    4. Sunshine/time outdoors
    5. Keeping an organized/clean space

    In the world of education, we give absolutely EVERYTHING to others, all day long. The job can not only be mentally exhausting, but physically and emotionally exhausting as well. For eight hours a day, teachers put the needs of others above themselves, either not going to the bathroom when they have to, eating in a 15 minute time frame, and to extreme extend verbal and physical abuse from students. Self-care is so important for teachers because without intentional self-care practices, they may never be put first, and their needs may never be met. You can't reset and be able to be truly present for your students the next day if you haven't taken care of your own needs at some point; at least not in the way they deserve.

    My essential self-care practices include working out before school to get my mind in an energetic, and prepared state to begin the day. It sets the entire tone for the day, and I find myself dragging or being irritable if I am unable to workout. I also like to take time to read in the evenings. A couple times a week, I make sure to take that time to read, because it helps me truly shut my brain off and focus on something entirely different from work. I also have quiet time to pray every single night. It helps me to focus on my day, and put some of my worries into the hands of someone else. Doing this before bed really helps me sleep, and gives me an overwhelming sense of calm and peace to end my day. I also FaceTime my family weekly, and this really improves my mood every single time. I love my family and miss them a lot, so to have time set aside to be able to see them always fills my heart.

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  16. What are your Core 5?
    1- My family
    2- My job
    3-Taking care of my home
    4- Quiet/recharge time
    5- Cleaning/cooking/prepping for the week ahead

    Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators?
    Self care needs to be a priority for educators because we pour into everyone else all week. It's draining at times, overstimulating at other times, rewarding-yes, but mentally exhausting. We answer HUNDREDS of questions a day, putting out little fires as we go, mentally keeping track of a dozen or two little bodies at all times, holding out for a 2 minute bathroom break all day long. Self-care is necessary because we can't pour anything worthwhile out of an empty cup. If we don't take care of ourselves at some point we will suffer from burnout.

    What are your essential self-care practices?
    This isn't an easy question to answer as I feel like I put myself and my needs last on a daily basis. I like a good, hot bubble bath, Greys Anatomy (something about a show from the good old early 2000's makes my heart happy), reading and cleaning my house (it's therapeutic). Listening to 90's country or an audiobook while cleaning toilets and folding towels is my idea of relaxation.

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  17. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    1. Family
    2. Friends
    3.Exercise
    4. Rest
    5. Hobbies

    Self-care needs to be a priority for teachers because we spend all day caring for others. If we don't take the time to care for ourselves, we aren't able to fully be there and care for others. My essentials for self-care are working out before school, listening to podcasts on the commute to and from work, spending 20 minutes reading books I enjoy everyday, and getting outside and being in the sun.

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  18. Core 5:
    Family
    Friends
    Rest
    Hobbies
    Household Tasks

    I would say self care for teachers would be having alone or quiet time. Our jobs can have us feeling needed the entire day. Many of us also go home to families where we are feeling needed there too. Making your planning time or after school time where you can be alone to focus and work I believe is a form of self-care. I also think there can be time at home for it too. My kids are both asleep by 8pm. 8-9pm can be that alone time. I usually give myself a night a month to be with friends and I have my husband do daycare pickup a couple times a month. I also prioritize doing my nails, giving myself time to get fully ready, make myself a lunch, and have breakfast and coffee every morning.

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  19. My Essential 5 are:
    1. Faith and Family
    2. Spouse and Friends
    3. Self Care/ Exercise
    4. Sleep or Downtime
    5. Teaching

    Self care is so important in all parts of life. Outside of my Faith self care; Exercise is a big one for me. I can tell a huge difference when I do not take the time to exercise my body.

    Self care as a teacher is making sure to take the down time or the quiet time. I am the kind of teacher who eats lunch alone. I prefer to close my door, turn on some music and just sit in the peacefulness of my own space. This is a good break halfway through the day to get a good reset in before the second half of my day. Self care is so huge for all aspects of life!

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  20. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    My Core 5:
    1. My husband, daughter, and other family members
    2. Friends
    3. Faith
    4. Hobbies (things that bring joy)
    5. Nature (exercise or outside time)

    Self care has to be a priority for educators to avoid burn-out. Being an educator means that you probably have a to-do list that is never ending. I often feel like my mind and body is never able to shut off. I find myself often thinking about my students, or thinking of lessons, or ways I can improve. I must set aside time to recharge my brain and body so I am able to keep going, and be the best version of myself. My self- care practices include focusing on my core 5. They bring me immense joy and keep me grounded, content, and feeling safe.

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  21. 1. Church and family
    2. hubby
    3. teaching
    4. self care
    5. cooking and cleaning
    I love my family. I love to know what they are doing and what is going on in their lives. I rank them high on my core 5. I love to go to church and find joy in being a part of the family of God. My hubby is also important to me. We have breakfast and supper together each day and enjoy talking about what we all did during the day. I love teaching! WIth all my heart, I give my all each day. WIth each year I think I love it more and more. I find it challenging to find ways to help the kids learn. I love who I teach with, they are so dear to my heart. I pray I may teach a while yet, but I also pray I have enough wisdom to know when to pass the torch and retire. When I wake up in the morning I thank the Lord that I can go teach
    school. I also pray each day that the Lord guides me through the day and helps me teach the students the best I can. So much to be thankful for, the older I get I realize how blessed I am.

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  22. My core 5 are :
    1. Faith and Family
    2. Husband
    3. School (now that my children are grown- otherwise 3 and 4 would be switched around! )
    4. Home
    5. Exercise and Activity
    Although I have the self care listed as the 5 priority, I do realize that it is very important. I actually believe that it falls into every level, because I as am doing the other things, it keeps me active I actually feel better when I can stay busy and active. I do believe rest is also very important in this list, because when I am well rested and feel good, the rest of the things that I prioritize go much better. Many of the self care routines that I employ do involve family and especially my husband. So even though I prioritize these as a core, all of these things are intermingled. It is just really good to stand back and look at the things that I do feel are important in my life and assess to how much of my day is spent doing each activity. I do feel very blessed to have a church, family, and school that are so united that I do not have to put one aside in order to spend time on another.
    A comment in the chapter that really struck me was "To whom am I truly irreplaceable?" That is where I need to concentrate my top Core 5. I do believe that is what I have done in my life, and I pray that I can continue to live that way!

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  23. My essential five are:
    1. family
    2. friends
    3. My Dogs
    4. Myself/Health
    5. work/teaching

    We all need self-care, without it emotionally, mentally and socially I feel will suffer. We need to take care of ourselves health wise and take care of those who mean the most to us. Our self care affects not only our family but it also affect your work and your daily life.

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  24. 1. family
    2. friends
    3. faith
    4. farm
    5.work
    We need self care to be there for our students. School may be the only safe place they have and we may be the only person they feel comfortable with. We need to be ready to deal with what ever comes at us, every moment of the day. All of this is physically and emotionally draining, so we need to take care of our selves so that we can be there for everyone else.

    I don't really have any self care practices as I tend to put everyone else's needs before my own. I love being outside, so now that the weather is nice I do my best to spend time in the garden, mowing, a quick walk or even just sitting in a chair out front.

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  25. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?
    1. Faith
    2. My husband
    3. Family
    4. Health and exercise
    5. Hobbies- reading and outside time
    Self care needs to be a priority for educators because all day at work we are taking care and teaching students who need our care and for us to fill their void mentally, emotionally, and educationally. We cannot fill with an empty cup, so taking care of ourselves is huge! My essential self care practices are therapy, bible study, reading, at home spa nights, taking baths, sitting by the fire, doing crossfit 2-3 times a week, etc.

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  26. 1. Faith
    2. Family
    3. Career
    4. Continued Growth & Learning
    5. Fitness & Hobbies

    For me a morning routine is vital because it allows me to cross off a lot of this list before I am obligated to fulfill the schedule of a work day. It is so nice to get to work and know that I have already accomplished so many of my most important things to start the day. I get to approach the day with my coworkers and students with my own cup filled, allowing me to fill others cups and serve throughout the day as needed.

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  27. 1. Family
    2. Fitness
    3. Healthy Eating
    4. Down Time
    5.Career

    Self Care is very important for teachers that needs to happen year round not just in the summer or breaks. If we can not take care of ourselves how are we to be expected to care for those we teach and set an example that it is important. My self care practices are daily exercise, walks with my kids, I love a good pedicure, and something I've started this year, is not working through my lunch by stepping outside, reading a book, or chatting with coworkers!

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  28. What are your Core 5?
    1. Time with my family (husband and kids)
    2. Being active (walking, bike ride) while being outside
    3. Nutrition
    4. Hobbies
    5. Extended family
    Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators?
    I go back to the quote “You can’t poor from an empty cup”. You have to take care of you first so you can take care of others. Put your oxygen mask on first and also have someone hold you accountable for taking the time for yourself.
    What are your essential self-care practices?
    Being able to go for a walk or have a few hours to myself when it’s been a stressful week. Communicating with my husband that I need my time is crucial. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks before bed, so this allows me to wind down.

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  29. 1. Time with my immediate family (husband, 3 kids).
    2. Exercising.
    3. Time to think/rest/relax.
    4. Healthy meals.
    5. My extended family (parents and siblings).
    Self-care should be a priority for educators because of the continuous work we do ensuring others' needs are being met. If we do not pause to take care of our own needs we will eventually reach burnout and be no good for our students or ourselves. My essential self-care practices are reading murder mysteries, soaking in the tub, and comedy-sitcoms.

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  30. 1. Faith
    2. Relationship with my wife.
    3. My Kids
    4. My parents, siblings, extended family
    5. Time to do relaxing things I enjoy.
    Self-care is important for educators because without self-care we do not have the energy we need to be productive and effective. It takes a lot to properly educate a child and if we are always run down and exhausted we can not do a very good job.
    My essential self-care includes time with family, doing things outdoors, sitting by the bonfire, reading, and most important time in prayer.

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  31. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    1. Faith
    2. My Kids
    3. Work
    4. My family/friends
    5. Time for myself

    I believe self-care can be an easy thing for teachers to put on the back burner because it does seem like there is just a never-ending to-do list at school. But the reality is, there will always be a list, and there will always be more things to add to the list. Whether it is small things like creating a summative assessment or big things like we know a student was just taken into CPS custody for the weekend, and our mind is focused on that kid and our lack of control over the situation, our job is big. However, we can't do a good job at our job if we're not taking care of ourselves first. For me, that's a walk on the bike trail every morning and evening if I can, prayers, coffee, and Wordle every morning before my kids get up. It's peaceful, it's a wonderful way to start the day, and I can always count on it because it's up to me.

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  32. 1. Faith
    2. Family
    3. Friends
    4. Exercise and healthy eating
    5. Farm work

    Self-care needs to be a priority every day for not only educators, but all human beings. If our cup is full, then we will be able to fill the cup of our students and all of those we influence daily. My self-care time includes biking, spending time with my adult children and grandchildren, gardening, singing, playing and listening to music.

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  33. My Core 5:
    *Family
    *Faith
    *Exercise
    *Good nutrition
    *Phone use/Social Medi
    Self-care needs to be a priority, especially for teachers, because there can be a lot of work outside of the work day, stress, taking care of students all day. It is important that we protect our mental health and our overall stress levels in check. Self-care can give us the reset that we need.
    My essential self-care practices are monthly massages, which are a good stress reliever, taking time time alone to pray and reflect on the good things in my life, and I enjoy reading. Books are a wonderful way to leave the world behind.

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  34. My Core 5:
    1. Family & friends
    2. Faith
    3. Diet
    4. Being Active
    5. Hobbies
    Self-care and balance are so important for educators, but everyone else as well. Without self-care and balance, we often find ourselves exhausted and/or getting sick frequently. When we are struggling to keep ourselves together throughout the day, it becomes impossible to give our students what they truly need. Some essential self-care practices that I use are reading, crocheting, walking with my dog, hiking, spending time with my family, and simply sitting and listening to music.

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  35. My Core 5:
    1.relationship with family
    2. faith
    3. friends
    4. health and nutrition
    5. sleep

    It is impossible to give to others if you are empty inside. My self-care are walking, reading, and baking.

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  36. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?
    My core 5:
    1. faith
    2. family
    3. grandparents/extended family
    4. time outdoors
    5. exercise
    Self-care for educators is important because in order to take care of others we need to take care of ourselves. We have to show up rested and ready for the day in order to be the best version of ourselves so that we can help our students become the best version of themselves.
    My essential self-care practices are going for walks with my family, finding quiet time for prayer and adoration, riding bikes, and driving out to the farm where I grew up.

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  37. What are your Core 5?  
    My faith life
    My family and friends
    Eating healthy and exercising
    Work
    Reading
    Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators?
    Self-care is essential for educators, as we consistently devote our time, energy, and attention to our students and schools. Too often, we neglect our own well-being, continually giving of ourselves until we are left depleted—drained of joy and energy. Prioritizing self-care is not a luxury but a necessity to sustain both our personal and professional well-being.

    What are your essential self-care practices?
    After reading this book, there are a few self-care habits I really want to start focusing on. I want to spend more time in God’s Word each day through devotion and quiet reflection. I’m also going to be more intentional about hanging out with family and friends—actually doing things we enjoy, not just sitting around staring at a screen. I want to eat better, get moving more, and just take better care of myself overall. One big change I’m planning for the next school year is to get all my work done before I leave for the day—no more bringing work home. I also want to trade some of my TV time for reading, so I’m feeding my mind instead of just zoning out. These are small shifts, but I know they’ll make a big difference.

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  38. Core 5:
    Family
    Cattle Farming
    Rest
    Health
    Hobbies
    Self care for educators: We need to be at the best we can be as our state of mind/mood impacts all kids. Kids come to school expecting us to lead them in a purposeful, meaningful day of learning. Instilling excitement and desire to learn yet if I'm "off", it's truly the kids who have the consequences.
    Essential Self Care: Being involved with my family is the best and I need to ensure that I keep them in spot #1. Raising cattle and doing chores after school helps me decompress from the school day. I have to remind myself repeatedly to take time/slow down as being at the farm keeps me grounded. I will make a more conscious effort to listen to my body re: health. No more pushing it off, making excuses. When I feel unwell, I need to put myself first and tend to my health bf my health takes a nose dive. I enjoy starting each morning with a cup of coffee and sitting in total silence with my dog. I will work at making rest a priority. I find joy in walking, fishing, sitting in sunshine, spending time with friends laughing, taking paths unknown with my sister.

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  39. My Core 5:
    *Time with God - Did I spend time focusing on my spiritual health today?
    *Relationship with husband - Did I get quality time (even just a short amount) to talk with my husband today?
    *Relationship with kids - Was I patient with my boys? Did I take time to do activities they wanted to do? Was I fully present with them and not distracted by housework/my phone?
    *Eating healthy - Did I make food choices that help fuel my body and help me feel my best?
    *Exercise - Did I do something to move my body today (walk, elliptical, yoga, stretching)?

    Self-care should be a priority for everyone, but I think it's especially important for teachers because we tend to give SO much of ourselves every single day. We tend to the needs of dozens of students, and that can be exhausting. As the saying goes, you can't pour from an empty cup, so it's important for teachers to make sure they are filling their cups regularly.

    Some of my essential self-care practices include time with God (Scripture reading, prayer, silent reflection/meditation), yoga/deep breathing, and taking a bath.

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  40. Core 5:
    1. Nourishing family relationships: husband and kids
    2. Eating healthy: water and protein goals
    3. Household organization: everything runs smoother when things are somewhat organized at home.
    4. Me time: gym & alone time
    5. Family/Friend time: outings, exploring, get togethers, etc.

    Self care is an important aspect for everyone, but especially teacher (and parent) as they are the person that is needed by everyone most of the time. When we give our time to others, we need time for ourselves to recharge and reenergize.

    My self care practices include my powerlifting/gym time--it's time that I'm focusing on myself and my goals and it is something I enjoy. It has also brought me a community of like minded people that I really enjoy spending time with. Self care is also spending time with friends. As a mom of 2 littles that teaches full-time, it is hard to find time to spend with adults.

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  41. Core 5:
    1. My kids and husband
    2. My parents/ Siblings
    3. My health
    4. House upkeep
    5. Down time

    I know self care is important, but it often times takes a backseat to other necessary evils in life. This is a hard mindset to change. I always feel like there is so much to do. I can consider my early morning workouts by myself as self care, or when my kids are outside playing and I am meal prepping, doing laundry, or other household tasks and I get to listen to my audiobooks too. I do not get it very often, but I also love getting a chance to watch a show or actually control the remote! :)

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  42. What are your Core 5?
    1. Time with God and His Word.
    2. Balancing alone time with time with others, especially my family.
    3. Balancing school work with household work.
    4. Eating intentionally rather than to stay awake or focus while correcting.
    5. Movement

    Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators?
    If we don't spend some time on self-care, we will do an ever poorer job teaching and with our families until we completely crash and burn. That helps no one.

    What are your essential self-care practices?
    Personal Bible study time. Getting in a workout/walk. Time alone. Eating in a way that doesn't make me detest myself afterwards. Time with my wife/children.

    ReplyDelete
  43. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    1. My family - husband, children, and MIL
    2. My faith - this has become even more important the older I get
    3. Teaching - this is not just a job, it's a calling
    4. Our pets - my dogs give me such peace and happiness
    5. Self-care - the toughest on my list

    I have always struggled to make myself a priority, yet I know if I don't take care of myself I am not much good to others. I am getting better at this, but I have to constantly remind myself.

    Things I do for myself - regular manicures and pedicures, time to listen to or read a book for pleasure, and sleeping in on Sunday mornings. In the summer, I take time to float in my pool. In the winter, I bake for pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  44. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    1. My husband and my boys
    2. Extended Family
    3. Friends
    4. Self Care & Interests
    5. Teaching

    I truly believe I can not do my best as an educator if I am not my best version of myself. If I have not gotten enough sleep or I am stressed about my endless list of to-do's I can't think clearly and teach to my best abilities. Within my classroom, I am in charge of so many little minds it is critical that I take care of myself in order to take care of them.

    Some things I do for myself is going to the nail salon, reading on my back deck, spending quality time with my family outdoors, having a good conversation with my mom or sister, drinking a glass of wine, and having a clean house. All of these things help keep my mind at ease and help me be the best version of myself.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Core 5 -
    1. Family (My husband, daughter, and dogs) & God
    2. Other family members and friends
    3. Teaching
    4. Household Chores / Taking care of our house
    5. Hobbies + Self-care

    As an educator and mom, it’s easy to put everyone else’s needs first. But I’ve learned that if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t show up fully for my family or students. Self-care isn't selfish, it's necessary! It helps me stay grounded. It is just so hard to find the time for it...

    Some of my essential self-care practices include -
    -Getting outside, even just 10 minutes. The summer is my happy time because I am outside ALL the time.
    -Setting limits on any work communications after hours.
    -Saying “no” when my plate is full.
    -Taking breaks during the day to breathe and regroup.
    -Connecting with my husband or a friend when I feel overwhelmed.

    Prioritizing these things helps me stay in balance and show up as the teacher, wife, mom, and person I want to be.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Right now, my Core 5 are:
    1. Faith
    2. Family
    3. Health
    4. Teaching and coaching
    5. Rest

    These are the things that keep me grounded. If I start letting one of them slip, I can feel it catch up to me quickly. Self-care is huge for educators because we’re always giving so much to other people. If we don’t take care of ourselves, it’s easy to hit burnout. And when that happens, we’re not helping anyone. For me, self-care looks like: Getting a few workouts in each week, Going on walks or playing outside with my daughter, Keeping Sundays as a true family day, and Saying no to stuff that doesn’t line up with my priorities. It’s not always perfect, but those little things help me stay sane and show up better for my students, my team, and my family.

    ReplyDelete
  47. My core 5 are: faith, husband; sleep; children, grandchildren; reading; work.
    Self-care needs to be a priority for all professions but especially educators. There are so many groups of people that need attention and communicating with, not just the students in the class. The balance is so important.
    My essential self-care practices are: School year: getting something accomplished each day; good conversations with son and husband (other kids on phone); reading a good Godly book. Summer: getting something accomplished each day; good conversations with friends I haven't seen all year; kids on phone; outdoor activities; water (hot tub, lake, or pool).

    ReplyDelete
  48. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    My core five include:
    Faith
    Family
    Exercise
    Hobbies
    Rest

    Self-care needs to be a priority so we can be the best version of ourselves for the kids. When teachers take the time to rest, recharge, and find balance, they have more patience, energy, and creativity, which makes them more responsive to students' needs. My essential self-care practices include exercising, reading, spending time with my family, and being at the lake.

    ReplyDelete
  49. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    1. My Husband
    2. My Kids and my mom
    3. My Work/Career/Teaching
    4. Exercise/Stress Relief
    5. Church/Friends/Connection

    Having these core priorities will help you focus on what's important and prevent burnout. To have the best version of ourselves, teachers need to find balance. To accomplish my core 5, I need to be intentional in my relationships with my husband and kids, have boundaries and limits on the amount of time I spend on school work, keep my excercise committment that I started this summer, and allow myself to recharge. To recharge I love to read a non-kid book, walk my dog, and take naps. These are free things that give me some personal time and are good for helping me reduce stress and meet my core 5.

    ReplyDelete
  50. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?

    My Core 5 are:
    1. My husband and our dogs
    2. Extended family
    3. My career
    4. Self-care
    5. Friendships

    I believe self-care needs to be a priority for educators because it is what allows us to be our very best in our professional and personal lives. If we are not at our best or feeling our best, we are unable to offer our best. Self-care also helps us set healthy boundaries between our professional and personal lives.

    A few of my self-care practices that I currently have in place are:
    -Waking up early, feeding the dogs, making a cup of coffee, and sitting in silence as I start the day.
    -Practicing mindfulness breathing with my students when the return from lunch and recess.
    -Utilizing my 20 minute drive home to wind down from the day. Sometimes I drive in silence and other times I listen to loud music.

    ReplyDelete
  51. My core 5:
    1) husband
    2) family/kids
    3) self care/mental health
    4) faith/spiritual
    5) physical health

    Self care needs to be a huge priority for educators so we take care of ourselves and therefore can take better care of our kids. We want to be there for our students with the energy and focus for them and in order to do this we need to take care of ourselves first. Make sure we are in a good mental and physical state. Our needs must be met so we can meet the needs of others. I think too often how many times I overdid things and came to school so tired but tried my best only to wear myself down more. The kids deserve the best of us. We will do better and so will they. Same goes for our own kids and family at home.

    Self care practices for me look like ...
    -Getting up earlier than my family to have just those 15-30 minutes of time to drink a coffee, pray, think on my own before getting into the rush of the getting ready for school
    -I want to practice 5 minutes of mindfulness/day at midday but have not started yet
    -At lunch time when at school, I take a quick walk to get fresh air at times. I want to do more of this though as it resets me for the day. After dinner time I sometimes walk and this helps me. I want to do more of both of these and make it a routine.
    -Reading before bed - I scroll through my phone but 10-15 minutes of reading or watching a show would be much better and relax me more
    -Go to bed early/ take a 15 minute rest or reset during the day

    ReplyDelete
  52. My core 5:
    1. Sons and family
    2. Self care/mental and physical health
    3 Faith
    4. Work and teaching
    5. Pets
    I've had to learn the hard way that my health - both mental and physical - are very important to me. I missed the last two weeks of school this year because I was in the hospital with a virus I got at school. Working harder just gets me run down and I get sick more easily. That has more to do with my age than anything else. I need to slow down and take care of myself and my needs more.
    My sons and my family will always be number 1.
    I like the idea of taking more breaks during the day for my mental health. I will start putting that into my schedule as well.
    I love doing word puzzles, crafts, and writing. I need to start doing more of that kind of thing.

    ReplyDelete
  53. 1. Husband, Son, Mom
    2. Work
    3. Household
    4. Exercise
    5. Healthy Eating
    Self-care needs to be a priority for educators, because we can’t take care of and give to others when our needs have not been met, as teaching requires a lot of mental and physical energy. My essential self-care practices are making sure I get enough water each day, going for a walk, spending time with or talking with my family on the phone, and reading for pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  54. What are your Core 5? Why does self-care need to be a priority for educators? What are your essential self-care practices?
    Core 5
    1. Husband ,son, daughter , faith
    2. Extended family & friends
    3. Work/teaching
    4. Self Care/proper rest
    5. Hobbies
    Self care needs to be a priority for educators as we need to give our best to our students. Well rested and getting our needs met. If we are tired or run down we feel it and shows.
    Some of my essential self-care practices include proper rest and water.
    I do deep breathing with students ; even at times when I might need to relax or unwind. Spending time with spouse and visiting kids.

    ReplyDelete

  55. 1. family

    2. Church

    3. self care

    4. work

    5. connections with people

    Self car needs to be a priority because you can't always be everyone's everything. Self care is taking vacation days and actually using them for vacation. Self care is giving myself 30 minutes of me time before going to bed at night even if it means staying up later than I probably should. Self care is not overscheduling every single day to please other people. Working with kids can be draining and self care is so very important to recharge our bodies.

    ReplyDelete
  56. This, too, is a tough area for me to write candidly about, because I am a project in process.

    My 5 would include:
    Interaction with people who have my best interest at heart: spouse, parents, siblings, adult children, close friends
    Time to cook healthy whole food for people that I love. This is a creative outlet that connects me to the earth, nature and people that I want to nurture.
    Quiet time for me: could be with a book, a game, my crocheting (also lets me be giving a la Tony Robbins)
    Exercise - I know that I need it more than I do it regularly. I am trying to find the activity that engages me enough so I will make it a priority.
    I would say time in my garden. WHile this is seasonal, there is a connection to my plants and the food that they provide (to cook for the people that I love) that I would miss if it were not available to me.

    Self-care, and I very much like the distinction between self-care and self-comfort :-), is key because educators are in high stress environments where people are taking from us daily. I need to care for myself because no one else will do so.

    One practice that I have is lunch: I do prioritize lunch with my close friend colleagues; I will give students time before and after school, but not during my lunch! I also often take 10 minutes for myself to strength or walk or have a snack at the beginning of my preop period, which is at the end of the day. THis physical break gives me the added oomph to make the most of my work time when I am feeling tapped out!

    ReplyDelete

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