Year End Home Stretch

Soaking up the last half of the holiday weekend, I found a gem in my email this a.m. that I thought would be worth forwarding to my husband who teaches high school. This is the time of year when it is dark out and you feel like staying under the covers instead of jumping out of bed and hitting the day with enthusiasm. It is cold in the morning and the kids grumble about being cold waiting for the bus (yes, they are true Phoenicians now) and yet don't want to be hassled with jackets because it will be "hot" on the playground later.



So... back to the gem... the little piece of encouragement that will help all of us make it through the next few weeks to winter break... 101 Ways to Cope with Teaching Stress, By Britney Wilkins. Ms. Wilkins has made an incredible collection of fun new web tools,time honored teaching skills, motivational thoughts, and physical activities to help teachers, and all of us who love teachers, make it to winter break in one piece!

Who can resist a list that includes tips like this?

• Chocolate: Sneak a little piece of chocolate once or twice a day to give your brain a boost of endorphins and indulge your sweet side. Dark chocolate is supposedly the best.


• Favorite tools: Your supplies drawer for the students can have a mish mash of pens, crayons, scissors and notecards, but save the best for yourself in your locked drawer. Even something as simple as getting to write cards with your favorite colorful pens can make you feel better.


• Quotes to remember like: "It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference. ": The next time someone makes you feel guilty for not earning as much money as them, remember this quote from Tom Brokaw.


• online resources like...Toodledo: Toodledo sends reminders to your mobile phone so you never forget a task.


• and...Kickboxing: This aggressive exercise is great for when you need to release a lot of stress and frustration.

I have only picked some random items from the list but I encourage you to peruse the entire 101. Find your favorites. Share them with your peers, your kids, and those you love. This holiday season is stressful for everyone. The more you can share what you do to de-stress will help the kids you love to see the positive ways to manage difficult stress.

Oh... and how did I find this gem anyway? I have to thank Brenda Power and Choice Literacy for her blog post that led me to this list. Who have you included in your Professional Learning Network that you may never meet but sends you thought provoking treasures? Find at least one or two and commit to skimming them at least once a week before deleting and you'll be amazed at what you find.