I started my very first job in education back in 1998. Over the years I have been really surprised that as much as I LOVE this time of year and all things Fall, I always seemed to hit a wall in October. I called it the October Slump. It was like all of the energy and excitement and umph I had from the beginning of the year was suddenly zapped by October 1st. I found myself counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. It wasn't that I didn't love teaching, in fact the scope and sequence this time of year usually included my FAVORITE content! It was just that I was SO COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED. I needed a break and Thanksgiving seemed so far away... For someone who started the year off in a full sprint, by October I was huffing and puffing, barely dragging my feet along the track. I thought it was just me... but then I started talking to my colleagues and realized they too had hit the October Slump. Something had to change.
I knew I couldn't continue to function in a slump, so I decided I needed to figure out how to get un-slumped. I sat down and listed all of the demands I had on me so that I could figure out where to prioritize and try and find some relief so that I could make it until Thanksgiving with my sanity. As I listed ALL OF THE THINGS (I mean, really! Teachers have a TON on our plate!) I realized that there were FIVE things I could do that would make an immediate impact and pull me out of my slump.
1. SET BOUNDARIES.
I have to admit, this one was by far the hardest for me. I struggle with saying no to people– by nature I am a helper! I love helping students, coworkers, and my boss. Saying NO to things was way out of my comfort zone, but I quickly realized that if I didn’t start saying NO to all of the extra things, I would never un-slump myself. I learned to delegate tasks to others. I empowered students to take on more responsibilities in the classroom by assigning jobs to them like picking up after themselves, arranging materials for labs/activities, keeping up with making sure notebooks were straightened, etc.
I set boundaries on my time. I put my goal of leaving daily by 4:30pm (typically I was there past 6pm prior) out on display for my students and coworkers to see. I placed a picture of my family on my goal sheet to remind myself (and everyone else) why I was making leaving by that time a priority. I set an alarm on my phone and found myself an accountability partner who would swing by daily and tell me to “Get outta here!” I placed a sign on my door during my conference period and then shut and LOCKED my door. The sign said “DO NOT INTERRUPT. I am prioritizing tasks to ensure student success!” Then I communicated to my students, coworkers, and boss how important that time was to me in order to be at my best. It worked! The random pop-ins and interruptions stopped and suddenly I was actually completing my grading all at school, no longer lugging home tons of work.
2. BATCH WORK.
While working on trying to set boundaries with my time, I found a podcast that talked about the efficiency of BATCHING. I had never heard of that term before, and it intrigued me. Batching is when you set out a time and then do only a certain type of task during that time frame. The idea is that you work more efficiently when you aren’t having to switch your brain back and forth between different tasks. I decided to give it a try. I sat down and spent one Saturday batching out lesson plans for the remainder of the semester. It took about five hours, but I completed EVERY SINGLE LESSON PLAN until winter break. The Monday after my batching session, I batched all of my copies for the rest of the semester. That became a life changer for me! I spent the rest of the semester with a weight lifted from me because everything was already planned and printed out! This became something I continued to do for many years as a teacher in my classroom, usually batching 9 weeks at a time. For those that worry about needing flexibility with planning, I went in knowing that some things might shift some depending on student understanding, and this practice worked extremely well for my classes! I also batched my club assignments, my gradebook updates, emergency sub plans by unit, etc. Batching saved me time and my sanity!
3. STAY ORGANIZED (or GET ORGANIZED).
As I mentioned in my Batching tip above, I would batch everything. That meant I had to be organized. I used a file cabinet to store all of my copies, labeled by lesson and kept a binder with all of the KEYS for grading. I printed out and stored my lesson plans in my desk and electronically. I kept emergency sub plans for each unit for easy access in case of last-minute emergencies so a sub could easily pull it out and teach without my students losing a day of meaningful instruction. As assignments were turned in, I used these plastic pouches to store them with a copy of the KEY from my grading binder until I batched my grading for the week. I used the colors to organize by class and assignment. Having an organization system helped to remove some of the overwhelm I was feeling.
4.TAKE BREAKS.
I have found that one of the easiest ways to stop some of the overwhelm and exhaustion of the October Slump is to just take a break. I kept a little jar of treats (my fav candy) in the drawer of my desk. In those moments when I just needed a break, I took one. Sometimes that meant while my students were working on something independently, I would reach into that drawer and have a secret chocolate. Sometimes it meant during class change, I did a quick breathing exercise. Sometimes I used a little spray bottle full of water and would spritz my face to help me refresh. Sometimes the first ten minutes of my conference period was listening to a meditation, or even putting my head down for a quick shuteye (with an alarm set). Figure out what helps you to be at your best and then make time to take a break. Taking a break resets you mentally and emotionally and can be just what you need to release some of the stress.
5. PRIORITZE SELF CARE.
I don’t know about you, but usually if I am in a slump– the first thing that goes out the window is self-care. Unfortunately putting others needs before our own is going to keep us slumped. It is essential to take care of yourself first. It's the whole put your own oxygen mask on first on the plane lesson... This means getting enough sleep, eating well, and finding time to engage in things that bring you joy. For me I realized that one thing I really LOVE is having someone else wash my hair because it completely relaxes me. I found a salon on the way home that would wash my hair for me for $5. On really hard days when I was feeling extra slumped– I would go get my hair washed. It was like a mini spa escape, and it quickly lifted my spirits. I also set a timer to ensure I went to bed at a decent time. I have kids, so it is not unusual for me to want my “me time” once they are asleep– and sometimes that meant staying up WAY too late for someone who has to work the next day. Lack of sleep effects energy and attitude. I found that simply creating a bedtime routine for myself made a big difference when it came to un-slumping myself! I started packing a healthy snack for that time between lunch and the end of the day when my energy would start to dwindle. It was amazing how much having something healthy helped me to stay alert and at my best.
Teaching can be such a demanding profession that requires so much energy and dedication! We put our whole heart and souls into what we are doing for our students daily. If you are feeling the October Slump right now, I hope that maybe some of these tips will help you get un-slumped! I hope that they will help you overcome the tiredness and overwhelm that you may be feeling. I am rooting for you! Only 6 weeks until Thanksgiving!!! You’ve got this!!!
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