Beat the Back to School Blues (7 Absolutely Easy Ways)

Sep 06, 2018

Education

The cool ocean breeze… the hot summer sun… no hands raised or questions asked… Nothing beats the summer for teachers!

After spending most of your year with students, coworkers, and administrators, the summer months are a welcomed respite from your hectic day-to-day. This is the best quality time you’ll get with yourself all year. No grading papers, no writing lesson plans, and certainly no parent-teacher conferences.

No, there’s nothing better than the summer, so there’s obvious nothing worse than going back to school!

Many people think students are the only ones that get the back to school blues, but we know better. Going back to school is just as hard – or even harder – for teachers. It’s not a lack of passion for your career that makes back to school season so hard. Instead, it’s the difficulty of giving up the life and habit you built for yourself over the past two months.

If the back to school blues have got you down, try some of the following tricks to pick yourself back up. If all else fails, winter break is only 12-ish weeks away!

Not a teacher but still work at a school or university? You’re in luck. Get 60 days of free severe weather alerts with our back to school safety program. This is the perfect opportunities for athletic staff and administrators to increase safety initiatives. Learn more below:

10 Ways to Beat the Back to School Blues

1. Get #gladtogoback

Here’s the first way you can try to beat your back to school blues. Sometimes, returning to work is all about mindset. Head over to Twitter and search this hashtag to remember everything you love about teaching.

Getting into a positive mindset is one of the medicines for beating any type of school-related blues.

2. Plan Something Fun

Going back to school doesn’t have to be all lesson plans and grading papers. And even if it is, why not make it fun? Plan something fun the first week back. Did you and your colleagues assign summer homework? Get together with a few close friends and grade papers together over pizza and wine. Or, get a group of your coworkers together for a back to school outing.

Not best friends with your coworkers? That’s OK! Make time to hang out with friends and family over the weekend to get your mind off of school. That way, you’ll ease yourself out of summer instead of diving right into work-mode.

3. Get Some New Gear

We know that buying classroom supplies puts a big dent in your wallet. However, there are plenty of discounts for teachers out there so you can get something new for yourself! You can beat the back to school blues by getting something you really like.

Some teachers get excited over new pencil cases or planners. That’s great! However, you can also go splurge on a new pair of shoes, outfit, or outing. Hey, you’re getting paid again – the possibilities are wide open!

4. Redesign Your Classroom

If you had a particularly hectic year last year, a change of scenery could be all you need to beat the back to school blues! Avoid any traumatic flashbacks to last year’s class by changing up your classroom. You can do this without spending any money by:

Changing student desk/table layout
Moving your desk to another area of the classroom
Moving your bookshelves or reading area
Adding family pictures to a wall
Incorporating a new air freshener

5. Make Your Job Easier With Technology

Another way to beat the back to school blues is to look out for technology that will make your job easier. This can be as teaching-oriented as learning new features of Google Classroom or getting a school weather station.

Or, it could be as simple as fighting for that extra air conditioner to help you get through the first few weeks. Technology that makes your job easier comes in all shapes and sizes. Hopefully you can try out something this school year that makes your back to school blues disappear!

6. Appreciate the Work You Do

As teachers, your job is really special. That’s something that an angry parent or a difficult student can’t take away from you. You have the potential to do world-changing work every day for each and every student that walks through your doors. You can really beat the back to school blues by remembering why you became a teacher in the first place.

7. Schedule Time to Relax

Your schedule is full of classes, extra-curricular commitments, and maybe even another job. Make sure when you head back to school that you schedule some “me” time. A busy schedule translates into stress on your mind and body.

A great tip for making time to relax is to evaluate your back to school schedule to see where you can make room. List all the activities that take up your time and keep an eye out for any “time thieves.” These include:

Internet
Television
Draining people

Replace these time thieves with healthy alternatives that help you feel your best, such as:

Exercise
Meditation
Cooking
More Sleep

Remember, it’s OK to say “no” to activities while you have the back to school blues. Mental health is more important than you think. By making time to relax, you’ll feel better and do a better job in the classroom.

How Do You Beat the Back to School Blues?

Do you have any other proven ways to beat the back to school blues? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll feature your tips on our social media channels!