Teachers don’t just punch a time clock and log hours at their jobs. Instead, they invest a lot of time and make a significant emotional commitment to shaping the lives of their students, and often, this causes their professional life to bleed into their personal life. Now, as the country addresses the threat of the coronavirus, being a teacher is more challenging than ever.
You may be teaching online and juggling the intrusion of your classroom into your home, or you may be headed back into the classroom which brings its own set of concerns. Regardless of your exact situation, you need to ensure that you strike a comfortable balance between personal and professional life. Check out these tips.
Like most big and scary events, the pandemic reminds people that many things are out of their control. If you feel strongly about the steps your school district should take the slow the spread of the virus through the school and the community, you should speak up and try to make your ideas reality. However, at a certain point, you have to accept the decisions of the school board and local government officials.
When possible, try to avoid letting yourself get swept away with worry. Look for the things you can control and take steps to turn them in the direction you want. But with things you cannot control, just take a deep breath, accept the situation, and hope for the best.
The 24-hour news cycle and your social media feed are likely to be saturated with news and opinions related to the coronavirus, and this onslaught of information can quickly go past informational and become overwhelming.
To stay informed, consider choosing a few news sources that you appreciate, and tune into them on a regular basis. Then, take steps to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed with stressful information. For instance, you may want to hide some people from your social media feed or grab a book rather than turning on the news.
Due to the effects of coronavirus, you may not be able to work as you have in previous years. For instance, your children’s schools or daycares may be shut down, and you may need extra time to help them. Your spouse may be out of work, or you may be facing other issues.
Depending on your situation, you may need to talk with the school about a different arrangement. For instance, you may need to switch to part-time so that you have extra time for your children. Or, you may need to take on an extra role in the school so you can increase your income. Just be open with the school about your needs and ask them to work with you.
Although you cannot predict what is going to happen with the upcoming school year, you can take some steps to prepare your financial situation. You may want to think about the possible contingencies. What happens if you get sick? What if you need to take a leave of absence because you don’t want to go into the classroom? What if your school has budget cuts due to a reduced student population related to an uptick in homeschooling? Ideally, you should consult with a financial professional to make sure you’re ready for these types of situations.
LPL Tracking 01-05050527