15 Teachers’ Tips for Overcoming Difficult Fall Days


by | 10.11.16

Teacher2Teacher is a community that shares effective practices and innovations so educators can connect and grow together.

The days are getting shorter (and darker!), the excitement of the new school year has worn off and Thanksgiving break seems like it’s a long way off in the future. Sound familiar? Yep, it’s one of the most challenging times of the year for teachers—late October and early November.

We asked the Teacher2Teacher community to share your best tips for overcoming these particularly difficult days. Read on for 15 teachers’ responses and share your own advice in the comments section below!

  1. “By keeping up with my workouts, healthy eating and my family. ✌❤️📖📝👨‍👩‍👦‍👦⚽️💪🍴” — @gkneefox
  2. “I intentionally look for the humor in my day. My 8th[-grade] students are hilarious. Laughing with them reduces stress and builds relationships.”—@ShannonSiegler
  3. “Homemade ginger apple iced tea” — @SammyLuceroEsq
  4. “I think of my two-year-old, I wouldn’t want any adult to give up on her. I know my students’ parents have the same hope!”—@RobertIsaKing
  5. “I make sure to schedule my chiro and acupuncture appointments. I play relaxing music with students to maintain [a] relaxing mood” — @amanda_clairet
  6. “The @calm app is an amazing resource. Start your day calm and it helps both you and your students!” — @Non_Toxic_Kids
  7. “‘I just need to make it through today.’ Decompress, talk it out, strategize, and pray. Start the next day chin up.”—@MrTippin
  8. “I run, just got a massage and color.”—@rlas1978
  9. “Remember that life is messy and fun!! Don’t sweat the small stuff and step back and get some perspective!”—‏@alexwtwho
  10. “I look at pics of old classes and the funny things they have done or notes they’ve written. Realize the hard days don’t last.”—@RayeWood
  11. “I stick to my P90X workouts and make sure I leave by 4:00 at the latest from work (I end at 3:00).” — @gymnast2teacher
  12. “Didn’t respond to any work emails over fall break! #SoHard”—@mrslaurenritter
  13. “We pause and play a class game so we can all connect and remember that we like each other. This year my students are obsessed with silent ball.”—@PodcastPLC
  14. “Realize ‘stuff’ will always wait until tomorrow. Take a day off if you need it.”—@INChick
  15. “Seeing smiling faces as learning occurs keeps me going. It’s all for the kids!!”—@mishicotag

How do you overcome these particularly draining days? Share your own tips in the comments.

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