As a teacher, your day continues after the school bell rings and the children go home. Oftentimes, you are busy planning lessons, grading papers and organizing for the next day well into the evening. On top of that, add in family and other responsibilities, and it’s amazing that you fit it all in.
You may also choose to continue your education by advancing your degree, or attaining more professional development hours or certifications. For many teachers, the thought of going to school after putting in a full day of teaching can be daunting. With some simple planning and these tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to furthering your education (and stressing less) in no time!
How to Balance Being a Teacher and a Student at the Same Time
- Get up an hour earlier than anyone in your household. Start your day before the chaos of the morning erupts. Get in a 15 minute meditation session, exercise, journal, or just enjoy your morning coffee and the news. This peaceful alone time will help set the stage for the day ahead.
- Put what you learn into action. If you are a teacher who is also a student, consider yourself lucky! You are able to take what you learn off the page seamlessly into your classroom.Concepts and ideas that you are learning in class can be put into action almost immediately. In other words, you can practice what you are learning in your own class the very next day. You can also improve upon current practices and try new ideas to see how they work for your students. Overall, the concepts that you learn in class will be reinforced by bringing them into real life situations, and you’ll be more able to remember what you learn.
- Change scenery. When you’re home, you might go right into relaxation mode, but if you’re at school you might go right into teacher mode. It’s easier to switch gears and focus when you are in the right environment. If you are taking on-site courses, take advantage of the school’s library or common areas to study. If you are taking online courses, get to the local library or coffee shop to better focus on your studies.
- Use a day planning tool. Whether you use an online app, a Google or Outlook calendar, or you do the old fashioned write-it-down method, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you record it all. Schedule your day into blocks of time and stick to it.
- Do what you can, and let the rest go. You my feel obligated to coach the basketball team, bake brownies for the bake sale, and entertain guest all in the same weekend. It is OK to tell people what you can do and are doing, without feeling guilty that you aren’t able to take on the world. Be honest with the people in your life that you are working toward an advanced degree on top of working full time.
About PLS Classes
PLS Classes offers many different solutions such as online and on-site classes that cater to students who are also teachers. Find out more about our course and schedules online.
Your turn!
Have you taken classes while also teaching full time? What did you do that helped you succeed? Share your ideas with our community of educators below.