Teachers, 15 minutes to a happier work day
Teachers, this newsletter is devoted to you. Grab paper and pen or fire up a Google doc, because we’ve got a quick coaching exercise just for you. It’ll only take 15 minutes and could make your workday a whole lot brighter. May is Teacher Appreciation Month, but forget the usual Starbucks gift card – we’re giving you a ticket to a happier and prouder work day.
Are you ready for it?
Step One: Write out your dream job in one paragraph. Picture it: the improvements, the fulfillment, the pride. What changes from your current situation? Think creatively! Ditch the negative inner dialogue that tells you nothing can change or that you have no control. Write it out in vivid detail, as if it is already your reality.
Step Two: Re-read it. Does it excite you? Would you be happier if it came true? If not, beef it up with more juice and energy.
Step Three: Identify what’s in your control. Boy, do we think you should be paid more, but let’s focus on what we have the power to change. Highlight the aspects of your dream where you have some control, such as requesting to add a favorite food to the school lunch, asking to switch your schedule for next year, or playing music during your breaks to improve your mood.
Step Four: Commit to the things you can change! Set deadlines and promise yourself to pursue them.
Step Five: Find an accountability buddy, perhaps a fellow teacher who can do this coaching exercise with you. Share your action plan and ask them to hold you to it.
Step Six: Watch your life improve, even if just a little. Every step counts and this exercise can become a monthly habit to uncover more and more opportunities for happiness at work.
We know this won’t fix everything, but taking some control, getting back in the driver’s seat of your job, and committing to yourself can make a world of difference.
As a bonus, enter yourself or another deserving teacher into our raffle for a free coaching session with an HB EDU Executive and Life Coach! See what last year’s winner had to say below!
Teacher empowerment and support is our specialty. We hope this leaves you feeling a little brighter about the weeks ahead.
Casey Seidenberg
is a Human Better EDU Program Leader and Executive Life Coach. She leads our popular Take Charge of Your Life course for Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers. She also works with graduate-level educators to Kindergarten teachers and everything in between. Email Casey at casey@humanbetteredu.org.