Yes, I had one today. Not really, because 4 out of my 5 classes were great. This one class is a terror and just completely ruins my mood. About half of the class is just full of rowdy boys (and 1 or 2 girls) that wont, shut, up. Tried to get through notes today and it was just terrible. Random outbursts. I wound up coming down on this one kid, and he gave me an attitude in front of the whole class. In the end, I didn't even reprimand him or write him up... because I realized I WAS wrong for singling him out, which made me feel even worse. I just felt like a fool in front of my entire class. Anyway... this is certainly not my FIRST day feeling like this. My question is... how do you not only feel better, but rebound, after a bad day? I just wind up coming home, obsessing over it, and feel terrible for the rest of the day. I think I just need some unwinding methods in general. :help:
I'm sorry you had a bad day. I usually just make a cup of coffee and watch a movie...and put all work/grading away. A nice hot shower helps as well. And maybe you can go in tomorrow and pretend it's the "first day." Tell them the expectations and start enforcing the consequences.
Remind yourself and your students that today is a new day, a new chance to follow the rules and consequences of the school.
I'm in the same boat today. We're a school in improvement, and there are always people coming in and out from inside and outside the school district. Today, I had a grand total of 3 (!) groups that came to visit my class, and all of them came to the bad class, one right after the other. The kids were on their best behavior (WBT scoreboard is working wonders!), but the SECOND the door closed behind the last group (who just happened to be the head of the science department for our district), a student decided to chuck his textbook at another student, and it nailed him in the head. It probably looked really great for them to see security rushing to my room as soon as they left. :unsure: Of course I sent the kid out, with the security escort, and the student who got hit with the book was fine, but still. I came home and decided to cook me up some comfort food (baked ziti, yum!) and might crack open a bottle of wine before a looooonnnnggggg shower to try and relax from it. Some days, we totally deserve it!
biologyland - Ohhh jeez that sounds rough :/ Tell me.. how do you like the WBT scoreboard? What is the reward/punishment that you use with it? Also, do you teach high school? Yes.... some days, we do deserve it! Officially putting all school work away and relaxing the rest of the night.
Hot baths are my very favorite way to relax! Maybe schedule you a massage for this weekend so you can have some time just to rejuvenate yourself.
I try to engage all my senses on something pleasant - slip into most comfy clothes, listen to great music, admire the beauty outside (or combine the two and watch a great/favorite movie or show), light a candle, and indulge in something I love but do not eat too often. This has worked for me, sometimes I just need to get in comfy clothes and look outside and I'm all set. Other days, I have to eat ALOT of my indulgence
The first thing I do is write a blog post about it to vent, or post on here if I think its something I need help with. Then I leave everything at the classroom and go home leaving it all behind. I live 45 minutes away from where I work so it really gives me time to think while I drive. Then going by what I did yesterday, I take a nap if I need one for at least an hour. (that could have been just because daylight savings messed up my internal clock) Once I am awake, I take a shower, make myself a cup of tea, and watch Star Trek (TNG, Voyager, or some other feel-good sci-fi show), and take care of some chores, like doing laundry or whatever. I finish off the night by reading. I know I'm late at this trend, but I'm currently reading the Game of Thrones.
Be very very careful about what goes into those blogs. It's not unheard of for people to lose their jobs over "just a vent."
Thanks for pointing that out! I am very careful not to be negative. My blog posts tend to be a professional reflection on what I feel went wrong that day and what I could do to improve in the future. I find that writing out my issues with the day really puts them into perspective and there's a kind of therapeutic relief that comes with getting it out somewhere. And I NEVER name names. (my blog isn't even attached to my real name)
Not naming names in a blog is good. Keeping it fairly private is also a prime idea. As far as I know, aside from a few people here, my parents and my high school principal (who is still a friend), nobody reads it. It's meant to sort and reflect, possibly to vent, not much else. As for getting over a bad day, I try to save something positive for the end of it, be it grading an assignment from a student you know will do well or planning something new for next week. Then I finish my day as best I can and then push work aside in favor of my hobbies. I'll double check things in the late evening, but I usually have play practice or reading group.
Thanks! These are all really good tips. These are my first few months of teaching so I just feel like I'm having a really rough time... sometimes I just go home feeling like a failure. The rest of my week went more smoothly, which was good. I would kind of like to keep a blog but I dont because 1) this is not a permanent position I'm in, and I'm really looking to get hired next year as a full time teacher, so I'm just much too paranoid of administrators finding my personal business and 2) I just feel like I barely have the time to breathe
WORK OUT! After a nice long run... everything makes the world seem like a happier place. Do it for your health too. Riding a bike also has some amazing benefits for how you handle stress too. It makes you pedal all the faster when you have had a trying day.
Depending on how bad the day was, I go home, cry, yell at my husband, and beat myself up for being a horrible teacher with awful management skills. Then I watch Australia's Next Top Model. I'm usually fine the next day. In all seriousness, though, I try to learn from my bad days. It sometimes takes me a string of bad days to get something out of it, though.
At my last school, an "improvement school" as bioland put it, I came home almost every day exhausted. Each semester I had 2 great classes and one tough class. The second semester the tough class was impossible and drove me up the wall. The best of those days were "okay days", the worst... well you get the picture. The very first thing I did when I came home was open a beer, talk about my frustrations with my boyfriend, then watch the Daily Show. By the end I always felt much, much better
I end each work day with 1 and 1/2 hours at my gym to get my "feel good" juices flowing. It works. When I get home, I'm sore and smiling from my workout, not from my work day!
Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (wah) and I will be spending my evening at the gym and then treating myself to a glass of wine. Good thing there's only 1.5 days left until our spring break! I am definitely burning out, so the break will be nice.
I have had many, many, MANY days like this. Honestly? I go home, change into PJs right away, and relax/veg out. Sometimes wine is involved.
I like the idea of gathering all of you positive notes form parents and students together. When you have a bad day you can look at your good feedback to remind yourself of the positive difference you've made to your students. Then put your feet up and relax!
- bath tub, candles, wine, then a movie and more wine (make sure you set your alarm clock) - dinner, whatever you want! either at home or go out. - chocolate, wine, (or other drinks), movie, sofa, have friends over (or if you have a significant other) - go to the gym, go for a run, take a yoga class, or take a dance class - come to this forum and vent away - go out to the beach, park, etc for a walk - read about someone's worse day (not trying to be funny, but sometimes realizing that as bad as your day was, it could be worse, can help)
