91ƬƵ

Special Report
Teaching Profession

Tips for Balancing Work and Life While Teaching Remotely

By Madeline Will — July 21, 2020 5 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Even in the most normal of school years, teachers’ work-life balance can be tenuous. It’s no secret that teachers often bring piles of work home and spend their weekend hours answering emails or grading papers.

But when the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close their doors and pivot to remote learning, things got a lot worse, many teachers say. As 8th grade English teacher Brendan Moseley , his work-life balance during remote learning “was eaten by a wolf, barfed out, put in a blender, then chucked into a ceiling fan.”

The spring semester was uniquely overwhelming. Teachers say they had to scramble to retrofit their lessons to be delivered remotely, make sure they were meeting their students’ emotional needs during an anxiety-inducing time, manage their own children’s learning, and combat “.”

At the same time, there was no barrier between the classroom and the living room anymore. Teachers found themselves trouble-shooting technology and answering messages from parents and students at all hours.

For many teachers across the country, working from home will likely continue to some extent in the fall. Many districts are planning on a hybrid approach to the fall semester, where students will come to school some days and stay home the rest of the time. Teachers might find themselves teaching the students who are learning remotely full-time, or they might be in school on and off. Even if school buildings do reopen for full-time in-person instruction, positive COVID-19 cases could send everyone back to remote learning for periods of time.

In 91ƬƵ Week’s opinion blog “,” behavior-science psychologists have answered questions from teachers on navigating this new normal. Here are five of their tips on managing stress.

  • Have some self-compassion. Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, writes that when teachers are in the middle of a stressful workday and don’t have time to practice self-care, . First, become aware of your distress and acknowledge how tough the situation is. Then, remind yourself that you are not alone in feeling this way. Finally, be kind and tender to yourself—possibly even putting your hand on your heart to physically express your care.
  • Move your body. Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, writes that sitting in front of a laptop all day can take a toll on your mental health. She suggests , like scheduling an after-dinner walk, and then have a contingency plan if it rains, like doing an online yoga course. She also recommends doing the activity at the same time every day to develop a habit.
  • Regulate your emotions to avoid crankiness. Trying to teach while your family members are in another room can get on anyone’s nerves. Duckworth shares three tips from Stanford psychologist James Gross on : Change the situation (move away from the annoyance), change where you pay attention (think of the good things), and change your emotion regulation goal (don’t expect to not get cranky at all, just try to be a little less so).
  • Acknowledge your stress. Instead of denying your stress or keeping it to yourself, , Duckworth writes. Ask them to rank their own stress level on a scale from 0 to 10. And then work with them to pinpoint the ebbs and flows of stress in each of your days.
  • Remember you’re not alone. Duckworth that people’s stress levels are higher when they’re competing against each other rather than working together. “When you feel like nobody understands how you feel, remember that in the most fundamental sense, it’s ‘us against the pandemic,’” she writes. “Your suffering is in some ways unique but in other ways universal—and supporting each other is the foundation of resilience.”

Also, 91ƬƵ Week asked teachers on Twitter to share their own tips for developing a better work routine when school buildings are closed. Here are some of their responses.

Create a more inviting work environment.

Take breaks from the web cam.

Get organized.

Set boundaries.

Take time for yourself.

Coverage of social and emotional learning is supported in part by a grant from the NoVo Foundation, at . 91ƬƵ Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

Recruitment & Retention Webinar Keep Talented Teachers and Improve Student Outcomes
Keep talented teachers and unlock student success with strategic planning based on insights from Apple 91ƬƵ and educational leaders. 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 91ƬƵ Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Families & the Community Webinar
Family Engagement: The Foundation for a Strong School Year
Learn how family engagement promotes student success with insights from National PTA, AASA and leading districts and schools.  
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 91ƬƵ Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special 91ƬƵ Webinar
How Early Adopters of Remote Therapy are Improving IEPs
Learn how schools are using remote therapy to improve IEP compliance & scalability while delivering outcomes comparable to onsite providers.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teaching Profession This Teacher Is in Her 64th Year in the Classroom. She Has No Plans to Quit
Martha Strever has, in some cases, taught three generations of students from the same family.
8 min read
Martha Strever, a math teacher at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, N.Y., addresses her class on Sept. 6, 2024.
Martha Strever, a math teacher at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, N.Y., addresses her class on Sept. 6, 2024.
Flynn Larsen for 91ƬƵ Week
Teaching Profession What the Research Says Teachers Want Sustainable Workplaces. State Policies Make it Harder
Greater opportunities for collaboration could boost teacher retention, national group finds.
3 min read
Rear view of classroom with two teachers in front of a whiteboard with math equations.
E+/Getty
Teaching Profession STEM Career Changer Challenges: Grading, IEPs, and Learning Differences
When STEM professionals get into the classroom, they run into challenges that might be unique to career switchers.
3 min read
Image of a classroom with STEM topics on the back wall.
Laura Baker/Educaton Week via Canva
Teaching Profession Q&A A Job in the White House Didn't Prepare This Teacher for Returning to the Classroom
Former science teacher and Obama adviser Steve Robinson says STEM teachers need more support after they enter the classroom.
5 min read
Image of a man in a suit entering a public school building.
Laura Baker/91ƬƵ Week via Canva