I neglected my social life in my first year of teaching and lost some friends. It is very important for teachers to have a social life outside of teaching and even make non-teacher friends. Teaching is a career that follows you everywhere. Your workload expands to the amount of time that you allow it to use.
Read the tips below to help you maintain your social life even during the busiest seasons.
Last year I had a standing monthly breakfast date with a close friend. We would go out one Saturday per month and get caught up. I looked forward to these monthly meet ups. Kristy from 2 Peas and a Dog
Recently I started making a weekly dinner date with my best friend. My spouse cooperates by flying solo with the kids, because he sees how happy it makes me! Meghan Mathis from Fun Fresh Ideas
I typically plan time with my friends on weekends. Weekdays tend to be more complicated. I feel it’s important to be asleep at a reasonable time. Laura Zank from Research Based Teaching Tools
My Friday and Saturday nights are “work free.” Teachers must have boundaries. We need the weekends to rejuvenate. While we could probably grade papers all weekend and still not be done, it’s not healthy. Selecting a couple nights a week to “just say no” helps free up time to spend with family and friends – sans distractions. Melissa from The Reading and Writing Haven
I set appointments and create blocks of time that are non-negotiable for socializing. We really love going out to Trivia once a week, and we also like to have one weekend night be a Game Night with friends. I know I’m never going to compromise these times to work on something for school. Additionally, I try to plan one night a week to hang out with fellow teachers, and we have a rule that we’ll only talk about school for the first half hour. Danielle from Teach Nouvelle
My family and church are my social life. Jenny from Bulletin Board Bonanza
Other Great Teacher Tips
- Teacher Life Hack: Cloud Based Calendars
- 10 Tips for Dressing Well on a Teacher Budget
- Avoid Teacher Burnout
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