Health Tips for Teachers

Health Tips for Teachers

A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others - Mustafa Kemal...

In my point of view, a teacher should be an encyclopedia in the specific subject he/she teaches.  Teaching creates all other professions.  A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image. “A man should first direct himself in the way he should go.  Only then he should instruct others.”  A teacher should be a role model for their students and their own children.  A school & college teachers will feel young and energetic, since they are amalgamated with the young people.

Henry Adams said, "A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops".

In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. ~Jacques Barzun

We have some excellent health tips for teachers, so they may continue to the do the great work they’re doing.

Teaching is indeed a noble and rewarding profession. It requires devotion, patience and a lot of sacrifice – all directed towards shaping future generations. It can also be a particularly stressful profession, as teachers are dealing with students with varying personalities everyday, not to mention being constantly monitored by their superiors and being compared with their peers.

As a thank you to all the wonderful teachers out there, we have some practical health tips that’ll help them stay mentally and physically fit, while continuing to do excellent work.

Health Tips for Teachers:

1. Learn to deal with stress. In India, most teachers handle classrooms that can have anywhere between 25 to 70 children! This can be extremely stressful and it’s important to recognise and deal with this stress. Every morning, try and take some time out to centre and calm your mind. You can do this through yoga or meditation or prayer. This will help you better deal with all the challenges the day throws up. Tune up your mind to enrich knowledge to your students.

2. Share. Another way of dealing with work problems is by sharing them with your colleagues. Do not feel ashamed. They’ve probably gone through similar issues and can help you with solutions.  Also update your knowledge by sharing with latest technological up gradation like Google, etc.  Expose the day to day affairs to their children will enlighten your career.  To pass on and share the messages, you should know the day to affairs in political, sports, etc. by reading news papers, listening tv, books, etc.  Hence, spare 15 to 30 mts. for this activities.  Better to study the Bible or Vedas for moral and religious enrichment.

3. Create your personal goals. It’s easy to get caught up in completing the school curriculum. Take some time to create your own professional goals. This will help you stay focused.

4. Get plenty of rest. If you’re in a profession that needs to you to wake up early and stay on your feet throughout, you cannot afford to skimp on your sleep. Avoid the temptation to correct answer papers late at night and make sure you sleep well. Get up early in the morning and try to sleep well atleast 6 to 8 hours per day.

5. Eat well, especially breakfast. A hearty and healthy breakfast and plenty of sleep will not only give you the energy to keep going through the day, it will also ensure you are cheerful and more equipped to handle any temperamental student that might come your way.

6. Wash your hands frequently. Schools, especially junior classes, can be a hotbed for passing on infections. One sick kid comes in and soon half the class, including the teacher, is down with the same thing. Keep yourself protected by washing your hands between classes or carrying hand sanitizer toward off germs.

7. Get comfortable shoes. You’re on your feet all day. Naturally, comfortable shoes that provide good support and cushioning become all-important.  A teachers’ civilized dressing sense is more important, since they are the real role models next to their parents.

8. Don’t work during your lunch hour. For your mental peace, use your lunch hour to eat well, catch up with colleagues or read or knit or do anything other than work.

9. Exercise regularly. The thing with exercise is that the more active you are, the more energy you’ll have. Make sure you take time out of your busy schedule to do at least 30 minutes of concerted exercise everyday.  By means of exercise, a woman teacher should do their family cooking themselfs and a male teacher should help their family members regularly. 

10. Take a small break everyday. Many teachers suggest taking a few minutes for yourself at least once a day. Away from the students, principal, and most definitely away from any negative characters you might have in school. Just a few minutes for yourself, where you can take a deep breath, get rejuvenated and get back to teaching.

Also we would like to look into the reversal effect in this aspect.  In Indian political scenerio the State/Central Governments are very strict with teachers in dealing with students.  In those days, teachers are treated as God and high in their mind.  But nowadays, because of few bitter experiences here and there, they all are looking in the wrong perspective.  I can able to see a teacher in Palayankottai, in Tamilnadu committed suicide due to frequent transfers from the management.  So, such an aspect to be taken into consideration to have a counseling session to all the teachers to face/meet out the stresses in various levels. 

Duties and functions-Wikipedia,

The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualifications or credentials from a university or college. These professional qualifications may include the study of pedagogy, the science of teaching. Teachers, like other professionals, may have to continue their education after they qualify, a process known as continuing professional development. Teachers may use a lesson plan to facilitate student learning, providing a course of study which is called the curriculum.

A teacher's role may vary among cultures. Teachers may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life skills.

A teacher who facilitates education for an individual may also be described as a personal tutor, or, largely historically, a governess.

In some countries, formal education can take place through home schooling. Informal learning may be assisted by a teacher occupying a transient or ongoing role, such as a family member, or by anyone with knowledge or skills in the wider community setting.

Religious and spiritual teachers, such as gurus, mullahs, rabbis, pastors/youth pastors and lamas, may teach religious texts such as the Quran, Torah or Bible.

Around the world teachers are often required to obtain specialized education, knowledge, codes of ethics and internal monitoring.

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Nowadays teaching is transferred into coaching.  A teacher should be a good coach as for as Management is concerned, since they need immediate result for their commercial purpose.  In which the purpose of teaching is missing and the closeness among students and teachers are gone away.  In most of the schools the teachers are not able to meet one another in school hours.  But as a teacher, we must do our service to this humanity.  God bless you, since it is the only noble profession.

The Bible says in Luke 6:40: The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

Wishing all you wonderful teachers out there a Very Happy Teacher’s Day!

Dear friends, it is the useful tips for the teaching community and most of the teachers are affected with such stressful evils nowadays. Please release your stress at once and lead a happy day with your students and family members.  Try to understand that students and their parents are also facing stresses everyday.  On any account, you should not pass on your stresses on your family members.  Singing and praying is the best method to enhance the bliss and release your stress.

by

Paul Sureshkumar S

98429 71959

Pasumalai, Madurai, India