Teachers?

alaskagrown
alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
edited September 23 in Motivation and Support
I'm not really trying to start a group (maybe there already is a teacher group?)... but I think that teaching is such a rewarding and at the same time maddeningly stressful job, and I know a LOT of teachers that struggle with their weight due to just not having control of their own schedule.

If you're like me, you go to sleep really late after grading and wake up at 6'o clock for first period at 7:15. You get 30 minutes for lunch, filled with students that need extra help. You don't use the bathroom until 3 pm, and the water fountain is undrinkable. You love your kids to death, but your job makes it hard to get enough sleep, eat right, and drink water.

If you're like me, I'm right there with you. Let's support each other!
«134567

Replies

  • GRILLZGIRL
    GRILLZGIRL Posts: 32 Member
    I teach high school history. We are testing this week. I am so stressed I feel like I may go insane!!!!
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    Benchmarks? Or semester finals? I teach middle school English. I feel like I'm at work ALL the TIME.
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
    ...due to just not having control of their own schedule...

    Your schedule is pretty set. At least it was in all my years at school.

    As for teachers, there are lots on MFP, so you'll have no problems finding them.

    ...and you can't find time to go to the bathroom at lunch?????
  • LJ0125
    LJ0125 Posts: 89
    I'm a middle school special education teacher for students with emotional and behavioral "issues"

    I can totally relate. My lunch today ended up being a parent-teacher conference while I politely smiled all the while thinking I'm starving and I have to pee. The conference ended when the students walked back in.
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    Sounds crazy, right? The truth is, I usually forget because I have 10 kids in my room retaking tests and such... I do kick them out every once in a while but I always try to be available for the ones that really want to work hard...

    This is my sixth year teaching and that's the schedule, you're right-- I want this job forever, I love it-- I just don't want to lose sight of healthy living!
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    Middle school SPED is tough. I taught students with significant autism for three years before this job and my partner teacher and I worked our assets off to turn it into an inclusion program. It was great until the district shut it down for $$ reasons. C'est la vie.
  • LJ0125
    LJ0125 Posts: 89
    My class was "created" this year to save the budget. I work (and live) in NJ and our state had MASSIVE budget cuts. I now teach the students they had sent out of district previously. In my self-contained room I have 5th,.6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
    The two of you (alaska and LJ) need to learn that if you don't take care of yourself, you will be no good to your students. Maybe when you're young you can pull it off, but YOU come first... and that doesn't mean the students suffer.

    The same way that a student who last ate 22 hours ago because they only eat the government-paid lunch or their parents yell at each other all night won't do a good job learning, you won't do a good job teaching if you can't take 150 seconds to pee. Or eat a proper lunch while students are in your class on their lunch.
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    You're right, mvl! I'm a much better teacher when I eat right. Young or old, we all have to take care of ourselves first. Plus it's good modeling for the kiddos.
  • LJ0125
    LJ0125 Posts: 89
    For the most part I take care of myself, however, there are definitely days where the 3:00 bell rings and I think "did I even breath today?"

    I have tried extremely hard to drink more water throughout the day. This of course makes me having to run to the bathroom occur more often, but I am figuring it all out. Kind of...
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    LJ, how long have you been teaching?
  • Davis713
    Davis713 Posts: 124 Member
    I teach 4th grade Math and I know exactly what you are saying....My 30 minute lunch is usually about 15 minutes after I take my kids into the lunchroom and then sit down and eat. If I take a bathroom break then my lunch becomes 10 minutes!!! But I do love my job!!!!
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    What do you guys bring for lunch? I'm terrible about making and bringing good lunches. I never seem to have time at night or in the morning. I eat breakfast (cereal/kefir and a piece of fruit). I tend to fill my desk with "healthy" snacks-- walnuts, fruit leathers/ dried fruit, applesauce packets, emergen-C, etc. Then I can grab a handful of that stuff during the short lunch and then I eat the big meal of the day at around 5, when I leave. I work out at 6:30 or 7 and then have a small recovery snack, like a protein shake or another bowl of cereal and yogurt, for "dinner." It works all right but annoys my partner. ;)
  • LJ0125
    LJ0125 Posts: 89
    This is my 6th year of teaching.

    As far as lunches I have been forcing myself to make it the night before. I feel so much better and make better choices if I plan.
    I have the luxury of a mini-fridge and a microwave in my classroom. I always have peanut butter on celery on hand. It satisfies my cravings most of the time. I am a pb fanatic. Today I had a cup of Healthy Choice Maryland style crab soup and 6 whole wheat ritz crackers.

    Breakfast is tough for me. I always plan to have a filling breakfast but then morning rolls around and the thought of eating that much food that early makes me sick. I am also always running late. It doesn't matter if I get up 2 hours before I need to be in...I end up running out the door. I usually have my coffee and an oatmeal packet (throw in a mug so I can eat it on the way in). I typically have a short break around 9:45 so I eat a piece of fruit. This week it has been bananas.

    I go to the gym as soon as I leave work. I would love to go in the morning but I'm realistic and know I would only give it half of my effort. Dinner is when I get home and a lot of the time it is something simple. My boyfriend works the 2-10:30 shift so I'm on my own. I eat a lot of egg beaters.

    My snack at night varies. I'm loving these VitaTops in deep dark chocolate. They are 100 calories and taste just like a brownie.
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    Oooh. Peanut butter. I can NEVER eat the "serving size" of peanut butter, so I just avoid it. Sigh. I love celery and anything. I like laughing cow or fat free salad dressing.
  • LJ0125
    LJ0125 Posts: 89
    My boyfriend thinks I have a laughing cow addiction. I have 4 rounds of it in my fridge right now. And I use it for everything. Last night I made a "beef (using ground turkey) stroganoff" and used the garlic and herb.
  • chrish1981
    chrish1981 Posts: 156
    Hey, I'm in my 6th year, too! :-)

    Wouldn't change it for the world....nothing better!

    I teach 6th grade language arts.

    (And the bathroom thing is a REAL problem! I really wish there was a way to just "auto-pilot" the class when you had to pee. LOL!
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    Ha! Another 6th year, 6th grade ELA teacher! I bet we could swap stories! They're so ridiculously cute/ cutely ridiculous.
  • chrish1981
    chrish1981 Posts: 156
    Ha! Another 6th year, 6th grade ELA teacher! I bet we could swap stories! They're so ridiculously cute/ cutely ridiculous.

    They ARE adorable right now, but I know it's coming....

    Something happens to them around Feb/March and it's like they go BANANAS! The hormones kick in, they get snippy, they're all dating each other...yay. Can't wait. :-)
  • sarajean04
    sarajean04 Posts: 4 Member
    I have a 3rd/4th grade multiage class. I love it, but it can be overwhelming at times.

    Chirish - I agree with you . The bathroom thing is difficult, and has really made me think about when I drink my water during the day. :-) Our first day back from winter break I drank water all morning, not thinking that my prep period is in the afternoon. Oops!
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    yes. it's like there's only room in their bodies for hormones OR empathy. <eyeroll>
  • chrish1981
    chrish1981 Posts: 156
    I have a 3rd/4th grade multiage class. I love it, but it can be overwhelming at times.

    Chirish - I agree with you . The bathroom thing is difficult, and has really made me think about when I drink my water during the day. :-) Our first day back from winter break I drank water all morning, not thinking that my prep period is in the afternoon. Oops!

    Oh and if you have coffee in the am, and then you drink water and God forbid have SOUP at lunch?

    I really have to plan my meals carefully!
  • cdl8
    cdl8 Posts: 164 Member
    LOL I have been reaidng all these posts and relating it to my own life!!!!! I teach 2nd grade and this is my 12th year. I love it but it is sooo true about the bathroom. Especially with little ones b/c you can't just leave and go to the bathroom!!!! Lunches are 30 min., but like someone else said until you do all the other things you get about 20min!!! I've been bringing smart ones microwave dinners. They are good and low in calories too. Good luck!!
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    Okay, now I'm just complaining, but the closest bathroom is four staircases away, across the courtyard, and in a different building. I do it at a run and it takes me like 8 min to go and come back! 8 minutes I don't have. I'm going to be like that crazy astronaut and buy some Depends! ;)
  • Davis713
    Davis713 Posts: 124 Member
    Normally I take my leftovers from the night before and pack it up as soon as I am done cooking. For breakfast I like to have Special K with Cranberries or a Nature Valley Peanut. I love taking yogurt fat free of course. This is only my second year teaching so I really struggle with finding good things to eat. The cafeteria is really good about letting me get the "healty" sides like raw carrots and stuff.
  • samrockrocks
    samrockrocks Posts: 251 Member
    i'm in my last year of school to be a high school history teacher! reading this made me realize that i've never considered when i'll go to the bathroom when i have to! haha.
  • kateopotato
    kateopotato Posts: 215 Member
    I'm not a teacher exactly, but I am a speech therapist for a school district and I work in the preschool autism program we have in our district. I get to eat my lunch at 10:45... and then I usually eat again around 3:00 or 3:30... whenever I get home from work...

    I have groups of kids back to back to back all day long except my lunch break and that's usually spent talking with the teachers of the kids I see to talk about what they did and any issues they may have had etc... or to write up reports or create new IEP goals or whatever. Very rarely do I have a full lunch break.


    for lunches I try to pack the night before too. I am a laughing cow addict too, but my favorite is the sundried tomato/basil one. mmmm. I like to do a sandwich think with one wedge of laughing cow, 2oz of oven roasted turkey and some mustard... Then I will usually pack some almonds or make a salad too... Sometimes I bring frozen leftover crock pot stuff. I like that because I have a big crock pot and it makes like 6-8 servings of things so my boyfriend and I eat 2 servings and then I freeze the rest in the glad tupperware that my sandwich meat comes in... then I dont really worry about refrigerating it and it is starting to thaw out by the time lunchtime rolls around PLUS it doesn't require any effort in the morning. Just grab it out of the freezer and go!

    Breakfasts usually consist of greek yogurt with honey, Jimmy Dean d-lights turkey sausage sandwiches, or if I have time, eggs. I have oatmeal but try not to eat it in the mornings because I feel like it makes me hungrier throughout the day.
  • chrish1981
    chrish1981 Posts: 156
    I'm going to be like that crazy astronaut and buy some Depends! ;)

    Haha! Great reference...I forgot about her!

    I can usually hold it pretty well, but in a pinch, I will solicit help from neighboring classrooms.
  • alaskagrown
    alaskagrown Posts: 208 Member
    I wish I was more excited about leftovers. I would bring them more often. I like salad, tons of salad.

    Quote of the day: "[The Mayans believe] a corn dog made the world."
  • carmen62
    carmen62 Posts: 60
    I am a teacher in Australia- senior school art in a private boys' school. I am on holidays right now but I am busy writing programs as I am back to work next week for those lovely meetings before the kids get back. I am dreading going back and trying to look after myself. You have all reminded me how strung out I was when school finished in December. i have been working hard on getting myself de-stressed and fit. I am feeling on top of it and don't want to go backwards. You have all just reminded me that I need a plan!

    (You guys start early. Our boys start at 8.30 and finish 3.15pm.)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories