#teachertired

Raise your hand if you have ever been victimized by #teachertired!

Yes, same. If you are not a teacher, you really don’t understand. It’s something we can’t really explain. If you can relate to most of these statements, you have been a victim of #teachertired:

1. You fall asleep on the couch, right after school, for more than an hour.
2. After you finish your coffee at school, you wash it down with a Diet Coke. (its 9:30 a.m.)
3. By 3:30p.m., you are contemplating a nap, coffee, or just going to bed.
4. You fall asleep mid-grading or planning.
5. Spending your weekends sleeping in and napping is more appealing than spending it with humans.

If you shouted “YESSS” to more than one of these, you are #teachertired.

I understand, I’ve been there & done that. BUT, I overcame. Here are my tricks to help you from being #teachertired:

1. Wake up early & eat that breakfast.  I know. Waking up early to make breakfast when you can get an extra 30 minutes of sleep seems insane. But, it is so worth it. In the first half of the year, I would be driving down the road trying to shove coffee and a granola bar down my throat. By 8:00 a.m., I was starving! I made a commitment to myself to make breakfast every morning. It has help tremendously!
2. NO NAPS! Yes, I am the Nap Queen! I could nap all day every day. But, one of my best teacher friends let me in on something so smart: napping ruins your sleep. Something so simple yet I didn’t believe it. It’s hard, but you must push through till bed time.
3. Work it out! Yes, going to the gym can combat that #teachertired. I try to work out 5-6 days a week for 45 minutes -1 hour. This helps get your blood flowing. (also, you can eat an extra slice of cake! BONUS!)
4. Make time for you. The “perfect teacher” could spend all day every day doing stuff related to teaching but still would not be perfect. Why? Because there is not enough time in the day! Time management is KEY! Lists are KEY! Do not stress over things that are not necessary. Make awesome lessons & make time for you! Your kids will love you either way.
5. Stay Positive! It is so easy to criticize yourself. When things don’t go as planned, go with it! If you love your job, it will show through your teaching. Students can pick up on how you are feeling. Yes, it is ok to be real with them. You are a human and have feelings too! But, the way you deal with situations can help students grow more than you think. Trust me, they are always watching you.
6. Weekends are for Fun, Family & Friends! It is so easy in this profession to be consumed all day long with Instagram, Pinterest, TPT and Facebook. We are constantly thinking about what we can do next. You are not only a teacher. You are an awesome human with other hobbies. I am constantly sharing with my students pictures of my weekend or things I am interested in. This will help them grow to develop their own personalities. So, do not feel guilty for putting down the red pen and spending time with family. You need to fill your cup to fill theirs. The grading can wait!

I hope this helps you! I am no expert, just a victim of #teachertired speaking out. Now, I am off to finish my iced coffee. Take Care!

Love,

Ms. Hilburn

Hi, Nice to Meet You!

Hi, Hello!

For those who don’t know me, My name is Nicole Hilburn and I am a energetic Kindergarten teacher (because you need energy when you teach 25 full of life 5 year-olds, amirite?!?)

Anyways, I decided to start this blog for two reasons.

Reason 1: TEACHERS NEED SUPPORT (and lots of encouragement!)

Being a teacher is hard. That is something they do not tell you when you are spending hours on lesson plans in college. No, the content is not hard. BUT, being able to address 25 ENERGETIC 5 year-olds individualized needs and also keep them interested but also meet other needs and you also have to eat lunch at some point. Yes, teaching is hard. They don’t tell you that when you are purchasing your cute mongrammed clipboards and mugs. But, they do tell you its worth it. And that my friend, is the truth.

Reason 2: Teaching is my passion.

No, I did not teach my stuffed animals about reading when I was 3 and thats when I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I realized the impact that education, or lack of, has on a child’s life. I also saw the impact a teacher can make on a student’s life. Combine that with my love of children and you have a perfect formula for the teaching field. And I am blessed to say I get to make an impact on my students every single day.

Now, I am going to share 8 facts about me!

1. I teach Kindergarten and I LOVE every second of it. My students are super energetic, excited for school and sweet as sugar! Sometimes no amount of coffee can help me keep up with them!
2. My kids call me a “crazy cat lady” & its true. I love my big fluffy black cat Pom-Pom. She is sassy and a cat version of me. I wear the “cat lady” title with pride!
3. I am a coffee addict and I have come to terms with it.
4. During the summer, I work at Starbucks. I worked at Starbucks for most of my time in college and its something I love to do! (especially the coffee!!!!)
5. I am probably the most organized unorganized person who has ever lived. Although things in my classroom are a mess, I know where to find anything at the drop of a hat. Its only my first year! I got time, right?!?!
6. One of my favorite things to do is go to things that my students invite me to. If a student invites me to something, my rule is that I have to go. For example, I have been to several of my students sports games, church events and bought Girl Scout Cookies. I think showing students you care outside the classroom makes the biggest impact of all!
7. I am a night owl. It is a myth that all teachers go to bed early. Its the truth that MOST of us TRY to go to bed early, but we are up late on TPT, Pinterest or blogging. (#currently). I usually try to go to bed by 11:30. Thats why I drink coffee people!
8. I have several dreams besides being a teacher. They always change! At one point, I wanted to go to school to get my Masters and become an administrator. I have also had dreams of going back to school to study student behavior and social emotional needs. As of right now, I can’t imagine being anywhere but the classroom. Its hard to imagine a day without 25 small (but big) hugs!

Thank you for sticking around this long. I hope you enjoy my blog. If there is anything you would like for me to discuss, comment below! If not, happy reading.

XOXO,

 

Ms. Hilburn