October is one of the toughest months of teaching.  March often gets the attention for being tough - and I won't lie, it is.  But October is often overlooked for how difficult it can be.  The honeymoon is over with the kids and there is a while before the well-deserved breaks start happening.  Now that we're into November, breaks occur more often. 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, there's more rest built into the weeks to come as we close out the calendar year.  These breaks are important.  Of course you love your students, but we need time apart from them too.  If you're a new teacher, late-October and early-November can surprise you with how tired you are, but it shouldn't, because you are hard at work.  

And so are we.  We are busy working to get ready for the 2019 New Teachers Retreat.  As our Board gets together, looking forward to the year ahead, I wanted to share some self-care resources that will help others as the year continues to ramp up. 

Smiling Mind - www.smilingmind.com.au - Australian guided meditation website.  There are loads of recordings that are geared for people of all ages and grouped by age groups so that their meditation for 7 year olds is different than for 17 year olds or 30 year olds.

Go Noodle - www.gonoodle.com - Great for brain breaks in class, particularly aimed at elementary school and younger middle school kids.

Headspace www.headspace.com - Guided meditation app/site that is great for kids and adults - $ app, but well worth it to hear Andy’s smooth voice.

Mind Yeti www.mindyeti.com - Another great meditation app/site  for kids.

EDIT TO ADD:
Relax Like a Boss https://relaxlikeaboss.com/the-art-of-mindfulness/ - A collection of blogs about relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation. Free!

Extra bonus - you can use these with your kids too!  Which is great, because as the holidays get closer, many of our kids get really antsy.  Between the excitement, candy, and, unfortunately, for some of them, the anxiety of the holidays, they will really benefit from some mindfulness as well. 

Enjoy!
​Ali

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Hello!  And welcome to our new blog. 

We are hoping this will be a space to share behind the scenes at the Retreat as well as advice, thoughts, and commentary on life as a teacher.  While we have a few more years under our belts, we remember all too clearly what those first few years feel like and are hoping to share some tips and tricks to make things a little easier.  We also will feature past Retreat participants who will share their experiences both at the Retreat and since, including what they've implemented in their classrooms.  

​But we also want to hear from you!  What do you want to see more of on these pages?  How can we support you throughout the school year?  What are your challenges?  And your celebrations?

The first years of teaching can be incredibly difficult, but also some of the most rewarding.  Your kids in these first years become part of your heart.  We're in your corner and cheering you on!

​More to come...