With routines back in full swing and the winter weather in full force, it’s easy to feel the weight of January settling in. "Blue Monday," falling on the third Monday of January, is often considered the gloomiest day of the year, when the winter blues can feel particularly intense. But by fostering a supportive, optimistic environment for yourself and your pupils, you can overcome the January slump.
To help you stay upbeat and prioritise your wellbeing as the new year unfolds, here are our top tips for keeping the winter blues at bay so you can remain focused on what you love about teaching.
Table of Contents:
Set one or two personal goals that bring joy to your teaching journey, like introducing a creative lesson plan or incorporating more time for self-care. Try to set goals that inspire you and enhance your lesson planning, like trying new tech tools, including AI, or exploring a new scheme of work better suited to the needs of your pupils.
Keeping these goals visible (think a sticky note on your desk or digital reminder) can boost motivation and create a sense of accomplishment as you see your progress unfold. Plus, revisiting goals from time to time can help you to stay on track through the inevitable ups and downs of the term.
Try block-planning a week or month in advance, focusing on core objectives and then building activities around them. This can simplify your workload, reduce daily planning time and give you a broader view of what’s ahead.
Sharing lesson ideas, resources and workload with colleagues can make lesson planning much lighter and bring fresh perspectives. Consider creating a shared resource folder for termly themes or subjects.
Online teaching communities and social media groups are filled with creative lesson planning ideas and resources, especially around seasonal topics or subject-specific projects. Accessing these networks can be a great time-saver and source of inspiration! Come and chat to us on our social media platforms here, where we regularly share tips, top resources and freebies! 👇
Dedicate specific blocks of time each week for lesson planning and set clear boundaries. When you reach your time limit, allow yourself to pause until the next session. This helps ensure planning doesn’t encroach on personal time.
Try to have one or two lessons per week that require less preparation but are still engaging for pupils, like reflection or independent research days. These can be both rewarding for pupils and beneficial for you in balancing workload. Alternatively, make use of pre-prepared planning from Pango to help save yourself valuable time without impacting the quality your pupils deserve.
Use mindfulness and positivity to stay grounded and energised. At the end of each day, reflect on three things that went well. This practice can help focus your mind on the positives, even on tough days.
When stress builds, try taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and centre yourself, rather than dwelling on an entire term's workload. Staying present can make everything feel more manageable.
Are you sat wondering where to begin with your lesson planning this January? With 10 AI-powered lesson planning tools at your fingertips, PangoGPT is the perfect place to start when your to-do list feels overwhelming and you’re unsure where to dive in. From creating quizzes and assessments to generating full lesson plans, these tools provide everything you need right when you need it, complete with accompanying resources. Ready to discover more about these powerful tools? Check out our latest blog for a deeper look!
You can currently try PangoGPT for free in full by signing up here!