How do teachers recharge?

How do you recharge your "teacher battery" after a rough day, week, semester, or school year?

The teaching profession requires constant caring, planning, and intellectual energy.  This can be exhausting, especially when you add your personal life to the mix.  Sometimes we need a break from our normal routine to ease the stress resulting from being pulled in so many different directions.

Something one of my professors said back when I was pursuing my Master's degree has always stuck with me.  He said that teachers often don't get to see the end result of their work.  

For example, an architect gets to see a completed building and feels a sense of satisfaction.  A surgeon gets fulfillment from seeing a patient make a full recovery.  An artist feels a sense of accomplishment each time a painting or sculpture is finished.  

However, a teacher may never see the adults former students grow into.  How exactly can we pinpoint the part we might have played in the development of a human being?  The satisfaction of a job well done is more difficult to recognize than in most professions.  A visual of the finished product created by a teacher is elusive.

My professor's solution was to participate in Habitat for Humanity projects.  He saw the completed homes as well as the joy of the families who received them. 

My favorite thing to do when I need to recharge my teacher battery is to redecorate a room in my home.  I enjoy the process of choosing a new color palette, painting, and redecorating.  Then, when I see the end product of my efforts, I feel a wonderful sense of satisfaction.

Before

After

What do you do to recharge your "teacher battery"?

Choosing Effective Partner Activities

In 30+ years of teaching, I've definitely learned to be choosy about the activities I use in my classroom!  

Here are my 3 must-haves when it comes to partner activities:

1.  A valid reason to have students work together rather than alone
Why pair students for an activity?  Practicing with a partner is a great way to ensure that each student understands a concept or skill before turning them loose to work independently.  A well-designed activity can really help students clarify their understanding of a topic.

2. A task that promotes discussion 

Discussion tends to flourish in pairs as opposed to in larger groups because both students must interact.  Asking questions and giving input tends to be less intimidating for them when working in pairs.

3. Students who are actively involved and learning

One student copying answers from the other is NOT what I'm after.  As they complete the activity, both students should be putting forth effort and making progress toward achieving the learning objective.

My go-to for meeting all of these needs at once in my math classes is a Partner Power activity.  Each student solves a different set of problems and must do his/her own work, but when the partners compare answers they should be the same. This helps students build confidence as they verify correct solutions, identify errors, and correct their work. Rich discussions result because students are solving different problems, yet are responsible for showing their own work.  As a bonus, these activities are self-checking. 

Create your own task or find a readymade math activity in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.