5 Healthy Habits for Teachers to Protect Their Peace This School Year

Boundaries appear as lines of division at first glance, but in application, they are a form of respect for one another. Although it is not the intention of a parent or student to be demanding, there is often an oversight of consideration that you, as a teacher, are a human being with a life outside the classroom. Remember that establishing boundaries such as hours when you cannot be reached via email, keeping due dates set firmly, or reducing the number of miscellaneous tasks beyond your classroom hours is honoring to all. These boundaries allow space for the teacher to process the day, decompress after being "on" for such a long time, and open the door for the student or parents to grow as well. Much of being a teacher is encouraging time management or creative problem-solving solutions, so without even realizing it, your boundaries may yield such a fruit in their lives. Boundaries also help students recognize that they need time away from homework and school stressors, just as you do; such revelations encourage empathy. Boundaries are to the benefit of all.

One of the greatest healthy habits a teacher can implement is pressing the little button on their electronic device for a time of silence and rest. Reducing screentime, even screentime spent on personal hobbies or activities, can offer space for the mind to focus on things beyond a small rectangular box. Instead, your mind can ponder curiosities, connect with the Lord, or utilize space for imagination. When cell phones and computers first took off, there was very little in the way of education on handling such devices, but you can train yourself to be as attached or detached as you desire. Unplugging can be the conduit of decluttering the mind, refocusing on what is most vital for your day, and pivoting you from overwhelm to order. When you find the balance of unplugging, you are not ignoring responsibilities; you are embracing a place for rest and renewal so that when you do return to the world of emails and lesson plans, your head is clear.

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Make a conscious habit of plugging into prayer with the Lord. Prayer time offers an opportunity to commune with the Lord, to worship Him, and to concentrate on listening for His voice over the voice of anything else in your life. As a teacher, you will face trials, complex situations, and obstacles in which you desperately need the Lord's guidance. When prayer has become a lifestyle practice and not a last resort, you will find it easier to seek His instructions for the best way to move forward. 

Prayer is also a vehicle of relationship with the Lord. Careers are important, but the most important position you will ever hold is that of a child of the Most High God. When we realize that we are first and foremost His son or daughter, we are then moved to the revelation that our careers, positions, or titles ultimately reflect the Kingdom of God. When you know you are an ambassador of Heaven, you carry out the occupations held on earth in a new way. They are assignments that you have been entrusted with for His glory. Connect with God in prayer daily and see how your outlook changes, your responses improve, and trials are not experienced alone.

Calling on brothers and sisters of faith to lift you up in prayer is also an excellent habit to cultivate for the coming school year. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul reminds us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (NIV).

Acknowledging that there are forces against those that cannot be seen with natural eyes does not mean falling into fear, but rather falling into prayer for His intervention. Children are very precious to the Lord. We see this in Matthew 18:1-6: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 'If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'" (NIV).

Children are dear to the Lord, so if He entrusts you to teach a child, or to be in the life of a child, understand that it is a high calling and one that desperately needs covering. Establish a prayer time that you can call upon when those attacks come, when you feel weary, or when you need a word of fresh encouragement. You will see that you do not steward such a high calling alone.

There is a reason that a teacher teaches. It is so very seldom because every other job they applied for was a "no." It is more often because they felt a pull beyond themselves to teach. This profession is very sacrificial in terms of smaller pay, heavy loads of stress, and so much more than others realize. The fruit that makes it all worth it is the "why." Ask the Lord to assist you in searching your own heart and mind as to what your "why" is for this year. Write it on a Post-it note, in Sharpie on a notebook, or anywhere that you can see it when circumstances prove difficult. 

Know that the greatest "why" of all is because you know God is asking this of you and that He has not sent you into this alone. Let Him accomplish through your life the harvest of what you together plant, water, and see come forward. Remember that your "why" can also inspire the "why" of future generations. Your work matters, and you matter. Move forward in grace and enduring hope that He is with you.