Things to leave in 2021

2021 has been quite a disappointing year; one that left us a little wary of 2022. New Year's resolutions may have been put aside for a softer approach, coming in quietly and touching nothing! However, that doesn't mean we can't learn something from last year. There will be some things that we definitely want to leave behind and say goodbye for good ...

The obvious

I think this is a given that we would all like to see the back of Covid. It might have sounded like a pipe dream over the Christmas holidays, but the New Year brings new hope.

Competition

Stop comparing yourself to others - and not just at work. The past year has been stressful, but we all have different ways of coping. Everyone works hard, some just do it more than others.

Social media collapses

Stop following those people who managed to make a paper mache bulletin board, banana bread muffins and wrote the school play in less than a week, all smiling and in you saying how much they love their job. In your extremely limited downtime, consuming content that makes you feel unworthy is not healthy. Throw those gremlins in the trash and focus on uplifting, positive, real people.

Travel only from the sofa to the kitchen

Or to work and come back. Make plans. Hope is on the horizon to travel further sooner rather than later, so why not pull out your Pinterest board and start planning a trip for next year? A little desire to travel has never hurt anyone.

Thinking of teaching abroad? Discover our international roles here.

Classroom clutter

First of all, get rid of the worksheets that you put aside with the best of intentions at the end of the year. You will inevitably forget them and print more. Tidy room, tidy spirit. Leave a messy classroom behind and start the New Year in the best possible way.

Unreasonable hours of work

Sometimes it feels like the whole nation and its newspapers forget how hard teachers work and how many hours they devote to it. Stop working unreasonable hours. There are more important things in life than work. While teachers are essential to keep the country running, you, a human being, don't need to exhaust yourself in the process.

Business emails on your phone

Don’t. Do. It.

Marking and planning 7 days a week

Put down that green pen - now! It's a Sunday. Lay in bed until your back hurts, catch up with your midweek programs, and eat crumpets!

Seriously, it can be so tempting to do all that tagging and planning over the weekend, but to be blunt, you need some time for yourself. Give yourself at least one day off from work on weekends to relax. On another note, at least one day of the week, leave work before it gets dark.

Being consumed by your laptop

Accept that your to-do list never ends. Rather liberating, isn't it? Now get out there and get involved. For now, keeping your school's bubble guidelines in mind, find a way to see what's going on in the rest of the school, that's just as important to you and your development as a 'teacher.

Finally, stop working during your lunch break. 2020 meant staff rooms had to function in a different way but take the time to sit away from your computer while you take a break. Hey, a student might still need a word but at least you won't have any crumbs in your keyboard!

Know more: Jobs in newyork