Finding a Balance with Work and Life

Teaching is a very demanding profession, requiring long hours spent reviewing coursework. Between creating lesson plans, grading tests, and reviewing papers, it seems that teachers never get a break. Not to mention the “normal” 40 hours a week they spend teaching in a classroom. It’s no secret that teachers are overworked and underappreciated. But do people truly understand everything that teachers do for our students?

Apperson reached out to our teacher base to see what they had to say on the subject. 43% of our respondents said they work between 40-50 hours a week for their teaching position. Another 21% said they work between 50-60 hours a week, while 7% said they work over 60 hours.

It is evident that teachers spend more time working in their profession than they receive credit for. Finding a balance between these long work weeks and a personal life can be difficult. In fact, 43% of our teachers said that they find it difficult to find that balance. Another 29% said they find this extremely difficult!

So how can we help? We asked teachers what their advice is to others on how to find and maintain that balance. Once teacher suggested not bringing any work home. Yes, this can be very difficult. But dedicating time in the morning before class, during your planning period, and time after class should give you a decent span to get work completed. And if not, tomorrow is another day. Give 100% while you’re at school and then leave it there. Don’t let your personal life and mental health suffer by constantly drowning in schoolwork.

Another teacher suggested setting apart specific time for yourself. “Do as much for yourself as possible, whenever possible. Don’t forget how important it is to take care of YOU!” It is just as important to come to class fresh-faced and ready to conquer the day as it is to grade those pesky papers.

Working efficiently is vital for teachers. Grading can be one of the most tedious, time consuming activities. You can save time on grading by using a Scanner! Apperson offers a variety of scanners that are guaranteed to meet your needs. In fact, click here to receive $100 off your next scanner!

Remember, breathe. Take time for yourself and don’t get too caught up in the stress of the classroom.