Teaching is a fruitful and worthwhile job because you get to see the fruits of your efforts — brighter and smarter students. Teaching ESL online is more than just teaching the English language. It is fostering social responsibility, broadening imaginations, and lots of encouragement as well as support. Both methods of teaching are accompanied by many challenges. Yet, there is still a sense of fulfillment when you see your students improving and learning day by day. Online teaching jobs, much like traditional education, can be very exhausting. With that, here are some tips you can do to stay healthy and never miss a class.
Prepare As Though You’re Going to the Office
Working from home might give you the notion that you can perform your job in your pajamas. You might even skip showering and brushing your teeth, as well as other regimens and rituals that are usually done in the morning to prepare for the day. Showering, brushing your teeth, applying minimal makeup, combing your hair and other morning preparations you normally have should help you feel fresh and ready to tackle the day!
Set aside a work uniform to prevent the habit of wearing pajamas or sweatpants to your work from forming. You can go with a polo blouse and any top with collars, pants slacks, and pieces of jewelry. Preparing yourself ready for your classes as though you are working in the office should put your head in the right mindset.
Protect Your Eyes
Teaching ESL online means you are facing your computer screen the whole duration of the class. Each class lasts up to 25 minutes and includes 5-minute breaks. Use the five minutes to prepare the lessons and make sure to stand up and stretch before meeting the next student. Doing this should help protect your eyes from direct exposure from the computer’s bright light. Apart from that, search for software that can change the color of the computer’s display according to the time of the day.
Prepare Your Meals Ahead
Go grocery shopping, stock your pantry with healthy nutritious ingredients, and do meal prep on the weekends. With plenty of nutritious snacks and healthy meals readily available in your fridge or in your grocery cupboard, you will never have to rely on unhealthy junk food for a quick pick-me-up.
If you have tight breaks in between your classes, having prepped meals in food boxes or plastic containers should allow you to eat quickly and easily. Before you begin preparing your healthy meals, make sure to establish regular intervals throughout your day. Your snacks can be as simple as an apple, bowl of baby carrots, and other fruits which can help you maintain focus, reduce fatigue, and keep you full.
Work Out and Exercise Often
Like most administrative jobs, teaching ESL online means you are glued to your computer screen with your fingers on the keyboard. An entire day of sitting down in front of your computer means your muscles become sedentary. When the muscles are not engaged, the blood does not flow. Human bodies are simply not designed for sedentary lifestyles. While taking regular standing breaks, stretching your arms and legs, as well as resting your eyes are effective, having a workout routine before or after classes can tremendously counteract the damage that sitting all day can do to your body.
Establish a Work Shutdown Ritual
There are plenty of ways to keep work and life balanced. One of the best methods is incorporating the shutdown ritual right after your last class of the day. In a typical office setting, the end of the workday is signified by the clock hitting 5 or 6 pm. Once you have turned off the computer, packed your stuff, and left the office, that is the end of work for you. If you are teaching ESL online from home or a remote location, the end of your workday and the start of your home and personal time might be quite hard to tell apart.
While the final lesson indicates the end of your workday, it is difficult not to work on class props, prepare the lessons for the next day, and other things related to teaching. With that in mind, it is important to develop a shutdown ritual to officially close and mark the end of your workday.
Mind Your Liquid Intake
Working from home means you have access to your fridge, coffee maker, and blender. It is easy to make a cup of coffee, drink soda from the fridge, and even make ice-cold blended smoothies. Talking and lecturing for hours can make the throat feel dry. With that in mind, it is always best to have water nearby. Conversely, drinking plenty of water or any liquid should naturally make you go for frequent bathroom runs. If you are worried about leaving the class every now and then to relieve yourself, then it is best to schedule and establish a water routine.
Key Takeaway
Online teaching jobs can become exhausting and overwhelming especially if you cannot find a balance between work and life. Applying tips to stay healthy can change the mindset of merely “getting through” as an instructor teaching ESL online to enjoying each class no matter any circumstance and stress that occurs inside the classrooms as well as living each day to the fullest.