The Power of Self-Reflection: Unlocking Your Best School Day with a Daily Check-In Journal

#teaching #teachermentalhealth #dailycheckin

Teaching is a challenging profession that requires immense dedication and energy. As educators, it is crucial to prioritize our well-being and continually strive for the best school day possible. One effective tool to achieve this is a daily self check-in journal. We check in with our students daily, why not ourselves? I have created a daily check-journal just for teachers! It is something I used this year to identify solutions on making each teaching day as great as possible. I used this to identify triggers, glimmers, and ways to make my school day better. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of using a check-in journal, what is included in it, and how it can help us identify patterns and solutions for a more fulfilling teaching experience. In my Daily Self Check-In Journal you can find the following:

A Reminder to Breathe and Hydrate:

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the school day, it's important to take care of yourself. Include a gentle reminder to take deep breaths and stay hydrated throughout the day. These small acts of self-care can make a significant difference in your overall well-being and energy levels.

Rating Your Overall Day:

At the end of each day, take a moment to rate your overall experience. This simple practice allows you to reflect on the highs and lows of the day, enabling you to gain a better understanding of your emotional state and overall satisfaction. I noticed that my school days were getting harder and harder and the support I was getting wasn't what I needed. I think as teachers we are just so good at resetting each day, we often block out negative experiences. At least, that is what I did. This helped me keep an inventory and record of each day and helped me to zoom out to gain perspective.

Identifying Energy Boosters and Drainers:

Jot down the activities, interactions, or moments that boost your energy throughout the day. These could be positive conversations with colleagues, engaging lessons, or moments of personal achievement. Similarly, note down any factors that depleted your energy, such as challenging behavior, administrative tasks, or feeling overwhelmed. Identifying these patterns will help you prioritize activities that uplift your spirit and find solutions to minimize energy drains. For me, I am not great about eating and drinking water during the school day. Whenever I had lunch prepared and ate I felt better. When I drink my daily water goal, I feel better. When I wake up in the morning and workout before school, I feel better. This helped me add good habits of things that boosted my energy and recognize where changes needed to occur where my energy was being depleted.

Reflecting on Class Periods:

Take a few minutes to assess each class period individually. Identify which periods were enjoyable and fulfilling and note down the reasons behind it. Was it the students' enthusiasm, a successful lesson plan, or a positive classroom atmosphere? Similarly, identify the challenging periods and try to pinpoint the reasons behind the difficulties. This reflection will help you tailor your teaching strategies and identify areas for improvement.

Celebrating Successes:

Recognize and celebrate your successes, no matter how big or small. Acknowledge moments when you witnessed student growth, received positive feedback, or successfully resolved a challenging situation. By focusing on these achievements, you will boost your confidence and motivation, ultimately creating a positive cycle of success. Identifying successes creates a moment of gratitude and abundance mindset. These successes should be celebrated!

Learning from Mistakes:

Mistakes happen, and they offer valuable learning opportunities. Make a note of things that went wrong during the day, such as miscommunication, unsuccessful lessons, or conflicts. Reflect on these incidents, identify the contributing factors, and brainstorm potential solutions. This exercise will help you grow as an educator and avoid repeating similar mistakes in the future.

Favorite Moment of the Day:

Highlighting your favorite moment of the day is a simple yet powerful way to cultivate gratitude and appreciation for the joys of teaching. It could be a heartwarming interaction with a student, a breakthrough in understanding, or witnessing a student's pride in their accomplishments. By focusing on these positive moments, you will nurture a sense of fulfillment and purpose in your profession.

A Place for Notes:

Allocate a section in your check-in journal for additional notes. This space can be used to jot down any observations, ideas, or reminders that arise during the day. It serves as a valuable resource for future reference and planning.

Using a daily self check-in journal is a powerful tool for teachers to reflect on their experiences, identify patterns, and find solutions for a more fulfilling school day. By rating your overall day, identifying energy boosters and drainers, reflecting on class periods, celebrating successes, learning from mistakes, and appreciating your favorite moments, you can unlock your potential as an educator. Remember, the key to having the best school day possible lies within your own self-awareness and commitment to self-improvement. Using this journal this year made me realize that I wasn’t in the right place and that I had some changes to make. Now that I have, I feel empowered and that I’m progressing forward. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me! Happy journaling!