Who's Falling Asleep in Class? You or Your Students?

Prioritize sleep - When we think about health and fitness, most people point to exercise and diet. What many people neglect is sleep. Your body needs to rest in order to function physically, emotionally, and mentally.

This is kind of a little talked about hazard of teaching. We start work super early. If you find yourself dragging, short-tempered, or unmotivated, it might not be what you’re doing at work that’s causing it. It could be what you’re not doing at home.

Why sleep is such an important part of mental and physical health.

Sleep boosts immunity. Mmm? I’m trying to think if there’s been any viruses going around lately. One way to boost immunity–even more so than a silly cloth mask that ends up on our chin more often than not–is to get enough sleep. Now what constitutes enough sleep depends on the individual, but to aim for at least 7 hours and up to 9 hours is a good goal.Sleep boosts mood. It doesn’t take scientific research to recognize that a lack of sleep negatively affects mood. You will enjoy your day more when you’re well rested and not being Mr or Mrs Grumpy because you didn’t sleep enough last night.The third benefit to enough sleep is energy. Don’t lurch for the caffeinated beverage for energy. Lurch for your pillow at a decent hour.

I think we all know that sleep is important, but how can we get more of it. Here are suggestions.

Takeaways

Sleep might be the secret to establishing a successful classroom.The key to getting enough sleep has more to do with night time habits than morning habits.Start simple habits and experience the joy of more sleep.

Resources

Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching EmpathyShort Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.comPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com