How Teachers Can Cope with Different Changes in an EFL School
Changes in school are a very common situation, especially during these days when there is so much uncertainty in society—for instance, the pandemic situation, the economy, etc. We have experienced a lot of changes in school, including school suspension, online teaching, teaching during the pandemic, etc. In this post, I will outline how to cope with changes and what you can do to have a successful change in school.
Table of Contents
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Keep calm & be mentally prepared
Change happens so quickly in class—for example, changes to the curriculum, tests, teaching methods, or school schedule. If we see such a big demand for change, we would usually feel scared because we don't know where to begin with when we are so used to the past. However, you should try to avoid being scared.
Although there are a lot of sudden changes in a short amount of time, there is usually a deadline for you to finish it. Although the time is quick, you can still use it to think and settle down yourself. Therefore, keep calm and take a deep breath when you are facing change so as to help you deal with the problem much more effectively. Slow down your breathing and count for eight seconds in each breath. It helps you to decompress the stress that is building in the body.
So, when minds are out of control, doing some breathing exercises can help to focus thoughts and regulate anxiety. Going out to the playground, taking a break and having a short walk around the school, or even getting a nice cup of coffee can also help you to catch your breath and reset energy levels in the short term.
Visualize what is needed
The change goes suddenly, and to be a teacher; you are going to deal with different situations no matter what. By visualizing what you need to do and prioritize, you will quickly help yourself to control the feelings and make things better.
To do this, you can come up with any things you can do to solve the problems, write them down, and then discuss them with your colleagues or friends. Share about the things you need to do and let them check if you need any help. You could also create a note listing down the things you need or the time you are going to use so as to make your goal clear. Then you can set realistic goals and create action plans to put all the things together and work it out. By writing down what can be done and talking about your ideas with other teachers, you will empower not only themselves but also their schools since you help to make a very clear way to solve sudden changes effectively.
Collaboration with schools
In recent years, schools have begun to work together increasingly effectively, and different schools are finding the solutions to problems often through collaboration.
By working in groups, schools can manage their budgets more efficiently. For example, to share recourse and ideas they have, e.g., masks to give out for children, notices of school suspension or ideas to use when teaching, etc. So that school doesn't have to do extra work and think it all alone. Most importantly, collaboration creates a culture of trust and support between the staff in school and the relationship between different schools. This is a culture that helps teachers who are struggling with sudden changes in the workplace.
Be positive and relax
Schools will never stop evolving where change has been accelerated. What should the future of education look like? For example, now schools are more often using Zoom and taking videos, will the future turn into an e-classroom?
Yet, it's essential to know that this pandemic will be over. Imagine the classroom in the future world. Teachers will understand that you are not dominated by the pandemic situation. No matter what will happen in education in the future, you are already well prepared for it, so just relax and chill!
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