Good morning friends!

As the bells ring and students shuffle in, take a nice deep breath. We know the organized chaos is about to ensue – but we’re ready! We shape lives each day.

No matter what level you teach – elementary, secondary, transition – your work matters. But teaching can be incredibly demanding and stressful too. We’ve all felt that weight!

Here are some tips to help teachers destress after the final bell:

• Take 5 minutes for mindfulness. Focus on your breath or meditate. It really helps lower stress.
• Get active! Go for a walk, hit the gym, anything to get your body moving. Exercise is amazing for stress relief.
• Chat with colleagues about the highs and lows. Feel supported and know you’re not alone!
• Dive into a fun hobby, whether new or old. Do something just for YOU.
• Set boundaries between work and personal life. Create a routine to truly unplug at home.

Guarding our mental health is critical with the demands we teachers face. We also need the right resources to make each school day feel more manageable, right?

I recently spoke to a high school special education teacher, Kelly, who shared an incredible resource that’s been a total game-changer for her students. If you aren’t aware of it yet…It’s Functional Academics by SDES.

Kelly said Functional Academics is the real deal and perfect for what she needs to meet her students needs with fidelity – this program is created by special ed teachers who know this population of students inside and out. It provides a clear roadmap based on decades in real classrooms with students who have moderate to severe disabilities.

For the first time, there is a comprehensive scope and sequence tailored specifically for this population. SDES breaks key skills into concrete, measurable chunks across reading, writing, math, science, social skills – you name it.