Healthy Teacher Happy Teacher Jessica Martin

I think all teachers would love to feel like they are thriving instead of just surviving in their career.   I see a couple of ways to feel thriving and successful sometimes, and I share these ideas with you in this podcast! 

On this episode, I dish on my international trips with Bookbag Tours  and share my big takeaways from visiting Egypt this last summer.  Egypt was nothing like I imagined!  It was so different and in this episode I attempt to share my experience! 

I recently transferred from a 4th grade classroom position to a position in an elementary school library where I teach grades K-5 daily!  Here are the ups and downs of my journey so far as a licensed librarian. 

This episode is all about why I left this podcast hanging for over a year!  Teaching is so hard and we all have a different story. This is mine. 

There are so many problems in the teaching career right now.  Every source of media complains about the world of education constantly, and it can be hard to see any positive aspects to the teaching career right now. 

In this episode, Jess (the whimsical teacher) talks about how to identify problems and use 4 different activist- based pathways to living your best teacher life. 

So many avenues, so little time~!  Let's get on with the show! 

Show Outline:


How will I survive this school year!  Another pandemic year?!  EEEK 
My Self Care comes first


Daily self care
Meal Planning/shopping on weekends
Fixing my breakfast, and my lunch
Preplanning all my outfits for the week
Doing a toiletry/personal care check on the weekends
Spending time with my dogs and husband phone free
Practicing things that lower my blood pressure
Shoe check - because of gout/etc, 


In school 
At school.  It’s inevitable- contract hours are not enough to lesson plan and copy all the things.  So you need a plan


I like choosing late or early.  Will I come in early or stay late.?  But never both.  Or a balance of both. 


Check to see if your school’s pta or something like it will make you copies?  This can save a ton of time. 


Embrace activities that don’t feel like work.  Don’t guilt yourself over that time.  The job is so diverse there are things that don’t feel like work, and I just let myself feel that FLOW. 


Each week, fix your space. Clean organize, beautify an area. 


 I start the week asking.. What can I do to make this week easier for myself and my students?


So much drama over papers, and work, and grading, streamline the processes. 


PEOPLE WILL SURVIVE I”””F YOU DON’T MICROMANAGE AND PLAN EVERY LITTLE THING FOR THEM!!!!  
Everything will work out.  Sometimes we need to let go.  Duder always says “why do you care about that?”  She’ll just keep asking me why until I run out of answers and I realize that everything I’m worried about is just stuff that I’m imposing on my own belief system 


If you need a little paper with 180 days, that you can shade in each day to see progress.. Do it.