The school year is rapidly approaching, so there’s no better time to begin prepping for those future instructional days than now. Read more about 6 tips and tools to get your body set for school:

The school year is rapidly approaching, so there’s no better time to begin prepping 
 for those future instructional days than now. Despite the fact that there are 
 already countless resources available to help you <a href="https://resilienteducator.com/lifestyle/self-care-new-year/" target="_blank">mentally</a>, 
 <a href="https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/the-first-six-weeks-of-school/" target="_blank">academically</a>, 
 and <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/community-building-eases-transition-back-into-the-classroom" target="_blank">managerially</a> 
 gear up for the new school year, we wanted to create a resource that 
 shares tactics to ensure that you’re physically ready for that first bell. 
 Below are the tips and tools to get your body set for school:


<ul>
 <li>Waking Up Earlier: Unfortunately for students and night owl 
 educators, the school day begins early. <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/134/3/642/74175/School-Start-Times-for-Adolescents?autologincheck=redirected" target="_blank">
 In an article written by The American Academy of Pediatrics the claim is made that school 
 starts too early.</a> Rather than thrusting 
 your body into school mode after some needed days of sleeping in, we wanted to share 
 <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-wake-up-early" target="_blank">The Sleep Foundations tips to waking up earlier</a>. 
 This way you can more easily transition your body towards the days of buses and brown 
 bagged lunches. 
 </li>
 
 <li> Wear Comfortable Shoes: 12,564. That’s the average number of 
 steps a teacher takes in a single work day according to a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/calories-burned-walking" target="_blank">
 recent article written by Heathline.</a> That’s roughly five and a half miles. If you’re performing this in 
 uncomfortable shoes you’re running the risk of an injury. Make sure you take the time 
 to break in your shoes before the first instructional day. 
 </li>

 <li> Practicing Being on Your Feet: Just like going to bed earlier 
 should be a transition, so too should be the amount of time that you’re on your feet. 
 As an educator you should be constantly circulating (that’s likely where those 5.5 miles 
 come from). That said, if you haven’t been working a physically active summer job, 
 we recommend spending time walking or standing to prepare your body for the long periods 
 without sitting you’ll be doing on the concrete classroom floors.
 </li>

 <li>Eating on a Schedule: If you’re a snacker over the summer it may 
 be wise to limit the treats between meals as the summer months wind down. While there 
 may be time for a quick bite during breaks or a prep period, school scheduled meals 
 can have long intervals between. Practicing these similar feeding windows can help 
 prevent you from being “hangry” during those early school weeks. 
</li>

<li>Going to Sleep Earlier: When the alarm clock begins to buzz it 
 will be much more welcome if you’ve had a full night’s sleep. Going to sleep earlier 
 is really the first step in shifting your sleep schedule for school. 
 <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-go-to-sleep-earlier" target="_blank">
 This article by the sleep foundation</a> provides some suggestions on how to do just that. 
</li>

<li>Sleep While You Can: We just recommended both going to sleep earlier 
and waking up earlier. More important than both of these is getting enough sleep. 
<a href="https://www.bsu.edu/news/press-center/archives/2008/9/study-finds-that-teachers-are-fighting-to-stay-awake-in-the-classroom" target="_blank">
A study on teachers found that “43 percent slept an average of 6 hours or less each night”</a>. 
Sleep directly impacts your performance as an educator, regardless of your role. 
Moreover, not only does it impact your work it affects your general health and well 
being. The NIH says “<a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/how-much-sleep" target="_blank">
adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who 
sleep 7 or more hours a night”</a>. So during the summer be sure to prioritize sleeping 
enough while you still can. 
</li> 
</ul>

The fact of the matter is if you’re tired, hungry, or your feet are blistering from 
 your stylish new shoes you simply aren’t going to be at your best. Though the oxygen 
 mask analogy is cliche it certainly rings true in ensuring that you can be engaging, 
 awake, and in comfy shoes for your students. Take care of your body and your body 
 will take care of you (and consequently your students). 


<h3> References:</h3>
<ol style="margin-left:25px;">
 <li> Self-care: Getting mentally prepared for a new school year. Resilient Educator. (2020, August 19). https://resilienteducator.com/lifestyle/self-care-new-year/ </li>
 <li> Responsive Classroom. (2020, February 6). The First Six Weeks of School. https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/the-first-six-weeks-of-school/ </li>
 <li> School Start Times for Adolescents. (2018). American Academy of Pediatrics, 134(3), 1297–1297. https://doi.org/10.1542/9781610021494-part05-school_start_times </li>
 <li> Summer, J., & Singh, A. (2024, January 26). How to wake up early: 7 expert-tested tips. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-wake-up-early </li>
 <li> Marcin, A. (2018, September 29). Calories burned walking: 1 mile, 1 hour, calculator. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/calories-burned-walking </li>
 <li> Shoen, S., & Singh, A. (2023, December 6). How to Train Yourself to Go to Sleep Earlier. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-go-to-sleep-earlier </li>
 <li> Ransford, M. (2008, September 16). Study Finds That Teachers are Fighting to Stay Awake in the Classroom. Ball State University. https://www.bsu.edu/news/press-center/archives/2008/9/study-finds-that-teachers-are-fighting-to-stay-awake-in-the-classroom </li>
 <li> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). How Much Sleep is Enough?. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/how-much-sleep#:~:text=Experts%20recommend%20that%20adults%20sleep,or%20more%20hours%20a%20night. </li>
</ol>

Physical Preparation: The Back to School Basics