Be Prepared and Stress Less

Someone recently asked me for advice on teaching with a disability. In my previous blogs I have talked about how I have used students and technology to help me. These are invaluable resources that apply directly to my condition. However, there is a more universal principle at work here: be prepared. This was a motto taught to me by the Boy Scouts. I love the concept of being empowered by forethought. Each time my scout troop prepared for a camping trip, I went through a mental checklist, envisioning my potential needs. Would there be rain? Would there be mosquitoes? Would there be time to read a book? Would I possibly get lost in the woods for a week and need to use all the skills from my Wilderness Survival merit badge?

My lesson plans do not anticipate everything. I am woefully unprepared for the possible tsunami or alien invasion. However, I really do envision every minute of class in advance, at least a week at a time. I do this because I simply do not have the physical ability to quickly write down notes in class, assignments on the board, or draw illustrations to help students. I create slideshows to accompany my lectures so anything I might want students to see will be ready to show. Other teachers can write notes on the board. I cannot do that, so I plan those notes in advance. The same goes for daily agendas. I cannot make them up and write them on the board five minutes before class. I have to have dictated them to my computer previously, because dictation takes more time.

Another benefit to being well-prepared with advance planning is reduced stress in the classroom. On the occasions that I fall behind in planning, I am more likely to hurt myself in an effort to be a good teacher. I try to type in class to create lesson plans or materials at the last minute. I shouldn't be typing, and I suffer pain for it later.

Stress will aggravate any condition, and pain aggravates mood, and mood affects my teaching and my general quality of life. I work three times as many hours as I would if I did not have a disability. I take more time to prepare. I stay up late and get up early. I work half of every weekend. I expect this to change as I become a more experienced teacher. I am still creating much of my instructional materials from scratch. Every semester it gets easier, because all of my advance planning keeps my stress levels (and pain levels) under control.

I could write an entire additional blog about all the benefits of being prepared in the classroom. Even teachers who have no disability would benefit from such planning. Students benefit from the planning as well. I believe this approach to pain management makes me a better teacher.