I have been reading a lot about teacher self-care in several blogs written by teachers and/or for teachers. Self-care is critically important. Like airlines tell you before every flight: put your own oxygen mask on first, then help others, because you are of no use if you pass out. The same holds true for you as a teacher and your relationship with your students; if you come to school tired, hungry, and stressed, those feelings can seep into your classroom and affect the way you interact with your students and can negatively impact the quality of your teaching (which I know none of us want to happen!)

However important self-care is, I’d also like to also argue the importance of colleague-care. Teachers, we need to take care of one another. As many of us know, classrooms can sometimes feel isolating: you are alone for much of the day in a classroom with sometimes as many as 36 of your closest student friends. Some of those days will be so wonderful you will want to talk about them to celebrate your success. Some of those days, unfortunately, won’t be so great and you might need to talk through your mistakes and challenges. Some days, you might just need to feel connected to those in your building. Colleague-care has just as much value as self-care and also needs to be practiced in every school.

Here are some of my tips and tricks that I’ve found handy over the years for taking care of myself as well as taking care of others- and admittedly, sometimes I’m the caretaker, but most of the time I’m leaning on someone else in the building. I’m lucky in that way- my school practices colleague-care in ways that I wish everyone could experience.

1. Personal Care Drawer: This is my personal care drawer. It is in the top, repurposed drawer of my old filing cabinet and it locks. In here I keep items that I’ve found I wanted in my classroom over the years and at some point didn’t have. Much of this is shareable, and as part of colleage-care I make sure I let colleagues know that they are welcome to the items that are shareable in here (and where to get the key). In this drawer I keep: lotions, a first aid kit, extra bandaids, reusable water bottles, reusable coffee cups, snacks and extra coffee, Fairytales lice spray, Advil, Tums, sanitary napkins, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, nail files, safety pins, a small sewing kit, blister balm, and a hairbrush. I have needed all of those items in a pinch during my teaching career, and now I have them at my disposal.

2. Coffeemaker, reusable cups, and ‘the fixin’s’: I am lucky enough to be the chair of our middle school history department. In our department office, there is a coffeemaker, coffee, and the fixin’s that go in the coffee (though my creamer/milk game isn’t so great). I also put in reusable cups to borrow, wash, and return just in case a department member forgets a cup. Why? Because I love my colleagues. Coffee- and tea- helps some of us to wake up or maybe warms us up on a cold day in the classroom. A hot drink also does wonders on a day when you’re feeling upset. I want my colleagues to know they’re loved, both in my department and outside of it. Coffee seems like a great way to get the job done.

3. Soup: This is one that I came up with this year. Often, I get so busy that I forget to go down for lunch or I remember too late. I brought some soups to school (these are organic lentil soups by Nature’s Promise) for those days when I need food but didn’t get a chance to get to the dining hall.

4. Nice little notes: I can’t always see my friends and colleagues in the building. I got these little “Bloom Belief Cards” from Amazon for $9.99 (If you order them from this link, I don’t get anything!) I love to leave these in my colleagues’ mailboxes or on their desks sometimes so that they know I’m thinking of them and that I appreciate them. I’ve gotten plenty of versions of these myself from others in the building. If you’re like me, you’re always doubting your teaching ability: Have I reached them? Was my lesson engaging enough? Did I teach that in a way they’ll understand? It’s nice to know that someone has your back.

Take care of yourselves, teachers, and take care of one another. We are all in this together! Share yourself, your time, your lessons. Tell each other funny stories. Eat lunch together and not in your classrooms if you can. We are each other’s oxygen masks– and when we create love and care in our own faculty communities, the example spreads to our kids, too. Colleague-care is just one more way we can make the world a happier place.