Take Your Teacher Sick Days: How to Feel Empowered & Prepared with Special Guest Kelsey Sorenson (Ep. 35)

Maybe you're one of those teachers who saves up all of their sick days, personal days, rarely takes a day off. Maybe you think to yourself - "I can't take a day off work because my class would fall apart." Perhaps you feel like it's not worth it to take your day because you have to prepare for a sub and then you'll fall behind on all the work you do. That it's more work to be out than it is to actually just show up. Or maybe you just feel guilty or pressure to not let your kids down or your co-workers because there is a sub shortage. I get it. I really do but I want you to know how important it is for you to start taking your personal and mental health days. The truth is that using your benefits like taking time off can help reduce stress, prevent burnout, and improve overall physical and mental health when you are prepared and empowered to do so.

That's why on today's episode, I brought on Kelsey Sorenson from Wife Teacher Mommy to come chat all about teacher sick days. Seriously, we're diving into some of those mindsets you have that may be keeping you from using your benefits, she's doing a little life coaching to help turn those mindsets around and empower you to prioritize using your benefits, and then she's wrapping it up with spilling the tea on how you can prepare yourself for a sub (like today without any stress or hassle).

Kelsey Sorenson is a former third grade teacher and substitute teacher. She is now a homeschool mom to 3 kids and owner of Wife Teacher Mommy, where she and her team serve Pre-K through 6th grade teachers. She is also currently working on her Life Coach Certfication through The Life Coach School to offer teachers the support they need now more than ever. Wife Teacher Mommy has been featured on We are Teachers, Teachers pay Teachers, Jane, Etsy, Food Network, CBC, Fox, and NBC. Kelsey and her team have helped hundreds of thousands of educators cut down planning time and balance the many roles in their lives with her time-saving resources, blogs, teacher life coaching program, Educate & Rejuvenate events, and Wife Teacher Mommy: The Podcast. Kelsey is addicted to Coke Zero and loves reading and listening to audiobooks.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Resilient Teacher Shoutout
• Who is Kelsey Sorenson & WifeTeacherMommy?
• The Reason(s) most teachers aren't taking their sick or paid days off
• What about the sub shortage?
• Using the CTFAR Model to go through these mindsets
• How to Challenge the Thought of Taking a Day Off
• What can teachers do about the sub shortage?
• How to prepare for a sub ahead of time
• Things teachers can do to get subs to come back time and time again
• Tips to get your students prepared for having a sub

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: 

• Kelsey's FREE Teacher Sub Plan Resources
• Kelsey's Podcast: WifeTeacherMommy Podcast
• It Was Always Meant to Happen That Way by Brooke Castillo
• Get accessible mental health support from licensed professionals online with Talk Space (They take insurance) - Save $100 with Code SPACE

CONNECT WITH KELSEY SORENSON:

• Instagram: @wifeteachermommy
• Tiktok: @wifeteachermommy
• Facebook: @wifeteachermommy
• Facebook Group: Wife Teacher Mommies Unite
• Website: wifeteachermommy.com

CONNECT WITH BRITTANY:

• Connect with Brittany on Instagram @teachingmindbodyandsoul
• Learn more on TikTok with Brittany @msprincessteach

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 29: Compassion Fatigue: The Cost of Caring for Teachers with Special Guest Ayesis Clay
• Episode 17: 3 Simple Steps to Managing Your Limited Teacher Planning Time & Reduce Stress with Special Guest Stephanie Palovchik (Ep. 17)
• Episode 19: Transforming Teacher Burnout Mess to an Inspiring Teacher Burnout Message with Self-Care with Rachel Lenhart
• Episode 11: The Ultimate Teacher Time Hacks for Burnout Prevention with Jen Manly

MORE ABOUT THE RESILIENT TEACHER PODCAST:

The Resilient Teacher Podcast is the show that will give overwhelmed educators the support, tools, and mindset to reduce teacher burnout and keep teaching sustainable. Each week, Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed. & her guests will share inspiration and actionable steps to avoid or recover from the dreaded teacher burnout. You'll be inspired to individualize self-care and learn to prioritize your well-being and mental health, all while making a bigger impact on your classrooms and community.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW ON ITUNES:

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And if you are feeling extra amazing, I would be super grateful if you would leave a review on iTunes, too!  Those reviews help other educators who are burned out and needing support find the podcast, and I love shouting you out on the Community Reviewer of the Week Segment!  Just click here to review, select "Ratings & Reviews" and "Write a Review" and share what you are loving about the podcast!   

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