69ý

Teaching Profession

How Teachers Plan to Beat the ‘October Blues’ This Year

By Madeline Will — September 30, 2024 2 min read
Illustration of an educator with long white hair, wearing a dark blue dress and walking off to the right of the frame with a low battery hovering above her head showing one red bar.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables famously said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” But in education, October can be a hard, sometimes grueling month.

The excitement that comes with the start of the school year has faded, work has started to pile up, and classroom management and lesson plans may start going awry. There might not be any school breaks this month, making the days and weeks feel even longer. And to top it off, it’s the start of cold and flu season.

Ellen Moir, the founder of the New Teacher Center, a nonprofit that works to strengthen beginning teachers’ practice, deemed the stretch of time between mid-October and Thanksgiving break for new teachers, but veteran teachers struggle with this time period, too.

“It’s a very, very long stretch while you’re tired,” Roxanna Elden, an author and former teacher, told Education Week last year. "[You’re] hitting the wall, you can barely make it through the week, and there are just endless weeks [of the school year] ahead of you.”

(Of course, not all teachers agree that October is the toughest month of the year. See what other months teachers think are the most challenging and why.)

Education Week asked its social media followers to share how they plan to beat the October blues this year. These responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Stay connected with students and build those relationships

“Keep your lessons engaging!! This is the time to truly bust out things to catch the students’ interest. Fall, football, Pirate Day, Halloween. Even high school kids like this. Further, build deeper on relationships. Talk to your students a bit more and truly get to know them at this time. It will pay off come wintertime!”


“One creative strategy is to conduct check-ins with students. One example is to use a ‘Feelings Wall.’ Create a designated space in your classroom where students can express their emotions through sticky notes or drawings. Encourage them to share how they’re feeling at the start of each week. This visual representation fosters community, allows for peer support, and opens up opportunities for discussion.”

“Stay focused on goals with students and what matters to authentic, engaged learning. Don’t let the outside noises in. Stay steady and joyful! Make time for early celebrations in student gains.”

Prioritize mental health and work-life balance

“Have a holiday booked for October half term.”


“At your lunch break, take a walk outside the school building for fresh air (mental health break).”

"[Book a] strategically placed mental health day.”


Keep a sense of humor

“Count down to Thanksgiving break. 😂"


“Carbs and baked goods.”

And here’s how this teacher is beating the October blues:

“With a stick.”

Related Tags:

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Why Teachers Likely Take So Few Days Off
The perception coincides with teachers' low levels of job satisfaction.
3 min read
survey teachers static
via Canva
Teaching Profession What the Research Says The More 69ý Miss Class, the Worse Teachers Feel About Their Jobs
Missing kids take a toll on teachers' morale, new research says. Here's how educators can cope with absenteeism.
4 min read
An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year.
An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. Now research suggests the phenomenon may be depressing teachers' job satisfaction.
Brittainy Newman/AP
Teaching Profession Will Your Classroom Get Enough 'Likes'? Teachers Feel the Social Media Pressure
Teachers active on social media feel the competition to showcase innovative lessons and beautiful decorations.
5 min read
Image of a cellphone on a desk.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession New Findings on Teacher Morale Highlight Ways to Make It Better
A new College Board survey on teacher morale echoes some previous findings. But it also highlights opportunities for schools to improve it.
4 min read
A student raises her hand to share her work with her teacher.
A student raises her hand to share her work with her teacher.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed