Teachers get a nine till three work day with bonus weekends and holidays throughout the year. Anyone would say there job is easy, but that’s not the case.

According to a recent survey by tesconnect.com, four-fifths of teachers have sacrificed a night’s sleep in the last six months. The survey also reveals that 78% of teachers are giving up countless weekends and holidays to catch up on work that they are expected to do.

With teachers having to prep for the week ahead, mark, re-mark and still have time to eat, sleep and enjoy time out of school, it’s not surprising that 81% say working at home is affecting their personal life.

With an average class of 30 to teach every day teachers should be able to deal with the marking and planning that the profession comes with. But, is it the teacher’s organisation that’s failing in this area or is it the basic fact that teachers have an impossible amount of work to do that is unfair?

But not to worry, we have devised a top 5 helpful tips to hopefully improve marking so you can sleep soundly again.

5 tips to help teachers sleep

1. At the beginning of the year, assign each student a number which corresponds to the number in your roll book. (Roll books usually numbered lines for students’ names.) Tell the students to put their numbers (along with their names) on their papers.

Then, when you collect the papers, simply have one student put them in numerical order. Marking grades in the book then becomes a snap because you are not jumping from name to name trying to find a particular student.

2. Remember, every single paper-and-pencil task a student completes, does not have to be graded. Allow students to self-grade or peer-grade when appropriate, to encourage personal development and growth.

3. Do not try to accomplish difficult tasks when you are tired. Save those for your peak periods.

4. Set a regular bedtime. Go to bed at approximately the same time every night, including weekends. If you are really tired, try going to bed slightly earlier. Also wake up at the same time every day. When you are getting enough sleep, you should be able to wake without relying on the alarm clock, because your body has developed a sleep pattern.

Try to maintain your regular wake time, even on weekends – though up to an hour extra should not disrupt your normal sleep cycle. This should get you into a routine so you can plan your night better.

5. Take time to exercise at least three times a week. Exercise helps the body release toxins and also helps you to have deeper sleep. Exercise also makes it easier to drop off to sleep.

Follow these top tips and have a great night’s sleep. Or alternatively, visit The Odd Mattress Company for high quality, comfy mattresses.

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