Illinois Principals Association

You and Your Team Matter

You and your team matter. In order to be sustained, we encourage you to routinely take time to check-in on your and your team members’ physical and mental wellbeing. Below are suggested questions for you to reflect on your own health as well as questions you may want to ask your staff to monitor their wellbeing.  Additionally, we have provided a listing of mental and physical health resources. Lastly, please DO NOT HESITATE to pick up the phone and call a member of the IPA Team if there is anything we can do to assist you.  You are not alone as we navigate through the pandemic together.

Download a PDF version of the check lists below.

School Leader’s Self-Check

Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your staff and students.

  • Do I have a physical or mental condition that requires professional attention?
  • Am I getting adequate rest including plenty of sleep at night and a nap through the day?
  • Am I maintaining a healthy diet and staying adequately hydrated?
  • Have I engaged in mind-body activities and taken mental/physical breaks? (i.e. quiet times for reflection and reading, jogging, yoga, exercise, dancing, outdoor walks, breaks from electronics and social media, setting an end time to my workday)
  • Have I stayed connected to family and close friends?
  • Have I stayed connected to colleagues who I can turn to for support, encouragement, and accountability?
  • Do I have a system that helps me effectively manage my time and tasks including following up on inquiries and/or assistance requests I receive from others?
  • Do I regularly review what I can delegate to others?
  • Am I intentionally scheduling time to check-in with staff to see how they are doing, determine their needs, watch a lesson, and offer some encouragement?  If my staff is large, have I ensured my leadership team has the entire staff covered? Have I communicated with my leadership team to be sure to report to me staff members who may need my individual attention?
  • Am I offering adequate support to my team during this time including consistency, compassion, communication, and coaching?

Staff Check-In

Without community, nothing else matters.

  • How are you? How are your family, close friends, pets, etc.? Have you been taking time for yourself, family and/or friends?
  • What are you grateful for today?
  • Does your diet fuel your body? Are you drinking enough water to stay hydrated?
  • Are you getting adequate rest?
  • Are you concerned with any physical or mental issues that may require professional attention?
  • Are you engaged in mind-body activities and taking mental/physical breaks? (i.e. quiet times for reflection and reading, jogging, yoga, exercise, dancing, outdoor walks, breaks from electronics and social media, setting an end time to my workday)
  • Are you finding opportunities for fun, laughter, and inspiration? (i.e. fun conversations, funny movies, tv shows, books, podcasts)
  • Do you have a fellow staff member that you can turn to for support?  When was the last time you checked in with each other?
  • What are you doing that you would like me to observe and/or provide feedback? (i.e. certain lesson, innovative approach)
  • What is going well for you? Is there something you are struggling with? What do you need to be successful? What specifically can I do to help or support you?
  • What student(s) are you most concerned for right now?  Why specifically do you have these concerns? What support does the student(s) need?

Two resources you may find helpful while you support your staff through the pandemic include:

Self-Care Strategies for Educators During the Coronavirus Crisis (WestEd)
Danielson Group Remote Teaching Guide

Mental Health Resources

Physical Health Resources

  • 24 Hour Fitness:  free workout classes on YouTube and the app
  • 305 Fitness:  free cardio dance workouts
  • CorePower Yoga:  free videos and live workouts on YouTube and On Demand
  • Daily Burn:  free YouTube workouts
  • LifeTime Fitness:  free classes on YouTube and On Demand
  • MyFitnessPal:  track your eating and exercise on this popular free app
  • Nike Training Club:  free On Demand classes with the app
  • Peloton:  free 90-day membership to the entire On Demand library of workouts
  • Planet Fitness: free videos and live stream on Facebook
  • SELF: free workout videos on YouTube
  • SoulCycle:  free workouts on Instagram
  • YMCA: free On Demand workouts
  • YogaJoy:  free YouTube workouts for all ages
  • Yoga with Adriene:  free YouTube workouts that emphasize mindfulness