Congratulations! You are expecting! There is a lot of planning and preparation that takes place before a baby arrives. In addition to getting things ready at home, you’ll need to prepare for your teacher maternity leave. It is a very busy and exciting time! The days leading up to maternity leave for teachers can be stressful if you don’t plan and prep early. Grab the tips below for how to make your life a little easier when teaching while pregnant and how to make the most of the time before your teacher maternity leave.
15 Tips for Teaching While Pregnant
Below are 15 tips for teaching while pregnant.
1. Share the News When You are Ready
It is completely up to you when you would like to share your exciting news. Many people wait until the end of their first trimester (12 weeks). Be sure to talk to your school administrator before sharing your news with anyone at work. Your principal will greatly appreciate this gesture.
2. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Shoes
Deciding what to wear to work while pregnant can be tricky, but comfort is key! Invest in a few staple maternity pieces that are neutral colors. The neutral colors will help you mix and match pieces because of their versatile nature. Also, be sure to invest in a comfortable pair of shoes. You won’t regret it!
3. Bring a Large Water Bottle to School
It’s important to stay hydrated now more than ever! Bringing a large water bottle to school will ensure you always have access to water. Consider buying yourself a new cute water bottle to motivate yourself to grab it more often and increase your water intake.
4. Keep Healthy Snacks on your Desk
Below are 20 healthy snack ideas that are great for when you are teaching while pregnant.
- oranges and cheese
- grapes and cheese
- apples and cheese
- celery sticks and peanut butter
- apples and peanut butter
- banana and peanut butter
- popcorn
- pretzels with mustard
- trail mix
- almonds
- dried fruits and nuts
- whole grain cereal
- greek yogurt and berries
- veggies and guacamole
- veggies and hummus
- pita bread and hummus
- smoothie
- protein bar
- sweet potato chips
- cheese and wheat crackers
5. Go to Bed Early
Your body is working extra hard right now. It’s important to get your rest and one way to help with that is to move your bedtime earlier. If you are normally a night owl, consider heading to bed 10-15 minutes earlier each night until you find a time that feels good to you.
6. Sleep as Much as Possible
As I mentioned above, sleep is super important right now. Don’t be afraid to head home right after school and take a nap. Your body is working hard right now and needs the rest.
7. Find a Teacher Buddy to Cover Your Room for Bathroom Breaks
This tip is really important as you progress through your pregnancy. Find a teacher buddy to cover your room for when you need to use the bathroom. You will frequently need to use the bathroom, so make sure you have a plan in place for when you need to go.
8. Share Your Experience with Students
Your students care about you and will be curious about the process. Perhaps consider modeling a how-to writing piece by writing about the process you are going through for how to set up a nursery.
9. Prepare for Your Maternity Leave Early
It’s a lot of work preparing for your maternity leave. Don’t wait until the last minute! Instead, do a little bit each day and start early.
10. Create a Stock of Emergency Sub Plans
You will have lots of doctor’s appointments, especially towards the end of your pregnancy. In order to prepare for these days off ahead of time, consider setting up a stock of emergency sub plans. It’s always a good idea to have a set of emergency sub plans, but it’s more important for you to have them now than ever before.
11. Mentally Prepare Yourself
You’re having a baby! This is a big time of change in your life. Be sure to give yourself time to reflect and prepare during this very busy time.
12. Prepare your Administrators and Colleagues
Consider telling your administrators before your colleagues to ensure that your administrators hear it from you first. Once you tell your school principal and other administrators in your building, feel free to share the exciting news with your colleagues.
13. Meet with Your Long Term Sub
It can be helpful to invite your long term sub to spend time in your classroom before you leave for maternity. In addition, some other recommendations include sitting down with them and going over your classroom procedures and routines, providing them insight into each of your students, supplying them with your contact information, introducing them to your team members, etc.
14. Prepare your Students for your Maternity Leave
Openly talk to your students about how you will be going on maternity leave and explain they are super lucky to have a wonderful new teacher. Depending on your preferences, you can give your students your contact information so they can write letters to you.
15. Communicate with your Students’ Families about the Transition to Your Long Term Sub
Notify your families that you will be going on maternity leave. Consult with your administration when this would be appropriate. In addition, send home a letter with your students introducing the families to your long term sub. This will help facilitate a smooth transition and ease your students’ families’ concerns.
In closing, we hope you found these tips for teaching while pregnant and planning for maternity leave helpful. If you did, then you may also be interested in these other post about planning for a substitute teacher, this Clutter-Free Classroom’s Guide to Preparing for a Substitute Teacher, and my emergency sub plans resource.
