As you know, I am a huge advocate of art integration and I often share ideas for how you can incorporate the arts into any lesson. As Autumn is in full swing for many of us around the world, I wanted to share with you some fun "fall" themed paper craftivities that you can include into any of your writing activities this season! 

All these autumn themed paper craft activities can be used with any writing assignments you give your students in class. Simply create the crafts (all images below can be clicked to be taken to a "how to" link) and then the paper can be used to write any activities you like! Here are some ideas:

1) Pumpkin lanterns:

​Finally, if you want something quick and easy that doesn't take up too much time and assembly to make, you can try these 'unbe-leaf-able' (hehe) "Thankful Leaves"! They come with prompts to come up with things students are thankful for and there are also blank options too which makes them really flexible for absolutely any writing / art activity you can think of! Check out some of the ways you could use them below:

You can use them to make pennants, a door wreath, you can use them to decorate your plants, hang them on a cardboard tree or stick them to a bulletin board! The uses are endless and they're so beneficial to help your students not only practice gratitude, but the blank options make it flexible for you to adapt to any lesson!

If you like these leaves and want to download them, you can find the links here to purchase from TpT ($) or here to purchase from this website (£). I hope you enjoy getting crafty this autumn, I 'be-leaf' (ok, I'll stop now!) you will!

Also, be sure to click the image below to register for the free VIP area which includes loads of resources for you!

As we know, teaching is an incredibly demanding job that if you let it, can completely consume you - your work is never done and that is a hard notion to come to terms with sometimes! Therefore, you need to actively take steps to ensure that you are taking care of your health - physically, emotionally and mentally.

Here are some actionable steps that you can take this week to improve your own well-being:

1. Leave school on time a few days this week.
Just getting those few extra hours at home can make all the difference, especially if your day has felt "extra long", you know the ones...!

2. Get as much of your admin tasks done in the mornings.
Your mind is obviously a lot fresher in the morning before all the craziness begins, and so it goes without saying that that is the best time of the day to get all the heavy thinking done! I don't know about you, but after that last lesson at the end of the day my mind is totally fried and no one is going to get much out of me at that point!

3. Have a hot bath when you get home.
Ahh, there's not much a hot bath can't fix! If you're able to, try and have a few moments alone in a nice pool of hot bubbly water and just let your muscles and mind relax!

4. Get an early night or at least keep your bed time consistent.
Getting your body in a consistent routine will really help with a better night's sleep and improved energy levels throughout the day.

5. Think of 3 things you're grateful for every morning.
You can't feel grateful and negative at the same time, it's impossible. That's why gratitude is so, so important. Try and make it a habit that right when you wake up, or when you're brushing your teeth, or making breakfast etc. come up with 3 or more things you are grateful for each day (and try and make them different things every day too so you're really having to think and reflect on your gratitude).

6. Make sure you stop for lunch during the day.
Seriously, eat something. Your food is fuel and you need to make sure you have enough in your tank to get you through the whole rest of the day!

7. Go off site at lunch to get a change of scenery.
There's something that can be said about having a change of scenery, especially on those days where you just feel drained from too much social interaction! I do try and force myself to go to the staffroom every now and then to check my pigeon hole, but that's not always great as often I get stopped by staff for a "chat", which doesn't help when I need to wind down! Instead, try going out for some lunch or just go for a quick walk down the street. The fresh air, change of scenery and silence can do wonders!

8. Do some exercise or some light stretching.
Keep your body moving - it helps with energy levels throughout the day and the stretches are great for resetting your posture, especially if you've been hunching over students or have been sitting in awkward positions all day!

9. Massage yourself - you can do your own shoulders and feet!
There's nothing like a nice massage, and the good news is that you don't need someone else to do it for you! Just while you're winding down (or I've sometimes done this at school on those rougher days) you can take off your shoes and give your feet a nice rub. Massage your way round the heel, ball and sole of your feet and feel the heaviness melt away! It's even easier to give your neck and shoulders a massage yourself at any moment in time and it can really help relax the tension!

10. Bring some treats in for your colleagues and make everyone smile!
Finally, the people you work closely with play an important role in your own well-being too as you feed off of each others' energy. So make sure everyone is feeling happy and harmonious by bringing in some yummy treats every now and then, and enjoy bonding over some tea and cakes at break time!

A bonus point - you can always access a continuously updated board of various ideas for teacher well-being on this Pinterest board which you're welcome to follow too!

What other ways do you like to wind down and show yourself some self-love? Share your favourite ideas in the comments below!

I hope you have found at least one easy and effective way for you to not only celebrate Day of the Dead, but also infuse art and culture into your lessons all while supporting students' emotional well-being too!