Mental Health And Self-Care Resources For Chicago Teachers

At IPaintMyMind, CPS teachers are our heroes. We are always inspired by the care, love, and empathy that our teachers have for each other and for students all over the city. Throughout the pandemic, teachers have been on the front lines, both as educators and advocates for students. 

At the end of the year, we wanted to provide a list of mental health and self-care resources for our teachers, to let you know we appreciate the hard work you do. Happy holidays from the IPaintMyMind team! 

Take Advantage of Chicago’s Free Museum Days 

Our first self-care tip for CPS teachers is free museum days at some of the city’s best cultural institutions. There’s nothing as relaxing as a slow day strolling through a museum with a friend, family member, or your thoughts to keep you company! 

For Illinois residents the Art Institute of Chicago is offering free admission on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays between January 3rd and March 17th, 2022. The Field Museum offers free admission days for Illinois residents every Wednesday, starting in January. The Adler Planetarium offers free admission to Illinois teachers every day of the year! The Museum of Contemporary Art is always sliding scale pay-what-you-can, and the National Museum of Mexican Art is always free for all! Finally, most museums in Chicago offer free admission to anyone with Link, EBT, or WIC, any day of the year. 

Follow Chicago Teacher Memes on Instagram

If you aren’t following @chicago.teacher.memes on Instagram, you’re missing out. From totally on-the-nose pandemic teaching memes to CTU solidarity, Chicago Teacher Memes has you covered! We love how relatable, Chicago-specific, and hilarious these memes are and bet that you will as well. 

Take a Pay-What-You-Can Art Class at Hyde Park Arts Center 

Hyde Park Arts Center offers a range of community-supported programs for adults and children, where art classes are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. From watercolors to sculpture to painting to book making: get creative and inspired with one of these great classes. Art is a great way to relax, unwind, and feel optimistic, and we love taking art classes whenever we can. Plus, Hyde Park Arts Center even offers Family Art Time classes where you and your whole family can make art together!