How do we go from overdrive back to a manageable 10 miles above the speed limit?
Educators are NOT OK. Stress, overwhelm and burnout are words that plague our profession in the midst of a global pandemic. However, this IS NOT the end of our story. Human beings have the extraordinary capacity to believe, to be inspired, to persevere, and to create impactful change. We just need a little bit of time and energy.
The start of this school year has been challenging. The question is, what kind of meaningful changes can we make to bring more focus, calm and joy back into our teaching spaces and personal lives?
Here’s what I came up with:
The MAIN CHANGE has to be giving ourselves EXPLICIT permission to SLOW DOWN.
Teaching and Learning is about human connection, curiosity, questioning, pushing boundaries and soaring with the possibilities. So, let’s keep the MAIN THING, the MAIN THING. Let’s focus on experiencing the small things. Let’s commit to making small shifts in 3 categories: personal health, feeling inspired and our teaching craft.
Personal Health:
Make time to use the bathroom.
Find a teacher buddy/staff who can help! We can't always leave the classroom. But make a plan with your teacher bestie, that awesome school assistant or the main office secretary. Rely on others and be the support they need in return.
Pack a healthy(ish?) snack .
One that you'll ACTUALLY enjoy eating. As educators we are always on the go! That has a tendency to affect the quality of what we eat. Find a few healthy snacks you like (some of my faves are: That's it fruit bars (60 calories, all fruit - no added sugar!), Crispy Fruit (all pears or all strawberries) (35 calories and delicious!) Fresh fruit, skinny pop cakes, and garden veggie muffins (double chocolate and blueberry oat are yum!) (flat-out wraps with some turkey and cheese are great on the go as well and take about 3 minutes to make.) - there are LOTS of options!
Plan your time.
Choose a day to work explicitly within contract hours. I'm a results oriented person and a self professed workaholic.. I've struggled for years with the idea that work gets left at work. However, 1 day a week is a good start to drawing a personal boundary without letting it impact your work, your stress levels, your preparedness or your impact. You can do 1 day a week.
Mental health IS health.
When you're feeling all the feelings at once, or none at all, thats a sign you need to pay attention to. Take a mental health day. Recharge. Come back stronger, refreshed, with a new lens and the ability to breathe deeply, think clearly, and care wholeheartedly.
Inspiration & Filling Your Cup:
Have lunch with your friends (even if it's just once or twice a week)
We are human beings working with other human beings. Sharing a meal, and sharing stories with people we trust, builds connections and fills our emotional cups! So, make a plan to have lunch (not a working lunch) where you trade stories, vent, gripe and laugh together. You'll come back to class a lighter, more present version of yourself!
Find a creative outlet
Find something outside of education that lets you express your feelings. Anything physical, creative or outside your comfort zone will work! Creative expression allows you to release negative feelings, express frustration and doubt, and allow the stress to leave your body. So, paint, hit the gym, take a scenic walk with a friend (or alone) , write, draw, dance and sing. Find a way to connect outside of your own mind!
Identify the things that fill your cup.
We get tired not from doing too much, but not doing enough that inspires us. (I'm paraphrasing Alexander Den Heijer who said “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.” So, make a list of the things that light you up! Maybe its a conversation with a particular friend, reading a book for pleasure, Zumba or visiting a museum or maybe its binging your favorite show. Whatever it is, plan for it throughout your week. (If you planned for it, you'll make time for it!)
Identify your people.
Make sure you’re spending time with the people who replenish you. I'm not talking about the "should" people, the folks who are important to us for a variety of different reasons. I'm thinking of the ones that inspire us in their presence, the ones that are our safe spaces, our encouragers, our motivators. Be intentional about scheduling time with these types of people.
Teaching:
Don't plan all at once.
Frame your week then plan a little at a time using formative data to adjust your lessons. SPOILER ALERT: you know your students better than a curriculum developer. Observe your kids, take on the spot notes (Use template link below for in-class notes & observations that take just a few minutes!)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13TGqDSo8_qmdcnPG75-O3VWt63drbKoyML-NwCRaOBQ/copy
and adjust/modify your lessons to meet the kids' needs. You'll be far less frustrated when your kiddos start grasping the material!
Choose what you’re going to grade ahead of time.
(don’t grade practice work.) Whenever possible, use self grading assessments.
Conceptualize your lessons before you teach them.
Keep it SIMPLE. What do your kids need to know to be successful in this lesson? Teach that explicitly. Stop and reteach when necessary.
Make time to have fun.
Plan for fun w/your students every day (even for just 5 minutes.) I have a jar of fun 5 minute activities (Zentangles, Scattegories, and Where in the world are some faves) Kids get to pick one at the end of the day and we play!
These changes that I have identified came from working with teachers, educators and leaders in education over the last 2 years. Reflection is a powerful tool that can lead to meaningful and sustainable changes. As John Dewey so aptly said, we do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on that experience. Over 16 years of training I have become more and more assured that he was indeed correct. Thus, RIA (Reflection in Action ) was born.
Reflection in Action is a framework for individualized and group coaching for new & aspiring teachers, current educators and administrators & leaders in education. If you'd like to know more, or be part of the next cycle of coaching, please connect with me!
With warmest wishes and a commitment to the possibilities,
Masha ( Marianna) Freydlin
