Search results matching tags 'education', 'teacher', 'wellness', and 'educator'

Supporting Teachers My Way

welleducator — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:03:00 GMT

The Institute for Educator Wellness has added a new division - Teachable Moments Transition Coaching.

I will be offering wellness classes and coaching just for educators, because, let's face it, we have a tough job!

Resilience: Goal-Setting Activity

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:00:06 GMT

It’s easy to forget that we don’t stop developing just because we are adults. Indeed, we do continue to develop, hopefully creating a more colorful life for ourselves. This can be either intentional or unintentional.

Take a moment and take the pulse of your current life. This is a good exercise for writing down in a journal or on a piece of paper.

What is your greatest achievement so far?
What is the best thing about being your age?
What is the worst thing about being your age?

Now, look over your responses. Take a few moments and think about where you are headed.

What would you like to achieve yet?
What are some things you look forward to in the coming years?
What are some cycles you’d like to break?

This should give you some food for thought in goal-setting. Remember, if you never set goals, you will never reach them.

Avoid Burnout: Practice Kindness

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:29:29 GMT

Earlier today I was perusing blogs related to “burnout.” I wanted to see what other bloggers were saying, suggesting, and maybe make some connections.

I stumbled upon this one blog – the author IS burned out in her job. She has applied for a different job, and has totally checked out of the current one, showing up in body only. From her own description she has one crappy attitude. Then she has the audacity to complain that nobody pays attention to her.

Frankly, I can’t blame them. I wanted to put my eye out with a sharp stick rather than read any more of her whining. Being the problem solver that I am though, it got me thinking.

I have been in situations where I hated my job. We all have. One of the things you can do to make a horrid work situation more tolerable for yourself, others, and the situation is to stop looking inward, and start looking outward.

Observe

The people with whom you work
The boss
The tone of the work environment and how it changes throughout the day

Reach Out

Initiate conversations
Listen to others, and let them know you heard in some way (paraphrasing can be a bit overkill, so get creative about this. Asking more questions about what was said shows your interest.)
Remember some detail about what you were told, use it in conversation with that person to let them know you remember

Practice Kindness

Show interest in other people
Do something nice for the group or more quietly for an individual
Do something nice anonymously for someone who needs a little boost

When you practice kindness,

you take your attention off of your own ‘misery.’ (As one of my friends frequently says “Get over yourself!“)
you can watch the atmosphere of your work environment change for the better.
perhaps the job will not improve, but there will be at least something enjoyable to look forward to, making it a little easier to endure.
you will develop a strong, positive reputation amongst your peers and your employer – making you a desirable employee.

My daughter shared this with me, and I think it is an appropriate sentiment.

Give it a try. See how acting with kindness changes your world.

Another self-care reminder

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:46:45 GMT

Some of you have already begun the school year, and many of you will begin next week. Are you spending the weekend working your hind end off getting ready for the new school year?

I hope not. Of course you have to be ready for that first day. We all know that being well-prepared is the best prevention for other problems in the classroom. Although, I hope you will take this weekend to prepare your self for being your best self this year. All you really have to be ready with is a general plan for how your year will proceed, and your first week’s lesson plans. That’s all.

This is a reminder to take care of yourself this holiday weekend – either pamper yourself, or reinvigorate yourself by doing something fun. Spend time with people you care about. Treat yourself to something that will de-stress you.

Then show up for the first day of classes relaxed, renewed, and the best you that you have to offer your students. That’s really what you have to give to others – your best self.

Resilience: Accepting What You Cannot Change – 4 tips

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:55:32 GMT

One of the causes of distress (leading to stress) is what goes on in our own minds. Your reactions or thoughts – essentially your self-talk can make all the difference as to whether you become stressed-out about something or whether you sail through unruffled.

Practicing acceptance is easier said than done, but it IS doable.Acceptance does not necessarily mean you will be automatically happy with the situation.

One can be having a miserable experience and still be at the core “at peace.” You can be suffering through the loss of a loved one, career, belief or be in a health crisis an still have an inner peace. -Dennis Deihl, author” The Power of Now“

However, letting yourself be resentful about a situation, and letting yourself be angry for a long time about it is not useful. While it is important to acknowledge your emotions about an event, it is also important not to get stuck there.

So this year, as you enter a new school year, you will undoubtedly be faced with some situations that create distress for you.

Here are some tips:

Remember that change is a natural part of our existence – it happens whether you accept it or not. This is not something you have control over, so let it go. Put your energy into being resilient and coming through the change creatively.
See this as an opportunity. Think about it – change may be uncomfortable, but on the other hand, it also changes the parameters in which we operate. You have been given an opportunity for growth!
Know that it’s entirely normal to be resistant to change. The stages of grief are also important emotional stages when facing any kind of change. (Denial, Resistence, Exploration, Acceptance/Commitment)
Pay attention to your attitude. Fighting some changes is like beating your head against a brick wall. Don’t waste your energy on it! Find ways to channel your energy in a positive direction. This will increase your sense of empowerment, and help you feel more resilient in the face of such change.

Most importantly, form a support network. This might be people who are also undergoing the change, or might have to be people who are NOT experiencing the change you are undergoing. The call is yours.

You may not have control over the changes that come at you, but you DO have control over your responses. That, in itself, is pretty empowering.

If you would like to read more about this topic, Livestrong.com has a marvelous article on processing and accepting change.

Avoid Burnout – Two Critical Back to School Self-Care Tips

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:49:41 GMT

Staying calm in the face of the busy season can be a real trick. The beginning of the school year can be insanely busy with meetings and planning and getting the room all set up for the coming students.

First, organization will save you.Take a little time to organize yourself. Make lists so you don’t have to worry about forgetting things. Keep the list with you. (If you have a cell phone with voice capability, then you’re really rolling. If not, a good old-fashioned notepad will do just fine.)

Think about ways you can streamline the way you run your classroom so that you are not creating more work for yourself. For example, doing regular parent communication can save you a lot of time. When parents receive a regular weekly email from you, for example about what to expect in the coming school week, you save yourself a ton of time having to answer questions later on. Send the email out on the same day each week, so parents know when to watch for it, and set aside a regular time each day to respond to parent emails so you are not seen as not caring about parent involvement. This will save you loads and loads of headaches later on.

Second, and perhaps most important, take a little time to breathe.

When you find yourself running at an insane pace, invigorating though that might be, remember, that’s your adrenalin kicking in. You really do want to save that adrenalin rush for emergency situations.

Try this. When you notice your heart is beating faster, and you are going 100 mph, remind yourself to slow down. You can pull this off if you start practicing right now.

Here’s how I do it. You may have another way that works for you.

1. visualize a peaceful place

2. pay attention to breathing

3. will your pulse to slow down

4. feel a sense of calm within yourself

Now approach your tasks. When you find yourself ramping up again, go back to that visualization. You will the ability to relax will come easier and easier the more you practice. You will be able to pull it off without anyone even noticing you are taking a moment to breathe.

Remember to take care of yourself this school year. Nobody can do that but you.

Self-care reminder

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:38:29 GMT

Just a quick check – are you remembering to take care of your self this summer? It’s difficult to remember to take care of yourself when so many people are relying on you to manage them. I just spent the past few days with my aging parents – and these days they have a lot of needs.

One thing I really had to do for myself, and for them really, was to honor my boundaries. As much as I would like to fix their problems and their issues in life, it’s not my place, and it’s not my job to do that.

The same goes when you are working with students. Some of them come to us with the most horrendous of life situations, or with outside support issues. There are some things we can do to help or support those students, but we can’t fix it for them.

As educators, we tend to want to make things right in the world for people – ideally so they will be successful learners in our class. It is really difficult to feel comfortable with setting boundaries as to how much you are able to help.

Here is some advice from Dana Gionta, Ph.D. – a clinical psychologist and contributor to Psychology Today.

Balance your schedule with actual breaks, not work related.
Make time to socialize with co-workers
Limit how much you allow co-workers, departmental needs, etc. to eat up your outside of work time.
Minimize multi-tasking to avoid burnout
Try to be flexible about this without overextending yourself

In other words, the key is balance. The other unspoken key to all this is being able to say “no.” You can do it.