Search results matching tags 'teacher' 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!

Happy Blogiversary To Me (and a contest!)

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:29:13 GMT

This week is my one year blogiversary! I’m celebrating my giving away some very Teacher Geek-ery stuff. It’s sort of like Oprah’s Favorite Things. Without the diamonds. Or the trip to Australia. And nobody’s screaming or fainting in front of my computer – yet. Here’s the Geek Goodies: A Teacher Geek canvas bag, filled with: 3 of The [...]

Prevent Burnout: How to Say No

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:27:41 GMT

It’s easy to tell people, “you just have to say no – set some boundaries!” It’s another to put that into practice. I think the reason that is so difficult for educators is because we are in a caring profession – we want to help people.

The reality is, though, that you can’t be all things to all people, and if you are going to do your job well, you have to put some limits on your job, and what you will allow people to expect of you. If you don’t, sooner or later it will take a toll on you. It might even be a toll you can’t undo.

So, if you’re planning on being a teacher for the long haul, then you simply have to get good at setting some boundaries, and saying “no” some of the time. Deciding to do this is the easy part.

Now for the hard part. How?

Remember that you have a choice, and you are making one by either saying yes or no.
Take some ‘think time’ -You don’t have to respond immediately. Take some time to consider the request. Your time is limited, so when you say ‘yes’ to something, you are forcing yourself to say ‘no’ to something else. Taking time to consider this balance helps you to prioritize, and to make the best choice.
Counter-offer – if you can’t or don’t want to say yes, you might offer to do something else, or something small that is not overwhelming
Be honest – you can certainly express that you would like to take part in the activity, but that you are simply already overcommitted during that time period.
Be proactive/preventative – tell people up front that you are pretty busy, but that if you have time, you’d love to ___________ (whatever the request might be.) This helps them to know that it’s not that you don’t still ‘love them,’ but……..

Jennie Bayliss, on her website post “The Graceful Art of Saying No” offers the following tips, and I think they are good ones.

• Begin your sentences with: “I…”
• Keep all of your sentences short.
• Keep it to the point – extra details just weaken what you are saying.
• Avoid starting with: “You…” or “Why don’t you…”
• Avoid justifying yourself with: “But”

Once you get the hang of it, it will come easier. Remember to do what you say you will do – this will help those around you to know you mean what you say, and that pestering you will do no good.

Now, give it a try. You can do this!

Prevent Teacher Burnout: How to Say No

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:27:41 GMT

So, if you’re planning on being a teacher for the long haul, then you simply have to get good at setting some boundaries, and saying “no” some of the time. Deciding to do this is the easy part.

Now for the hard part. How?

Remember that you have a choice, and you are making one by either saying yes or no.
Take some ‘think time’ -You don’t have to respond immediately. Take some time to consider the request. Your time is limited, so when you say ‘yes’ to something, you are forcing yourself to say ‘no’ to something else. Taking time to consider this balance helps you to prioritize, and to make the best choice.
Counter-offer – if you can’t or don’t want to say yes, you might offer to do something else, or something small that is not overwhelming
Be honest – you can certainly express that you would like to take part in the activity, but that you are simply already overcommitted during that time period.
Be proactive/preventative – tell people up front that you are pretty busy, but that if you have time, you’d love to ___________ (whatever the request might be.) This helps them to know that it’s not that you don’t still ‘love them,’ but……..

Jennie Bayliss, on her website post “The Graceful Art of Saying No” offers the following tips, and I think they are good ones.

• Begin your sentences with: “I…”
• Keep all of your sentences short.
• Keep it to the point – extra details just weaken what you are saying.
• Avoid starting with: “You…” or “Why don’t you…”
• Avoid justifying yourself with: “But”

Once you get the hang of it, it will come easier. Remember to do what you say you will do – this will help those around you to know you mean what you say, and that pestering you will do no good.

Now, give it a try. You can do this!

Resilience:The Right Nutrients for You

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:23:05 GMT

Part of staying resilient involves getting that just-right combination of nutrients in this machine we live in called our body. It affects not only our physical health, but our mental state as well.

For example, if you feel like crying all the time for no good reason, you might not need anti-depressants. You might just be shy of vitamin B12. Researchers are finding out more and more about how vitamin deficiency or it’s opposite – overuse – can affect us.

Dr. Lendon Smith, author of Feed Your Body Right, has some very specific ideas about this.

“People would think it absurd if someone were to suggest they buy a generic dress or move into a generic home, yet they are perfectly willing to follow a generic diet.”

Smith lines out a plan for determining what is right for you in his book Feed Your Body Right: Understanding Your Individual Body Chemistry for Proper Nutrition Without Guesswork

Have you taken the time to figure out what makes your body work at it’s optimum? Many people don’t even pay attention to it!

One of Dr. Smith’s suggestions is to smell supplements before you take them. If they smell good to you, or have no smell, you need to take them. If they smell bad to you, your body doesn’t need that supplement right now.

The best place to begin is to start paying attention to what you are feeding your body, and how it affects you. You may notice some interesting patterns.

Avoid Burnout: A short stressbuster

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:07:53 GMT

During your busy day it can be really difficult to find time to quiet your mind. A meditation session can be downright impossible to fit in. Here is a short little meditation activity I found that anyone can use no matter how busy the day.

This comes from a Prevention article by Sarah Mahoney.

“ Sit upright, focus on your breath, and pay attention to a physical sensation, such as the feel of air in your nostrils. When your mind wanders, notice the disruption, then return your attention to that simple sensation. Jha herself now meditates 5 to 10 minutes at a time, several times a day.” – Amishi Jha, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania

Give it a try. This professor says that she has encountered Marines who do this even while deployed in a war zone. If they can do it, you can too.

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.

Resilience: Slow Down and Breathe

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:08:46 GMT

Slowing down and remembering to breathe can keep you strong. Nobody said it was going to be easy, though. It seems like when things come at you, they really come at you. The key is to remembering that while you may not control everything that is going on around you, you do control yourself. Nobody else can do that.

Here is a way to take control and de-stress in an instant.

Remember to Slow Down

Awareness: Get in the habit of informally monitoring your stress levels. When you are in the throes of some activity mentally note how you are doing. Is your breathing shallow? Do you notice tension in your muscles? Is your brain going at light speed? This is all a sign your adrenalin is kicking in.
Imagine: Visualize yourself in a relaxed state. You are breathing more deeply and slowly, your muscles relax some, you tell yourself to slow down. It will begin to happen.
Spot Check: A few more time throughout the day, check yourself. How are you doing? If your stress levels are back up there, then try the visualization again.

By helping yourself to relax, you will help oxygen to get into your body, and more importantly, your brain. This will help you make better decisions.

On top of this, you will keep your body from making that “emergency adrenalin” reaction, which in turn will help you keep from developing a whole host of stress-related health issues. Best of all, it only takes a few seconds. As you practice this process, you will be able to elicit a relaxation response more quickly.

Give it a try.

Resilience: Eating Right, Eating Well

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:26:38 GMT

When you are really busy, sometimes it’s easier to just take vitamins, but paying attention to what you eat can keep you healthier.

World’s Healthiest Foods website has some good information about the importance of getting healthy foods into your diet, and describes some realistic ways to do this.

Essential nutrients are nutrients that your body can’t make on its own. How these nutrients are introduced into your body may have a great impact on how well they are utilized. Nutrients do not work alone but in concert (synergistically) with other nutrients. The benefit of deriving nutrients from eating fresh whole foods such as those included on the list of the World’s Healthiest Foods is that they provide not only an abundance of individual nutrients but also the variety necessary for their optimal function.

This weeks’ HEALTHbeat Extra from Harvard Medical School has an excellent article on the best ways to get essential nutrients from your diet. The article is so well-written that I’m not going to try to summarize it here, but strongly recommend you check out the article yourself.