Search results matching tags 'teacher' and 'personal well-being'

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!

Wellness Article in Teacher Magazine

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:28:22 GMT

Today, I am referring you to an article in Teacher Magazine written by Elena Aguilar. She gives some tips for surviving what she refers to as “October Exhaustion,” but the tips are excellent wellness tips for educators any time of year.

Click here to visit Teaching Secrets: Managing October Exhaustion

Avoiding Burnout: Anxiety Assessment

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:49:34 GMT

One of the people I began my teaching career with began to have severe, debilitating and bizarre anxiety attacks about five years into her career. It had been a stressful career to begin with – we were part of a large group of people hired to replace others our first year, and the staff went on strike our second year. I moved on after that, but she stayed, and I can’t imagine what else must have gone on in that setting. When I caught up with her, she was in a mental health facility, under strict supervision, and I could only bring her things that she could not possibly harm herself with. She did progress out of the facility, by the way, but I’m not certain she was successful at handling her anxieties. She unfortunately went on to have a whole host of health and mental health issues later in life.

Anxiety is a very real concern for educators. We work in one of the highest stress environments out there – right up there with nurses and police officers among others. I think it’s simply the nature of working with large numbers of people. How do you handle anxiety?

First of all, step back and assess your anxiety levels. Some people are comfortable simply being reflective of their state of being. Others like a more focused approach. Axis-One provides a free online anxiety assessment. There are others out there, but I like this one because it is ‘quick and dirty.’ (No comments from the peanut gallery, thank you.)

Start with that. Where are your anxiety levels?

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.

Taking a Technology Break – Guest Post

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:14:00 GMT

A note from Fran: Ben’s blog, www.technologyinclass.com is an outstanding blog filled with practical tips about technology in education. Today we welcome him as a guest blogger for welleducator.org. Welcome, Ben!

Guest post by Ben from http://www.technologyinclass.com/blog

Teachers are highly wired professionals. Technology is a huge part of our job. We have to answer e-mails from students, teachers, parents and administrators, input grades and attendance in programs like gradebook and blackboard, update our class blogs, plan with and incorporate educational technology into our daily teaching. Then when we get home, we’re on facebook, we write personal e-mails, and we read our favorite education blogs. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it.

In a technologically driven profession like teaching, an intentional technology break is essential. If we don’t make the break intentional, we’ll default to checking facebook or e-mails when we have any downtime. We know that even when we take a walk there’s the danger of looking down at our smartphones or listening to our mp3 player instead of looking up at the sky and listening to the sounds of nature.

The technology break has to be intentional so that our minds can rest. Glenn Gould had a theory. He said that for x amount of hours he spent with people he would have to spend x amount of hours alone. I would say the same about technology. For x amount of hours you spend on your laptop you have to spend x amount of hours with human beings or by yourself apart from technology.
Here are four suggestions to build a peaceful mind on your technology break:

Sit or lie down and let your mind wander. Get into a technology-free place (not at your computer desk), and let your mind go where it pleases. Don’t stop it, but notice it and let it go. Notice what you notice. Catch yourself thinking.
Breathe. I learned this technique as a teenager from Dr. Weil. He calls it the 4-7-8. I practice this a little before bedtime as it is a relaxing exercise. It’s easy and it works:

· Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
· Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
· Hold your breath for a count of seven.
· Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
· This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Red tea. I discovered red tea (a.k.a. rooibos) when I was looking for a salubrious decaffeinated tea. I drink this at night. According to South African Rooibos Council, red tea’s chemical properties may help alleviate digestive problems, allergies, and anxiety.
Walk. Take a technology-free walk. Walk with another beloved human or a pet. Leave everything else at home. Notice what you notice.

Now it’s your turn. How do you spend your technology break? What suggestions do you have for those of us who can’t pull ourselves away from a screen of some sort?

Self-care Reminder Again

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:45:57 GMT

I know I can’t be reminded enough to slow down and take good care of myself. I’m one of those people who is a single mom, and have aging parents, so the plate gets pretty full pretty quick. Not as full as the plate of a practicing teacher though!

So this is your reminder to slow it down this weekend. Take the time to do something to take care of yourself in some way. Only you know if you need to quiet your mind, get some exercise (or more sleep) or if you just need a good laugh. Whatever it is, take some ‘me time’ this weekend. It’s all about refilling your reservoir.

I’d love to hear what you will choose to do.

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: Kicking an Addiction

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:39:49 GMT

Ceasing an addiction is SO VERY DIFFICULT. In order to succeed, I think you really have to want to do it. It has to be on the heels of a transformative experience – you know, one of those experiences that causes you to sit back and take a good hard look at your life.

I’m trying to stop with the coffee. Not caffiene – but coffee. It’s been the bane of my existence since my early teaching days back in the mid 80′s. That’s where it started actually, with that horrible Folger’s type of brewed coffee the school provided.

There is so much evidence out there that coffee just isn’t that good for you, though, if you look. Some researchers contend that coffee is good for you. I would question that assertion. I also wonder who is paying for those studies. I know it’s not as harmful as say, cigarettes or cocaine or meth or something like that, but are we sure about that?

“just one caffeinated drink – whether it’s a soft drink, caffeinated tea or coffee – will put your body on the caffeine rollercoaster. When you consume caffeine, the drug begins its effects by initiating uncontrolled neuron firing in yourbrain, according to Stephen Cherniske in his book, Caffeine Blues. This excess neuron activity triggers your pituitary gland to secrete a hormone that tells your adrenal glands to produce adrenalin.” excerpt from The Hidden Dangers of Caffeine NaturalNews.com

So while I know that coffee causes me no end of stomach problems, and certainly hypes me up, making me talk like Twitchy the Squirrel from the movie Hoodwinked when I have the caffeinated variety – the plain and simple fact is, I like the taste of coffee. I like the social aspects of meeting a friend for coffee. I have no end of emotional attachment to pie and coffee.

Yet, it really torks me off when Starbuck’s refuses to brew decaf in the afternoon (isn’t that when most people want decaf?) and insist instead on giving you a decaf espresso drink? Think there’s more caffeine in that? You bet there is. A few years back Starbuck’s was in hot water for spiking their tea products with extra stimulants, so I don’t put anything past them. They are as bad as the cigarette companies when it comes to addicting people….. and when coffee houses in general started charging about $4 for lattes. Another good reason in the ‘quit’ category.

So, how can I go about this in the most successful way possible?

The first part, I”m finding is behavioral. I have to stop habitually going to coffee houses. There are enough tea houses in this area that if I really want a suitable place to get out and visit with my friends, a tea house will suffice. And, I can start limiting my coffee intake at home, by being really really disciplined, and making a smaller pot of coffee the night before, setting the automatic brew feature on my pot. Maybe I should get one of those “coffee for one” setups.

The second part has to be mindfulness. I have to be attentive to the way I think about coffee, and the way I treat coffee. Think of all the money I would save if I do not drink it at all.

And the reason I’m putting it out there for you all to bear witness to? If you all know about it, then I HAVE to hold myself accountable. I don’t want one of you to catch me drinking coffee now that I’ve told you I’m trying to quit.

Have you ever tried to quit an addiction? How did that go? What was successful for you? I’d love to hear what you experienced.

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.