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We know that educators are amazing people. They show so much empathy and compassion for their students and one another. They dedicate hours upon hours to plan lessons that engage students, meet their varied needs, cover the appropriate standards, prepare them for high stakes testing, and keep students curious and excited about school. Teachers are also reaching out to parents, providing extra help for students in need, attending trainings, and learning what best practices they should be using daily in their schools and classrooms. Let’s not forget the rest of their workload that has included just about everything this past year; shifting to changing guidelines, keeping everyone safe, communicating with families, learning new technology skills, switching between synchronous, asynchronous, hybrid, and live streaming instructional models, rearranging all of their classroom furniture (and then again or taking most of their materials home to make social distancing space in the classroom) and this list goes on and on. But teachers have even MORE to deal with.We haven’t even mentioned that they become a support system to students. They listen, check in, make sure meals go home, provide a safe person for students, as these students struggle with more and more challenges at home. These challenges have come to the surface even more during the pandemic. We are seeing the inequities among families, such as food insecurities, loss of jobs and income, increased family stresses, substance abuse, other neglect, and abuse which can lead to trauma. Compassion Fatigue Teachers care about their students and only want what is best for them. They show their empathy and compassion on a daily basis. This is where the term ‘compassion fatigue’ comes in. This is just one of the stressors educators deal with that takes a toll on their mental health. Teachers don’t forget about their students when they go home at the end of the day. They worry, think of ways to help their students, and don’t stop. We’ve even heard stories of educators that become foster or adoptive parents to students. Educators teach with heart. Your Mind Matters: Don’t Struggle Alone I was recently listening to Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead podcast episode with guest Angela Duckworth. This was an episode focused on grit and trying new things. However, about three quarters of the way through the episode, Brene and Angela were discussing therapy and mental health. They shared that we all go through pain and struggle but some people get help for it and others take it out on other people. I think it’s important for all of us to realize that going through pain and struggles is part of this thing called life. It’s all about ups and downs like a roller coaster. A roller coaster wouldn’t be a roller coaster without some rises, dips, sharp turns, and drops that give you butterflies. Life is the same way. It makes me wonder why we are not using or teaching coping skills or why we don’t go to therapy as a normal part of our routine. Why is therapy seen as a negative (coming from a former guidance counselor and therapist) instead of something that is celebrated? We all need someone to talk to and there are many times we want to talk to someone who is unbiased and not the teacher down the hall. We don’t want to compare how bad our days are, but just talk it out with someone. Your Mind Matters: Zoom Out When you’re having a difficult time or stressed, remember, you’re just seeing part of the picture. Sometimes you just need to zoom out and see the whole picture. We get caught up in just that one part of the picture. Try this: Notice how you’re feeling (good or bad)… can you label the feeling? Sit with it. Do you understand the feeling? Put things into perspective. Sometimes changing the perspective can help. Ask whether this is a small feeling or a big feeling; is it a big issue or a small issue? Will this matter in a week or a month? It can be hard for us to zoom out when we are in the middle of feeling our emotions. We start to focus on the small parts and get stuck there. We need to try and see the larger picture. Your Mind Matters: Fill Your Tank Don’t wait until your car runs out of gas before you fill it back up again. That is the same advice we need to take as educators. We continue to give and give until we are on empty. It takes more energy to refill your tank when you allow it to empty completely. What do you do to keep your tank full? There are many apps for meditation or to take a few minutes to breathe. Maybe you do better taking a quick walk outside in the fresh air, sunshine, or being in nature. Do you make time for things that you enjoy outside of school? Your Mind Matters: It’s OK to Feel
As educators (or just as people) we have a really hard time recognizing, understanding, and labeling our own feelings. How often have you used the word ‘good’ to describe how you are feeling? Good is not technically a feeling word but it’s the go to for most of us and our students. It’s ok to feel our feelings. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s ok to feel your feelings and whatever those feelings are, just FEEL them. Remember that we all have feelings but we don’t have to let those feelings define us. We can also use strategies to cope with or change those feelings. As adults, we have a difficult time recognizing, understanding, and labeling our feelings. Imagine how hard it is for our students. Your Mind Matters: Why Are We Uncomfortable? I was recently preparing activities to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month. I was reviewing statistics and found myself uncomfortable as I decided what I actually wanted to share with my school community. Imagine that, I, someone with a background in psychology and counseling, had a hard time sharing the astonishing statistics around mental health issues in our country. No one wants to look at suicide rates, especially when they feel helpless to do anything to change it. This brings up its own set of emotions. We all have to do a better job of sharing our vulnerability. We should all have a friend or person to talk to informally or professionally. This type of support is important. As educational leaders, how can we support our staff more? How can we model taking care of our own mental health? How can we make the idea of taking a mental health day during the school year or being given the opportunity to tag out when needed the norm and not an anomaly in schools? Your Mind Matters: Mental Health Crisis As a result of this pandemic, we are going to see a mental health crisis in schools (and everywhere). This has been a difficult time for parents—keeping their children safe, worrying about their learning, taking care of family members. For some of our educators, they are feeling the stressors of parenthood along with their stress of being a teacher during these times. Depression and anxiety have increased and many of us are feeling burnt out. We were June tired in October. How are we supporting each other during this pervasive time of uncertain feelings? Why do we feel shame about feeling shame? Don’t feel guilty that you don’t have it all figured out. Stop feeling that your struggle isn’t as bad as someone else’s and think that you shouldn’t get help. We need to stop the comparative suffering and start taking care of ourselves. Your Mind Matters: Reach Out & Get Help Reach out. Don’t go it alone. I’m here for you. The whole Teach Better Team is here for you. We’re here so no one has to be alone. Remember this: life is messy and stressful. Teaching is messy and stressful. You will have a lot of feelings. It is ok to take time for yourself. Self-care should be part of your daily routine. You can’t give to others if your tank is empty.
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It’s hiring and/or interviewing season depending on which side of the table you’re sitting on this time of the year. Let’s look at this from a hiring lens. I’ve learned so much more about hiring over the past few years compiling ideas from @Beth Houf, @Joe Sanfelipo and, @Jimmy Casas and more in my PLN.
Hiring a new staff member should not be a daunting task or just something to cross off your to do list. This is a huge opportunity for your school. What are you missing on the team? How can you hire someone that will compliment that team and help move everyone forward? Think about the strengths and skills or talents that you are looking for and want to add to make your team even stronger. I always remember the advice from Jimmy Casas that you want to hire what is missing from your team, someone that can add to it instead of just someone that will fit in and is similar to others on the team. Make A Great Impression on your Candidates It’s important to make a good impression of your school from the beginning. Is your job posting very traditional or are you recruiting someone to join your team. Think about the “I Want You” posters as you are looking for that perfect candidate. How are you INVITING them to apply to be part of your school? How will you use the application process to narrow down your candidates? Will you include essay questions to gather insight into their values or opinions on specific topics as well as to evaluate their writing skills? Will you ask them to create a Flip Grid video to see their speaking ability and how they create a presence? Are there other tasks you want them to do? Remember to be intentional about making a first impression. I want to create an environment and message that makes candidates say, “I want to work there!”. We need to treat our future employees- teachers - like Rock Stars! How are you rolling out the Red Carpet? Be Welcoming! I’ve given this a lot of thought over the past few years. I display a welcome sign in my lobby with the candidate's name on it. I want them to feel noticed as soon as they enter our building. There’s nothing like showing up for an interview and getting the deer in the headlights look from the office staff making you feel like you’re in the wrong place. Everyone in my building is friendly and greets candidates with the biggest smile and enthusiasm. If there’s paperwork for them to fill out, it is organized and provided in a branded folder (think school colors, logo, motto). We also offer everyone a bottle of water and life savers. We want them to know we encourage them to breath, relax and take a drink if they need it. We are in no rush and what they have to say is important to us. Find the Right Questions Think about the questions you are going to ask. Be prepared ahead of time. I find interview questions say as much about you as a school and your values as it does about the candidate. Finding the right interview questions is one of the most frequent topics in my private principal groups. I’ve compiled a list of interview questions for you here. This also includes some of the questions that Beth Houf and Shelley Burgess recommend in “Lead Like a Pirate”. I suggest using Lightning Round questions. Two years ago, we hired 10 new teachers. My administrative team really liked the idea of these Lightning Round Questions. They were quick questions that caught the candidate off guard and had them answer with the first thing they could think of. Many of our candidates (and hirees) commented on these questions and they sometimes led to further conversations. It was also a non-stressful way to bring the interview to an end and put the candidate at ease before they had the opportunity to ask any questions of their own. It's all about the fit (like a puzzle piece) The best advice I can share about hiring is that it is all about finding the person that has values that align to your school. Sometimes it’s not the candidate with the most experience. Sometimes it’s about how the candidate answers the questions, sometimes it’s the content of the answer and other times you just feel it. You just know whether that person is going to fit into your school’s culture or bring something that is missing on your team. It’s not alway about experience, school attended, skills developed and what a resume says. There are times that I know within the first 5 minutes of an interview whether or not someone would be the person we are looking for to add to our team. There are other times that we narrow our pool of candidates down to only a few. I’ve had this happen a couple of times. You have two or three perfect candidates. I’ve found the best way to find the person you want at your school is to have them teach a class. You can determine a lot when you see someone in action. Some candidates build rapport with students quickly and easy. They use student names and are able to adjust and pivot their lessons depending on the situation. I have seen some candidates really shine and the committee knows right away that person would be a valued addition to our school team. Roll out the Red Carpet for your New team member! Here comes the very best part- making an offer to your chosen candidate. You want them to be as excited about joining your team as you are about inviting them to be part of your school. How can you let them know that you think they are a Rock Star and should choose your school? This is where I borrow ideas from Joe Sanfelippo. He has had students offer the position to their new teacher. The class is waiting outside of the room to offer the position to the candidate. Joe has had the candidates parents on standby to be the first ones to hear the exciting news or to actually offer the job. No matter how you narrow down your candidates, conduct interviews and offer your chosen candidate the position, don’t forget to follow up with the other candidates. No one wants to be left wondering if they are going to hear from you. I always follow up personally with a phone call. They gave of their time to go through our interview process, the least I can do is personally let them know whether or not they are moving on in the process. It is also important to provide them with useful feedback, especially if they ask for it. These could be future teachers and we want to share with them areas that they can continue to develop as they prepare for future interviews. I wish you all the best this hiring season and hope you add the perfect people to your team. As most people know, I am a huge sports fan. Basketball is not usually one of my top sports, but I become an NCAA college basketball fan every March! So I was excited when I first heard about the March Madness Tournament of Books a few years ago. I wish I knew who to give credit to for this idea as it is one that has evolved and becomes part of my school(s) each year. My school community was equally excited when I presented it to them. We could tie our love of basketball (a school favorite!) and books into a month-long event. In previous years (and years) we had celebrated Read Across America Day, Dr. Seuss' Birthday and Community Reading Day in March. We decided it was time to switch things up and quickly embraced March Madness. We couldn't wait to celebrate our favorite picture books and invite guest readers in all for our tournament. CHOOSE YOUR BOOKS The first thing we had to do was choose our books for the tournament. That first year we had staff recommend some of their favorites. We started with 16 staff favorites. There was lots of variety. There are many 'book lists' to choose from when narrowing down your book choices.
We started with our bracket of 16 books and gave classes two weeks to read all of the books. In the following two years, we divided the school in half for the first round so classes didn't feel they had to read them all at once. This is a great strategy for larger schools. At one school, we divided the tournament into the four wings of the school, and then everyone came together to vote in the final 4 and championship rounds. Set up Voting Students voted in their classrooms on a Google Form. Younger students were able to vote on an iPad by touching the book of their choice. They were so excited to be able to vote on their own. I loved listening to their thinking as they were making their choices. Even our middle school students enjoyed the opportunity to vote on the picture books. You can also use paper voting ballots and have students tally the votes and enter those on a Google Form. Our preschool class would vote by standing on whichever side of the room had their favorite book. The voting possibilities are endless! Create a Display I recommend having a bulletin board where the whole school community or your class(es) can see the tournament come to life. We have always had the display in a prominent place in the lobby of the school. I would take photos for the covers of the books, or you can simply find the photos online. We put the photo of the winners from each round on the board to announce the winners. Everyone would get excited to see if their choice made it to the next round. Invite Guest Readers Inviting in guest readers is one of the best parts of the tournament. We invite community members, parents, and other staff members to read in our classrooms. Our school nurse was the best reader. She read "Gaston" and came complete with props and popsicle stick puppets. The students are always excited to have someone new come read to them. We even had some of our elementary students read to the middle school classrooms. This was a huge hit! I love being one of the gust readers, especially when it's one of my favorite books. Take it Virtual We transitioned our Tournament of Books virtually last year after our school building closed in the middle of it. It took a little time to transition with the uncertainty of when/if we would be returning. Staff stepped up and recorded themselves reading the remaining books and we would share them in Google Classroom and on our Facebook page. We shared the link to a Google Form for families to vote. When there's a will there is a way! I did a fun virtual video announcement of the winner!!! If your school is virtual or hybrid, this is a wonderful adaptation to continue your Tournament with at home learners. It's also a way to bring the whole school community together for the month. I'm sure you have some local heroes and celebrities that would love to record themselves reading one of your tournament books. Reveal the Champion This is my favorite part of the tournament- getting to reveal the CHAMPION! The first year we had 8th graders decorate two paper boxes like the two finalist books. The day of the assembly, I put balloons in the box of the winning book. We held a whole school assembly. Two teachers did a read off. Each reading very dramatically one of the finalist books. We then had students cheering for which book they thought should be the winner. Two 8th graders lifted the covers of the boxes to reveal the balloons and winner! My favorite reveal is when I set off a confetti cannon on the side of the winning book. There's nothing like confetti to celebrate a championship.
NO matter what books you choose, how you vote, who you invite in to read or how you choose to reveal the winner: CELEBRATE THE LOVE OF BOOKS AND READING DURING MARCH MADNESS! It’s that time of the year, when we prepare to say goodbye to one year and welcome in the next… and more than ever we are ready to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021. I gave up making New Year’s Resolutions a few years ago. I always had good intentions and would start out doing well. Sometimes my resolutions (usually around exercise and/or healthy eating) would last until March if I was really intentional but usually it would fade by mid February. When I first heard about One Word at the end of 2017 as part of a #PIAChat (Principals In Action) I thought “I can do that.” and that I probably needed that. I needed to shift my thinking from choosing a resolution and something I had to DO all year long, to a word that would be my ‘mantra’ and help me BE the person I wanted to be. [You can read about my #OneWord2018 HERE]
As I started to think about my #OneWord2021, I did a podcast about finding your word, I participated in Lindsay Titus’ Word Party for inspiration and to focus on my word throughout the year I am also going to participate in Ali Edwards Workshop to help me document my word this year. I will focus on my word, write about it, and reflect on it as I document living my word throughout the year. I had a list of words that I ‘tried on’ to see how they felt. I thought about what I wanted to focus on this year; was there something that I needed to change or an area I wanted to grow or if there was something I needed more or less of during the upcoming year. My word has always chosen me when I took the time to reflect and listen. I had to be open, listen and feel. I had narrowed my word down to Faith, Hope and Believe. They are similar yet different when you look at them closely. The dictionary has them as synonyms for each other. When I think about Faith, it’s a complete trust in something (for me it’s knowing that God will see me through and everything will happen as it’s supposed to). Hope is a feeling of desire for things to happen as well as that feeling of trust. But the further I thought and lived with the word ‘Hope’ it felt like I wanted to just wait for things to happen and I wanted to take action. Faith and Hope are nouns but Believe is a verb, which implies the action I was looking for. I want to Believe; accept something as true and feel sure of that truth. I Believe this year will be for new beginnings in many ways (getting to the other side of the pandemic, finding that perfect place to be my authentic self, and sharing my message and story in more ways than ever). I Believe education is on the precipice of positive change and momentum for rethinking what school could be. I Believe this is the time for us to re-evaluate what works for our students and what we should stop doing in education. I Believe this is an exciting time to be an educator and I look forward to being a part of the ‘new’ normal of schools. I Believe that I will continue to live the Miracle Morning and practice the SAVERS each day which includes continuing my Peleton Yoga streak (today is day 83). I’ve come to rely on my quiet mornings, affirmations and visualizing what the future can hold. I Believe that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I Believe in myself and all that I can accomplish. I will put more effort into my new website, blogging, writing and podcast. This is the year I will grow exponentially in my professional life. I Believe in the power of connections. I am forever grateful for my PLN. This year I was able to connect to a whole new group of like minded educators through the Teach Better Mastermind. I look forward to Tuesday mornings every week. It’s the best way to start my week. It’s hard to explain but connecting with these fabulous people in our mastermind group and through voxer during the week, they’ve become close friends. I know that I can reach out to them if I am ever in need. From simple questions about setting up a new website to problems of practice at school or even advice on that week’s football picks. There’s something amazing when you find your people. I Believe in my impact, the ripple effect that I can have on others. I am blessed to have people like you reading my blog and listening to my podcast. Even if I just reach one person and that makes a difference for them and in turn the students they serve, then I have had an impact beyond my wildest dreams. The ripple effect is something that I will continue to think about in the year ahead. I Believe in my family and friends and that we can be together again. I miss the family cookouts, trivia nights with friends, scrapbooking weekends and attending conferences to meet my PLN friends in person. I Believe that this year of having to be socially distant will bring us closer together. I Believe that whatever is going to happen this year is going to happen. I will embrace everything that happens and continue to Believe in myself, look for the positives and silver linings. This is the year that I will grow even more and appreciate you following along on my journey. I encourage you to choose YOUR one word if you haven’t already. It’s never too late. One little word can have a big impact. Once you have your word, share it….. On Twitter #OneWord2021 and #TheBusyPrincipal I wish you all the best as you finish out the most unprecedented year we’ve ever experienced and look to your One Word to bring in 2021 and make it your best year yet. I recommend checking out Jon Gordon’s book “One Word that Will Change Your Life” if you want to explore One Word even more.
This was a guest blog post for we videohttps://www.wevideo.com/blog/for-schools/cultivating-relationships-in-a-time-of-social-distancing-at-school
*This is an edited guest post written by Bobbie French, an educational leader, presenter and writer who participated in the WeVideo Leadership Roundtable. The three most important words in education: Relationships, relationships, relationships. Now more than ever, during these times of virtual learning and teaching from a distance, it’s so important that we are intentional about building those relationships. We know it’s much easier to foster relationships with students, parents and colleagues when we’re able to see them face to face each day. It’s easier to get to know someone when you can see them, hug them, high-five them or simply read their facial expressions. This is what makes virtual relationship building difficult… but not impossible. How have you continued to work on your own relationships or build new ones during the pandemic? We’ve all been faced with the need for social distance and limits on social gatherings. As for me, I’ve been making connections with others across social media and now on Zoom. I’ve been active on Twitter for several years, and there are many people that I would call friends that I’ve never met in person. This spring I also connected with another group through the Teach Better Administrators Mastermind which is a weekly Zoom meeting. I’ve developed a relationship and connection with these other educators from across the country without being face to face in the same room. It can be done, but our efforts must be intentional with students. As educators, it is our responsibility to make sure our students feel safe and supported during their learning journey. Students need a sense of belonging at school, whether in person or remote. Prioritizing the social-emotional learning and developing authentic relationships with students needs to be at the center of our work. Deep learning occurs when students feel connected with their teachers, and safe taking risks with their learning. We know that students will need to take even more risks as they navigate school in new ways. How are you building relationships with your students? How do you plan to develop relationships with parents, especially those that are struggling the most due to COVID-19? And what about with your colleagues? Many of you may still be teaching from home, missing the camaraderie of your teaching partners, teams, and other adults you usually work with in the school building. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to start building your relationships and getting to know your new group of students. There are lots of ways to start connecting with your students. Checking in with them daily or weekly is an important first step. There are several different check-in forms that can be used for a variety of grade levels and to meet your specific needs. Here’s a beginning of the day check-in form shared by Jennifer Findley. I also created a daily check-in form you can use based on the Mood Meter or Zones of Regulation. It’s easy to modify either one of these to meet your needs and gather information from your students on a regular basis. You can also have students check in using Padlet or Jamboard by adding an emoji or feeling word to a shared space. They can do this anonymously until you’ve established a safe class community. Using Flipgrid to have students talk about their feelings or the variety of feelings they’re having allows students even more expression. If you’re using Zoom, another strategy is to share your screen with a list of feeling words, pictures, or the Mood Meter to have students annotate with stamps. You may also want to check in with students about how they feel about virtual learning, their different subjects, or a specific lesson. This gives them a voice within the classroom, which is one of the strongest ways to develop a relationship with your students. When using any kind of check-in with students, the most important thing is to follow up with them, especially those who have noted difficulties or struggles. Relationships with families are equally as important. I have used SMORE newsletters to stay in touch and keep them informed about what’s happening at school. Setting up virtual office hours allows parents to pop in to share concerns or celebrations. I use Google calendar with open appointment slots and a Zoom “office” link. Hosting routine virtual principal chats lets families know that you value their input and that you’re willing to set time aside to listen to them. Parents want to be heard, they want to know what’s happening at school to keep their children safe, and also what their children are learning. Whether you’re a teacher or administrator, having this “open door” approach, even while virtual, allows you to build meaningful relationships with parents. This past spring, teachers had to go into crisis teaching mode. This fall, many things some teachers are teaching remotely and some are spending the majority of the day with synchronous teaching. This can be exhausting for both students and teachers. It’s important to build activities into your day that allow you to get to know your students as well as letting students get to know each other. Teachers are now intentionally planning their lessons (think: college lesson plans). Adding team building activities and just plain fun activities into the day will help you connect with students. I’m sure you’ve already seen lots of ideas, including scavenger hunts that get students up and moving as well as laughing together. Other activities you can try include using Flipgrid to have students introduce themselves to each other, decorating photos of lockers, backpacks, skateboards, t-shirts (anything you can imagine!). This allows students to personalize items that reflect their interests and personalities, as well as working on their technology skills. It’s easy to start the year with intentionally building relationships…. but what about when DEVOLSON (aka the dark, evil vortex of late September, October and November) starts to set in? Teachers will be more exhausted than ever trying to balance in-person, remote and hybrid teaching methods. They’re going to need all the support and grace we can give them. Just remember: keep relationship-building as a priority and you may end up with more engaging lessons that get your students to class every day. Most people say that I am happy and bubbly. The girl that always has a smile on her face. I would say that I am an optimist, a glass is half full type of person. Is your glass half full or half empty? I’m the one that will be glad we got rain- either because we needed it (currently in a drought in my area) or because a rainy day can be a good excuse to take a day to relax or do things in the house! To me, the opposite of this thinking is negativity. I don’t have time for negativity. It’s an energy sucker and that’s the last thing I need right now. Negativity can get us off track, especially in schools. It derails momentum and progress toward goals. Negativity drags you down. This is why new teachers are often advised to avoid the teacher’s lounge their first year. New teachers are full of positivity and excitement for their first year of teaching, a visit to a room full of complainers can dampen that positive attitude. I remember my 2nd or 3rd year as a classroom teacher, a group of us would eat lunch together but we had one rule- NO Complaining. We stuck to that rule and did everything we could to avoid a stereotypical teacher’s lounge filled with negativity and complaining. Instead, we talked about our weekend, our families, our hobbies, aspirations and lessons that went well or connections we were making with students. I looked forward to these lunches and the camaraderie that we built during this time. This was a time to connect even more with colleagues. We learned a lot about each other beyond the walls of our school. That’s what I envision happening in staff rooms and teacher’s lounges around the country. To this day, those teachers are still some of my closest friends. What can you do to help change the culture of your teacher’s room so you don’t have to avoid it altogether? Could you create norms to keep it positive? Are there positive stories you can share with each other? What would it mean to connect with your colleagues about who they are as parents, spouses, friends, learn about their hobbies? Think of the example you will set for those first year teachers, who will want to join in on those conversations and become part of your school family. We need to be optimistic when it comes to teaching and learning our students. Show them you believe in them, that you care and that you are not going to give up on them- EVER. How can you show them you are their biggest cheerleader and also their coach? How will you show up for them when they are struggling and just need to know someone still believes in them? I’m also optimistic when dealing with parents. We’re on the same team and want what is best for our kids. Sometimes we need to put our own feelings aside and just listen. I’m always amazed at what I hear and learn when I really take the time to listen to parents. I take the time to listen and usually I can even empathize with the parent. You will often hear me say, “That sounds like it was hard for you.” I may not always agree with the parent’s perspective but I can always listen and sometimes that is all the parent needs. They just want to be heard. How can you approach your next parent phone call with optimism? We are all dealing with the uncertainty of re-opening schools in the era of COVID. There are many decisions that we have no control over. There’s no real right or wrong. What we can do, is focus on the positives and not let our students/children hear us complain. May you all have a positive school year! It’s OK to feel however you’re feeling- right now, in twenty minutes, an hour or tomorrow.
We’re all experiencing a variety of feelings as we prepare to re-open school buildings. Whether you are an educator, parent, or even a bystander to education, we all have permission to feel. Many parents are anxious about whether or not to send their child to school or to college. College students are adults and can make their own decisions, but have we as parents, prepared them to navigate college during a pandemic…? I will let you know how my son does managing his sophomore year at college once the first semester is over! Parents want to know that their child will be ok no matter their age. Some can’t imagine what it will be like for their 6-year-old to travel the school building in a line that is 60 feet long. Who is watching my child as this long line travels from point A to point B in the school or to dismissal? We all have valid feelings as we navigate a situation none of us have ever been through before. As educators, it is our job to maintain that positivity. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a range of feelings. There are days that I am completely in the blue on the Mood Meter. I give myself permission in that space (but only for so long) and then I try to figure out when and how I am going to change my mood. For me, that might be listening to upbeat Country music, taking a walk with my Labradors, or calling a friend just to chat. What do you do when you want to change your feelings or mood? Do you find yourself in one mood more than the others? We know this is going to be one of the toughest school years we have experienced. We also have to remember that all of those children we care for are watching how we respond. How can we embrace our positive feelings and move into the yellow and have the best school year ever? Remember how you make connections with students and families. You can do most of these and more by adapting them to distance teaching and learning. How can you bring some sunshine into your classroom each day- virtual or brick and mortar? I love using music to set the mood. You may want to check out the jammy pack! There are also lots of virtual team building activities you can try. What is one team building activity you have planned for the first day of school? As you enter the new school year, allow yourself to feel, acknowledge the feelings of your students (& staff), and make it the best school year ever. Every once in a while, I wake up and realize that I’m currently living in the middle of history in the making. We can embrace this reality and be part of it or we can complain and ignore it. Even though we are a few months out from the initial shut down, I still feel the fear, anxiety and uncertainty I did in March.
I turned 50 on March 14th and it seems as though the ‘world stopped turning’ the next day. The term unprecedented became the newest buzz word as schools across the country were canceled for the first time for an anticipated length of time not due to a weather related event or natural disaster. What feelings did you experience when you heard schools were closed for the rest of the school year? I could never have imagined school being closed from March 16th to June 19th. THREE months of distance learning, crisis remote teaching and remote learning for students. I had a difficult time recognizing and labeling my feelings during this time. I had so many feelings, it was difficult to isolate just one. I had to give myself permission to just feel ALL the feelings. How did you cope with the range of feelings you must have been feeling? Educators across the Commonwealth and country dove in head first to do whatever they needed to continue connecting and supporting their students and then transitioned to try and TEACH in this new virtual school. I was proud of my staff who took on ‘crisis teaching’ and came up with innovative ways to connect with their students. They put their anxious feelings aside to do what was best for their kids! What did you do to keep connecting with your students and help them through their feelings? I’ve heard more new phrases including, “ambiguous loss”, and “collective trauma” as we navigate how the changes we’re experiencing due to the Coronavirus will impact all of us. Feelings are something we are all experiencing and can’t avoid. There’s no on/off switch that we can flip when we don’t want to have feelings. I think about what my staff and students are feeling and how I am going to be able to support them when we return to school. There’s still a lot of fear and anxiety as school re-opening plans are shared. There’s no perfect answer and we want to protect the health and safety of everyone. We need to honor how everyone is feeling around this. Many schools are trying to focus on the Social-Emotional health of students as a priority this fall. What strategies will you use to support your students while building relationships? Will you do a daily check in? Ask students how they are feeling using emojis? Use journal writing to allow students to express themselves? Offer small group times just to chat about feelings? I use the Mood Meter app on my phone to check my feelings during the day. I give myself permission to feel and then reflect on whether or not I need to change my mood. I will be focusing on supporting staff and students this fall as they go through a range of feelings. I want them to know that it’s ok to have whatever feelings they are having. The New NormalI don’t know why they call it the “New Normal” because there is nothing normal about it. It’s hard to believe it’s only been 4 days since school closed and I saw my students last. I know as educators there have been times when we’ve thought “I wish I had a snow day, another day of vacation or a surprise day off” – well this is not that. It even FEELS different than a typical snow day. We are all worried about our students and not just what we need to teach them. We want to know they are safe and happy. I feel like I’m stuck in a loop cycle of “unprecedented, fluid, social distancing, new normal”. I hear those words more than any other words. There are 4 vocabulary lessons just in those words. These words don’t bring a lot of comfort and usually just more questions. There are LOTS of questions and that contributes to the anxiety we all feel because there is so much uncertainty in this new normal. President Trump, Governor Baker (Governor of MA), Mayor Walsh (Mayor of Boston) have become my new ‘best friends’ as they visit my living room and hang out with me more than of my other friends. I’ve never listened to the news more than I have in the past week, just listening for that one piece of new information and to see what has changed since the last update. The new normal is difficult for our young children and even teens to understand. Wait- what am I saying? Even for some adults. COVID-19 is NOT like the flu. It is too easy to bring it home and unknowingly pass it on to grandparents or others more susceptible. This unprecedented event is difficult for many to understand and there are still many more questions than there are answers (when are we going back to school? Why can’t I play with my friends? How am I going to teach my students?). I’ve read the articles, seen the maps, lists and various scenarios. Social Distancing has become the new normal and to think that a few weeks ago I didn’t even know what social distancing was. I am proud to be an educator and to see all of the educators around the world coming together. Teachers are responsible for more than teaching their students. They build relationships, listen, provide food and security and so much more. The world is seeing the educators that will still do anything to reach their students. They WANT to teach and connect with their students during these unprecedented times no matter what barriers they face. Our heroes right now are our educators working from home, health care workers, first responders, and grocery store clerks. They are on the front lines and doing whatever they can to support their communities. I am proud to see everyone that IS coming together to support their communities and local, small businesses during a time of crisis. #bettertogether We don’t even know the implications and ripple effects this COVID-19 health crisis will have on the future. A widening achievement gap, the digital divide, a baby boom, a greater appreciation for family and nature, learning to take the gift of time… and so much more. My new normal includes setting up a routine, getting in some exercise and vitamin D, reading for enjoyment, binge watching Grey’s Anatomy, and even watching Frozen 2 with the teens… not to mention turning 50! What is YOUR new normal? Helping with Lunch Distribution- Rain, Shine, Cold, Snow!
It's a New Year and time for a new Post! My #OneWord for this year is.... BRAVE!
I've been reading "Brave not Perfect" by Reshma Saujani and doing a book study with fellow admins in the state and country. I've been learning a lot about myself and the goals I have to make me a better wife, mom, friend and leader. In order for this to happen- I need to be BRAVE and put my fears and ideas for perfection aside. I've learned that Fear is something that keeps me from moving forward and afraid to take risks; risks that could make me a stronger leader, better wife and supportive mom. I'm paralyzed by the thought of making mistakes while at the same time I believe in a growth mindset and that mistakes are just proof that we are trying and we all make mistakes. I can say these mantras in my head over and over, but until I embrace being BRAVE things won't change. It's too easy to stay in the place where we are comfortable, doing what we are good at, but it's time for me to embrace being BRAVE and do something that feels scary and uncomfortable but moves me forward. I want to find new challenges and opportunities that can lead to something amazing. 2020 is my year to be BRAVE and embrace mistakes and growth to be the best leader and coach I can.. My teachers and students deserve the best from me- the Brave me and not the perfect me. |
AuthorBobbie is an Educational Leader who has been inspired by others to share with you celebrations, challenges, and thoughts along her journey. Archives
May 2021
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