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!
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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. |
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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