Do you have it all sorted? 51 years old, and I still feel like I am the only one who has not got it all together yet! The students are literally knocking on my classroom door as I am typing this (almost)!!! As the parents breath a sigh of relief, we teachers become filled with excitement, anxiety, dread and enthusiasm all in equal measures! This is the process I work through…I’ll make you feel better. There are thousands of colleagues around the country feeling the same, ‘pull yourself together!’ (self talk).
1. Recognise your feelings
I have stress about curriculum content, new students, new parents, work clothes, work shoes, emails, admin, lesson plans…the list is long. I hit the STOP button, I recognise and validate my feelings of anxiety. I take a moment to reflect on what specifically triggers my anxiety. I have found journaling my thoughts can be a helpful way to process big emotions. Is it bad to ceremonially burn these pages at the end of each term? I think not.
2. Support
I force myself to enter the staffroom and small talk. If one colleague is not my vibe, that is ok, I pick another. Not all shoes fit all feet. I take the risk, share my feelings, exchange ideas, and seek advice. Don’t do it alone. It is worth the effort to reduce feelings of isolation. Connectivity and networking is so human…steer clear of the teachers who have it all perfectly sorted, they cannot be not entirely human.
3. Self care
Honestly who has the time? I shower…does that count? I am honestly not great at self-care but am getting better. I can feel the impact my overall well-being and ability to manage anxiety takes when I let this slip. Every day I purposely find something to enjoy…I am sure a coffee on the way to work counts here. I read before bed, I try to exercise with students for brain break so guess this is a two birds one stone scenario! At dinner time I purposely seek out my loved ones and listen to their day in the hopes they hear mine too!
4. Be Realistic
I break down objectives into smaller, manageable tasks. I focus on creating engaging lesson plans one step at a time rather than feeling overwhelmed by the entire curriculum. I admire my perfect colleagues but also embrace my perfect chaos, we aren’t meant to all be the same. I check list! It is amazing how gratifying it is to check off tasks in a day! (include brushing teeth and breakfast- it really works!)
6. Mindfulness
I have always been a little foggy on this one. Here comes the shameless plug. My husband developed Tactile Tappers when I complained one about newly medicated students morphing into shadows of themselves. He researched bilateral tapping as an optional alternative for ADHD and anxiety disorders. (this is after all his business name! Healing Alternatives) I felt obliged to put them into practice for my own peaking levels of stress. Turns out, my favourite time to use them is drifting off to sleep just when everything is chaos in my brain, I set the tappers on slow for three taps breathing in and three taps breathing out. I set the time for longer than I can ever stay awake for. Seems to be working!
7. GROW
That old Socrates and Einstein quote of ‘the more I know, the more I know what I do not know’. I feel so much stronger and capable to teach the more I learn. I do hear that irony, we are teachers right…we expect learning to be had…so I learn to show that it can be. I have successful days and ones I that remind me it is a good thing to burn that journal at the end of the term! I remind myself to be kind to myself on both occasions.
8. Prepare and plan
All my life my favourite father figure, Mr G Walton, has told me to live by the 7 ‘Ps’. Proper preparation and planning prevents preventable poor performance. Organising my classroom, creating lesson plans, and gathering resources before the school year starts is always something my future ‘me’ thanks the today ‘me’ for. Control what you can.
9. Flexibility
I am not gymnast flexible, but I do like to embrace flexibility. The reality of teaching often involves unexpected changes; surprise school events you were told about 5 weeks ago, the tooth that falls out just as you are nailing silent reading or the wasp that finds it hilarious to land on your anaphylactic student, right outside library line up time, as the Principal walks by! I find I adapt and respond to these challenges with more resilience when I am well rested and prepared. (all true stories)
In conclusion
I will work on what I can, I will do my best to rest and prepare. I will be kind to myself in my self-talk. I will practice every day a meditative gratuitous bilateral tapping wind down as I drift off to sleep. I will remind myself to read this blog when it is reporting season! I will do my best, it is all anyone is capable of.
Here’s to a fresh start and a wonderful academic year ahead!