Inspiration and resources for balance before burnout
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Seize the pleasure at once!
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Why not seize the pleasure at once, how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparations. ~Jane Austen
Now that summer is here it is time to build up our energy reserves for the coming school year. My school year schedule is always planned out down to the minute. I am sure you can relate. We are so good at “blocking” our time and seeing how much we can pack in.
But summer is different. This is when we can be more spontaneous and act on a whim. Some days in the summer you think you’ll do one thing, but the weather will dictate a change. This is the best time to let go of plans and go with the flow. Or the weather may be so perfect, that something will just speak to you.
This morning my husband decided out of the blue to take the boys on his morning run to a close by ball field. I met them 15 minutes later with the baseball equipment and they had the best time hitting and catching balls. On the way home my 12 year old was talking about how much better their run was than the track at school because of the scenery, and my 9 year old raved about how great it felt to splash water from the nearby pond on his face to cool of when they first got there. I was so pleased they got the most of the morning and learned to appreciate the simple things right around us. We didn’t have to plan, or prepare and because we left space in our schedule we could use it as we pleased.
So what will you do during vacation to “seize the pleasure at once”?
How can this be carried into our busy school year days?
Hints:
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Leave empty spaces in your schedule.
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Look around you for inspiration.
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Keep it simple.
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Go with your gut.
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Just do it.
7 Colleagues Part 2 – The Wise One
Monday, March 2nd, 2009Everyone needs their own Obi-wan Kenobi to guide them through no matter how many years of experience you have. The Wise One has seen the educational pendulum swing in many different directions and has endured. In many articles and lessons at The Whole Teacher we talk of the importance of not re-inventing the wheel … pardon the cliche … and what better way to find some strategies and lessons that work, than from some one who’s tried them?
Your Wise One can help by listening to you, offering suggestions, or just supporting you. In our guidance office we have 2 women who will be retiring at the end of this year. They have been amazing mentor’s for myself and the other 2 counselors who also started the same year. One thing I truly appreciate is that when things have gotten really tough and overwhelming and I feel like I can’t keep up, they often are feeling the same way and this validates the fact that sometimes the job is just tough and that I don’t need to be so self critical.
A mentor can help with learning the ropes of a specific subject or the social constructs of your school. In addition to receiving help from your wise one you may also be offering the new perspective of the Fresh Colleague. In a few days I’ll share about the importance of someone "fresher" than you.
7 Colleagues Every Teacher Needs
Thursday, February 5th, 2009There’s a great article written by Lisa Earle McCLeod entitled 7 Friends Every Woman Needs. In it she address the 7 types of friends that are a must in every woman’s repetoire of gal pals. I love this article and everytime I read it I can go back through every one of my adult friendships and see the meaning and pupose in them.
In this month of building the Balance Reserve of Meaningful Connections, I suggest we reframe this and look for the variety of relationships we have at school. Who are the 7 Colleagues Every Teacher Needs? I’ve borrowed some of the titles, but let’s see how they fit in at school. Here’s the first:
1. The in-the-trenches-with-you Colleague -
This person is usually right next door to your classroom. They are extremely important when you can’t wait for your planning time to take a potty break, when you need a time-out for a student or yourself or just an ear to listen to your story at the end of the day.
Teaching can be isolating, but strong bonds are formed by geography. These are the colleagues who best know your daily routines. They witness your good days, and are the most likely to hear through the walls on your rough days and vice versa. They tend to teach the same grade level as you and are an amazing resource to help alleviate re-inventing the wheel.
Do you need more crayons? Have you run out of glue, or staples? Need a great lesson for teaching Egypt? These are the colleagues we turn to the most during our school day.
My last year in the classroom I developed a very close relationship with the woman who taught next to me. Every morning we shared a routine of relaxing music while we both checked emails. We each sipped our coffee and reflected on the previous day, while getting ready for the present. I made sure I was prepared for the next day the night before, so I could enjoy the morning "socializing". I felt that "adult" time helped me set the stage for a day full of "children".
Who are your in-the trenches-colleagues? What do they add to your day? Post a comment below. Tune in in a few days for "The Wise One".
The Rewards of Harmony
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009A choice that rewards you with a sense of harmony between yourself and what surrounds you reveals something you value. A choice that leaves you feeling empty, or worse — annoyed, resentful, sorrowlful — indicates you’re under the influence of something other than what truly matters. – from A Woman’s Guide to a Simpler Life by Andrea Van Steenhouse.
Wow! Why does this seem so simple yet so challenging? This month as I have been practicing simplifying and organizing my life, I have found that the first step for me has been rest and quiet. Last month after the hub-bub of the holidays I stepped out of the lime light of my business and withdrew to my comfy homelife.
In this quiet, I have been thinking about what is important to me. What I want to keep and what I must let go of. I have been able to begin little projects weeding and pruning by asking myself if they fit in harmony with my life.
This past month the landscape of my life changed drastically. My husband left his position at a bank to finally start his own business. It has been a wonderful and exciting time, yet shifted many family routines.
As I go through each day and make decisions on how to spend my time. I try to take the time to pause to ask myself if it fits in harmony with my new life. Our values are the same, yet the routines have changed, so I can’t take the outcomes of my decisions for granted. It is a whole new playing field.
This was terrifying at first, but now I am enjoying the change that was made to fit our values. He’s closer to home, doing what he loves, and even though he works most weekends, the times we are together as a couple or a family are more precious, because we appreciate them. I believe because he is following his own calling he has more love and energy to give us.
Those who think they have not time
Monday, January 19th, 2009Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.-Edward Stanly U.S. Congressman
These past few weeks have been terrible for illnesses here in New England. I made it through the holidays in one piece and then succumbed to an awful stomach bug just after returning from vacation. It was pathetic. I had important meetings at school and tried to push through it, but finally caved in and stayed home.
I know that when I get sick, it is when I have pushed myself to do too much. I stayed up too late, worried too much, and tried to pack too much in to one day. When I am well I can do this and be clear and strong, but I now know that living on adrenaline wears me down fast. But it’s the nature of the job, right?
I suppose, but it wasn’t ending at work. So now I am looking at what I can control and fitting in ways to process that adrenaline before the inevitable crash. The answers are not exciting or new, but basics that help me sustain myself so I can be there for myself and those who need me.
Action Steps:
Exercise - I’m building in a routine at least 3 days a week on the treadmill to start amping up the chemicals that help process the "fight or flight". Now a day when we feel threatened, are bodies get ready to go, but the stress comes and we no longer "run away". The chemicals for flight just build up and leave us feeling anxious. Best way to get through it is to walk or run.
Breathe – Yoga, singing, and meditation all are great ways to get the air flowing. Deep breathing helps get more oxygen through your body and to your brain, which also helps with stress. There is a great deal of research on breathing techniques. My first week back to school I was so busy that I noticed I was holding in my stomach and taking short breaths. Taking time for deep breathing when I feel myself holding it all in has helped to calm my thoughts.
Just say no – Before I take on something new, I check with how I am with adrenaline. If it’s going to get me too crazy I try to say no.
Time Management - Giving myself plenty of time to get things done, or to get to where I need to go, means I can do things without added stress. I used to say I worked better under pressure, but I realize the price I pay in the end isn’t worth the push of procrastination.
Limit the caffeine – I love my coffee in the morning and am not ready to give it up all the way, but I can listen to my body signals and stay away from sugary sodas for lunch. Protein and complex carbohydrates and plenty of fluids also help.
Get even – Say thank you to a vet!
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008.jpg)
The only people with whom you should try to get even, are those who have helped you. ~John E. Southard
The Balance Before Burnout reserve I am focusing on this month is gratitude – and with today being Veteran’s Day, I am honored and grateful to those who have served our country.
In a time when I see many people taking the easy way out, blaming others without take responsibility for their own actions, or waiting for others to “do it” for them, it is amazing to me that we still have so many young people passionate about serving their country.
One of my students at school has enlisted and has known for as long as I have known him that he is meant to serve his country. The truly heartening part is that this young man’s brother was one of our fallen soldiers in Iraq last year. This is a family dedicated to the military with another sister, cousin and the brother’s widow all serving.
So it is this picture of our young soldiers and their overwhelming pride and dedication that I keep n my mind as I thank all of our veteran’s who were once young men and women themselves dedicating their lives to the unknown for our freedoms.
Ten Things I Would Like to Tell Teachers
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008.jpg)
Can’t believe it’s here. My first blog post. It is truly terrifying. I have been so looking forward to writing and publishing. I am bubbling up with things to share, yet now that the blank page is before me it is quite another story! I would like to use this first post to thank everyone who has helped me to make The Whole Teacher a reality. I have gone … I hope .. from just plain vanilla to quite defined in my purpose.
Thank you Grace Durfee, Suzanne Falter-Barnes, Alli, Susan and Toddy Schumann, and Rachel and Nirzhar Pradhan for helping me think big. There are times in our lives when we think big, but never act upon these thoughts. With the help of these wonderful coaches, designers, and role models I finally decided to invest in my ideas. I followed the advice of the greats and knew that I needed to surround myself with successful, positive people and learn from those who were already where I wanted to be. Thanks you also to Mark, Curtis, and Ben for always seeing me big!
In addition to finding great mentors, I decided to invest myself in my dream. It was costly… in time, energy, courage, (yes and even in money) but the price was nothing compared to what it would have been if I hadn’t tried at all. The "cost" was actually my greatest motivator. I knew how much I had invested and refused to quit or think small. In the very early stages of this project I was prompted to look at my mission.
What was my message? From this came the following list.
Ten Things I Would Like to Tell Teachers
- Remember what brought you to teaching. Keep your passion.
- Be grateful for what you have and look for the positive in all.
- Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself.
- Forget about trying to be perfect. You already are.
- Don’t take work home every night. It only comes back undone.
- Eliminate the unnecessary and delegate what you can.
- Beware of running on adrenaline.
- Find healthy and creative ways to manage stress.
- Make time for fun.
- Breathe!
Hello world!
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008Hello world!
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