Are You Ready to Set Goals for 2023???

 So this year is over and what have we done..... 

I tend to turn everything into songs, making up words to old tunes and a colleague once said to me, "Carolanne, you don't have to turn everything into a song." But I do. My students love it and the aide in my room will deliberately start humming a tune because he knows it will get into my head. Sometimes my students even sing along or make up their own songs.

But seriously, we've made it through the school year and if you're anything like me, you'll be feeling: exhausted, relieved, looking forward to next year, looking forward to sleeping in, looking forward to Christmas, reflecting on what happened over the year, wondering what next year will look like.... mixed emotions and quite frankly, wondering "What have I done, another year is over and I'm on the verge of a new year..."

So, I'm going to mix a few recent emails and conversations together and this is what I want to share with you.

First of all, one person shared how to set goals in a practical way that really resonated within me.

She separated her goals into 3 major categories:

 Predictable goals: things I believe I can do in 2023. For me I will make time to ride my horse/bike each week in order to keep a balance on my stress levels, or at least, help to alleviate them.

 

Growth goals: things I believe are possible for me but I need to grow into them.

 

"It would be amazing if" goals: things that are outside of my current reality and thus, are less believable but also give me hope that I can fly....

Each of those categories are important. 

1. The predictable goals are good for me and are achievable.
2. The growth goals encourage me to stretch myself, have a focus that includes me making an effort; further study, reading, stepping forward etc.
3. The "it would be amazing if" goal inspires me to dream big, think outside the box, "what if?" and be creative.

 

When I check a goal off, I'm going to celebrate each one, no matter which category it comes from! 

I was reading about a lady who had a goal to see the Grand Canyon and when she mentioned it to a friend, she was encouraged not to bother making the trip because it wasn't worth it. When she got there, she was in awe of how amazing it was and she was thankful that she hadn't listened to that friend.

She said, "Sometimes we miss out on even the greatest wonders not because they’re “not that great,” but because we are distracted. Or cynical. Or hurt. Or burnt out. Or entitled. Or just actually hungry.... Maybe the awe gets swallowed up in exhaustion. Maybe we feel like we’ve been there, done that and just stop looking for it. Or maybe we are just looking at it all wrong."

As I consider making goals for 2023, I wonder if I am ready for the next adventure or if I am too exhausted to make meaningful goals. If you relate to that, I want to encourage you to think about the categories and start with the predictable goals - it's taking one step at a time. If you're not ready, then I encourage you to wait until after Christmas before you set your goals in stone. I think that's what I am going to do. I have an idea of what goals I want to set but before then, I want to enjoy Christmas without being distracted by what next year holds. (or might hold)

I am deliberately setting aside thoughts of work, 2023 and all that it encompasses in order to rest, re-set and enjoy my family and the season of Christmas. Those goals are in the back of my mind and over the next couple weeks, they will take shape and perhaps the coming days will influence/impact my goals for 2023.

You can come back to this blog post after Christmas - it will still be here but if you're ready, open your notebook and record what your predictable goals, growth goals, and dream big goals are. Feel free to share your goals for 2023 in the comment space below - I'd love to read them! (Might give me ideas for what my goals might be.)

River Reflections

Be Kind To Yourself

 It is really important that at this busy time of year, you are kind to yourself.

This year I set a goal to walk/ride X amount of kilometres and signed up to Conqueror challenges to ensure I got a medal for my efforts. This would be the 3rd year running (pardon the pun) and every year I've increased the goal a little bit further. Last term, I didn't keep a daily record to keep myself accountable and quite frankly used every excuse I could to excuse my 'slack weeks'. Accordingly, towards the end of Term 3 when I updated my records, I realised how far behind I was and subsequently, had to work hard to get back on track. According to Conqueror records, I am now 40kms ahead of what I would need to be at this point, to reach my end of year goal.

For the past 5 or so weeks, I have been getting up at least 30 minutes earlier to go for a morning walk and get my steps up at the start of the day. While this is beneficial for my mental physical health, it had its drawbacks too. The last couple of weeks have been very busy at school yet, despite being very tired and getting to bed late at night, I still got up early in the mornings and pushed myself to get everything done before I fell exhausted into bed at the end of the day.

Last night as I was going to bed I gave my 'routine and lack of sleep' some serious evaluation. I told myself I will still set the alarm early but choose whether to stay in bed for another half an hour when I woke up.  This morning the alarm went off, I reset it and got up half an hour later.

As I showered and got ready for school, I began scolding myself for my laziness and not getting up early enough to go for a walk. I did this for quite some time and then I stopped and had an epiphany.

I need to be kind to myself.

If I was talking to a friend in the same situation as me, I would advise them to be kind to themselves and not push themselves too hard at this time of year. I need to be kind to myself.

I need to remember that this is an extremely busy time of year, I am ahead in my distances and I don't have to push myself so much.

There is only one week to go before I am on a break so I need to be kind to myself. I need to pace myself to make it in one piece at the end. There are some things I can catch up on after this week.

I need to be kind to myself so that I can be kind to others. When I am tired, stressed and pushing myself, I can be less tolerant and gracious than usual and more sensitive when others are speaking to me.

I need to be kind to myself so that I can be kind to others.

Be kind to yourself.

Tips for Teachers Travelling Through This Tumultuous Time

 As we are in the throes of report writing and we're coming towards the end of the year with a pile full of end-of-year functions, it is natural to reflect on the year that has been and ask ourselves questions. For example,

• Did little Monica learn how to write narratives?
• How is David's spelling - did he improve any?
• What was it about my class that aided learning?
• Did I provide the best learning environment for my students? 
• Did I help them all reach their academic goals? 
• What could/should I have done differently?

Then perhaps we stir that in with our thoughts about next year. For example,

• What will I do differently in my teaching next year?
• What PDs do I need to do next year to help me teach more effectively?
• What areas do I need to improve in my professional practice?

After blending the end of year reflections in with next year's to-improve list, it is likely we are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. We remind ourselves that holidays are coming up, and we just need to get through the next few weeks before we crash. We know that we are tired but we get up, get through the day, get some sleep (hopefully) then repeat again the next day.

I was reading an email from a wellbeing coach today and was reminded how important it is to practise gratitude. The author said that when she first practiced her gratitude walks, she could only find 2 minutes worth of what she was thankful for so then she started thinking about things to be thankful for in the future. She reminded me that gratitude is not a trend, it is a life-changing practice.

Today, after church, we stopped at the local market and as I walked towards the food vans, I heard a young voice call out my name and I saw one of my past students running towards me. Her mum decided to imitate her and do the same. It made me laugh but it also reminded me how thankful I am for the many students I have had the privilege of teaching. Not only this year, but past years too. 

Another thing that is important to do at this time of year is to set boundaries. As Christmas and other end of year functions fill up your diary, people clamour for your attention and your time and if you don't have boundaries in place, it is harder to prioritise and say no. Recently the education department in Queensland, put in place "the right to disconnect" which gives teachers the right to not check their emails out of school hours. You have the right to set boundaries and the responsibility to yourself to stay healthy. Hurting yourself to help others doesn't help - either you or them.

Tips for getting through this (possibly) tumultuous time:

1. Take the time to go on a gratitude walk, regularly.
2. Take care of yourself.
3. Set boundaries.
4. Rest and enjoy yourself away from your workplace.

Yesterday, I went on a horse ride with my friend through the bush. There were swarms of butterflies flitting around us, kookaburras laughed and magpies sang. Our horses plodded along and I felt content. It was like being on a mini-holiday. We went for another ride today - shorter but still as relaxing. It gave me time to dis-connect and not even think about what tomorrow... this coming week, is going to throw at me. It gave me time to rest and refresh. 

Please look after yourself - yes, it is busy and there's a lot of things to be done, but you're only going to get it done if you are well enough.

Make A Difference

 Recently I read this at LinkedIn from Leadership First:

"As a leader, you have an incredible opportunity to change someone's life every single day. Leadership is never about tearing people down, it's all about helping people become the very best version of themselves."

There so many resources, podcasts, pages, people and businesses that are constantly promoting self-care, wellbeing, being your best, surviving a toxic environment, etc. When I first started teaching that 'side' of self-care was very silent and yet, it seemed like teachers weren't leaving the business in droves and weren't having issues with work/life balance. Did it exist or were the majority of teachers just good at coping silently? If it wasn't such an issue back then, why is it such a big issue now? Did we do things 'better', did we cover things up, or were the issues different back then to now?

I remember some things one of the first principals I had said, "If you're well enough to get up and call (on the landline), you're well enough to come to school." We didn't have 'wellbeing days', mental health days and rarely took a day off. As I look back to that time, I run through my early days of teaching, analysing if mental health and wellbeing was an issue - if not for me then for others - and although it must have existed, I think it looked different.

It was also a different era of life......

Difference between then and now: (There are many but I'll focus on the main ones!) 

Phones - you were only 'accessible' by phone if you were at home as we had landlines. These days, we have phones with us all the time and as soon as we hear the beep of a message, we pull out our phone and stop to check to read the 'urgent' message, no matter where we are or what we're doing. We 'have to' answer the phone or call the person back. When we had landlines, if we were out, we didn't even know someone had tried calling and especially didn't know who had tried calling!

Emails - non-existent so to communicate with someone about work-related topics, there were 3 choices: 

1. Call them on the phone during business hours (you didn't have their personal landline number. 
2. Make an appointment to go and meet with them - if they lived near you and/or you could drive there or get public transport
3. Mail them - which took a couple days.

Sick Days - if we were sick, we didn't email our lesson plans in although we had our work programs filled out the week before and on our desk. However, a relief teacher would come in, follow our program or even choose to do their own lessons, with a story, art work related etc. It was no big deal if a day didn't go as the classroom teacher had planned.

Colleagues - Generally speaking over my years of teaching, colleagues have become friends and we have done things together and had lots of fun. That can still happen today and with social media we can know what people had for dinner, breakfast, lunch, what they did an hour ago, or in the morning, or on the weekends. The relationships with our colleagues are very important whether they be 30 years ago or today. We need to build relationships of trust and respect and to look for ways to protect and support the wellbeing of our staff.

Got Your Back - When I was a leader at camp, even before I was teaching, one principle I learned and practised was, "No matter what, you don't ever undermine a colleague [fellow leader] to a person in your care or even to another staff member." If you disagreed with something your colleague said or did, you went to them in private and talked it over with them but you never argued or rebuked (humiliated) them in front of others. You didn't gossip about them behind their back because those words said in private, have a way of being heard and getting back to the person. (victim?)

Integrity - Closely following "got your back" is integrity. Being mindful of your colleagues, keeping promises, being consistent with what you say and what you do. It is so important to be trustworthy (worthy of their trust). It is important to me that I can trust my colleagues to have my back and trust them to be respectful behind my back.

Sadly, over the 30 years (or so) of teaching, there have been colleagues who have let me down and I have been hurt. One of my mentor colleagues once suggested I grow a thicker skin but another colleague reassured me that who I am as a person, doesn't mean I need to change because having a 'soft skin' makes me who I am. I've seen the hurt, the destruction and the ruined lives that gossip and rumours can cause and I don't think there's a place for it in the workplace. (Now I will get down off my soapbox)

My friend Karen once said to me, "Instead of tearing down bridges, we need to build bridges". We need to see how we can build bridges to restore relationships and build friendships and/or hope. We have resources that we can use to immediately contact others to build them up. We don't have to wait a few days for it to happen. Look back over the list I have just written and put it in today's scenario.

Phone Call - make the phone call, or text someone to ask them how they are.

Email - send an email of encouragement.

Colleagues - Show respect and kindness.

Got Your Back - Resist the temptation to gossip or undermine someone behind their back

Integrity - Never out-dated!

"As a leader, you have an incredible opportunity to change someone's life every single day. Leadership is never about tearing people down, it's all about helping people become the very best version of themselves."

Whether you are in a leadership role or not, you still have the opportunity to help others become the very best version of themselves. Make a difference. What may seem small and insignificant to you may be a huge blessing to someone else. It starts with us all choosing to build others up.

 

Report Writing Time

Report Writing Time - How I _________________ it. (Fill in the blanks with your own chosen word.) When I left to go to the States in 2010, I was not sure that I would continue teaching, in fact, I doubted it as I was looking to go into a different career opportunity. One of my first thoughts was, "Yay, no more report writing!" To me, it's a necessary 'evil' of teaching. 

So, my reports need to be completed shortly and as I'm a procrastinator I have found a myriad of ways to put it off. Some of it has been purposeful. I have been going full-pelt (which is British for with maximum energy or force; at top speed) for the last few weeks and I'm getting exhausted. 

Yesterday I headed to my friend's place for a horse ride. Just as I arrived, the rain poured down and we sheltered under the shed and watched the horses continue to graze. When it eased up, we went and moved fences to give the pony more grass to graze on and we moved the calf to a larger paddock so that she could frolic and dance in her new space. The horses all lined up to watch her antics over the fence. I have included the video clip here.

Today, when I needed to take a break from my writing, I put on "Steps with Rick" on YouTube to make sure I got my steps up and because I needed to do something physical. Let me encourage you, if you're feeling busy, stressed, overworked, overwhelmed (any and all of the above) stand with the horses, watch Opal explore her new paddock. Breathe in the fresh air after the rain, listen to the kookaburras, pat a horse and laugh at the calf as she dances after the storm.

As for me, I apologise in advance if my blog posts become sparce. End of year stuff compels me to prioritise activities until it's all done. If you have time, feel free to catch up on blog posts from the archives that you may have missed out on.      

When You Have Ideas

 Sometimes I have great ideas.... 

When I was first teaching, we didn't have laminating machines, book binders, Teachers Pay Teachers, Twinkl etc and photocopying was limited to black and white worksheets. We had some resource books that included clip art cartoons and a few templates. We didn't have internet, emails, Pinterest or even mobile (cell) phones. We made up our own resources and put contact on them to make them last longer.

A few years later, I fell in love with "Publisher" program and made my own A4 displays. I discovered one of my 'originals' in a box the other day and it did not look professional at all. It had the words, "If I can't, I will learn how" and I had put a border of berries around it. That one was even laminated!

Sometimes I have great ideas but I tell myself that a) I'm not an art/craft person and b) I couldn't make it look as good as what is in my head.

At one school, I had a good friend/colleague and I'd take her aside and share my ideas with her. Karen was very artistic and she would create my ideas for me. She painted a mural on the side of the wall, she twisted wire through my hair to make it look "Pippi Longstocking" ish, she made costumes and decorated my classroom and office.

Yesterday I was with my Year 5 class and we were planning a few surprises for the Year 6 students graduation dinner in a couple weeks time. We began working on one idea and the students were making it look great, when I had a second idea. I shared my idea with one of the students and as I explained it to him, it grew and developed and I began imagining how the end product would look. I looked up a few Pinterest ideas, clip art sites, explored different sizes and printed out a possible stencil.

As I went for my walk this morning, I revisited that idea again and came up with a less time-consuming yet more professional-looking end product. Coming up with ideas is energising for me and finding someone who can create the idea from my idea, is even better.

As time goes on, we literally have more resources available at our finger-tips. We want our students to be life-long learners and we want them to create presentations that are original and unique. It is important that we model both of those attributes for them.

So, first of all "Dream Big" then next of all, work out a way to make those dreams happen. (or find someone who can)

A Teacher's (Your) Wellbeing

This has always been a subject very close to my heart especially after reading Gabby Stroud's book "Teacher". It stirs up a lot of emotions and I wonder what the answer is. How do we protect/prevent teachers from burn-out? How do we impart a love of teaching/learning to our graduate teachers? What causes teachers to burn out?

1. What causes teachers to lose their passion for teaching and burn-out prematurely?

There are so many reasons: work overload, disenchantment, toxic environment, lack of support, unrealistic expectations (from parents, leadership, government, community), work/life imbalance, ________________________ (fill in the blanks with other reasons.)

2. How do we (those of us who are experienced and still in the profession) help the graduate or struggling teachers discover a reason to stay? 

Many teachers leave after 5 years of teaching which means that somewhere along the school calendar year, teachers lost their hope for changing lives of students or perhaps, they found another more lucrative or rewarding way of being happy/fulfilled in their career. Had there been a way someone could have circumvented their departure? It is so important to get alongside your colleagues, support them and ask them, "Are you OK?" Build positive relationships with your colleagues and regularly check in on them.

For those of us who are less inclined to admit that we are struggling, there are times we need to signal that we need help staying afloat. If we are that duck that looks like it's swimming along but underneath the surface we are paddling furiously, we need to reach out. Don't be subtle! We can be so well-practised at pretending we are fine that when we give a little smile or chuckle alongside our, "I could be doing better" throw-away line, people will miss the cue.

3. Is there a solution? I am not sure there is only 'one' solution but there are a lot of suggestions and resources that can help the school and/or the staff collectively and/or the individual. 

Know your own limitations and strengths. Admit you can't fix it on your own. Someone recently said to me, "You can not change the [situation] unless you have the authority to do it." Be realistic about your 'power' to effect change. Get a support team around you. "United we stand, divided we fall, and if our backs should ever be against the wall, we'll be together"....

Collaboration. 

Collaboration is an integral part of the workplace. When I was doing my Masters, learning about collaboration was eye-opening. Establishing a collaborative workplace might seem daunting and difficult but there needs to be a way to make it work if there is to be a healthy workplace environment. 

Here's some important things to remember:

1. We share the same vision. Self-explanatory and a very important point is to make sure the vision, the reason for working on the project, is clear to everyone and agreed upon.

2. No one is in charge and it is voluntary. In other words, take turns and actively listen to your colleagues. Don't just hear them while waiting to jump in with your next pearl of wisdom. Be humble.

3. Trust and vulnerability. <-- Ponder that for a moment. How does it make you feel? A group of colleagues trusting each other, being vulnerable and being accepted for their valuable contribution. 

4. Have fun in the collaboration but recognise there may be conflict. Be honest about it and work through it. If you agree to disagree, accept it and move on. Don't dwell on it or mutter under your breath that it's not fair. 

When a staff is collaborating together, they are building positive workplaces which affects staff morale and even students' learning outcomes. It is so important to your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your colleagues that your workplace is a thriving and creative place to be. Although you might not have the authority to change the workplace, you have the power, the kindness to make a difference. Walk alongside your colleagues. Show them kindness and support. 

If you are struggling, there are many resources and people who are there to help you. That is part of the reason why I have started this blog. If you need help, please reach out. 

Drop Bear Bears and Bunyips

Many years ago I taught my Year Prep/1 class a song about drop bear bears by Jennie Flack. It's a simple song and I still remember all of the lyrics:

A drop bear bear is a round bear bear,

A shiny-eyed, peepy eyed round bear bear

It's very hard to tell if he's the right way up

Until he lands... plop on your shoulder. 

There's a few more verses to it that I can sing for you but I don't want to distract you. At about the same time I read "The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek" to my students. The book is about a 'creature' that's  very large and muddy and as it heaves itself on to the bank of Berkeley's Creek it wonders; 'What am I ?' 'What do I look like ?' A platypus told him he was a bunyip. But he had to go and find out what a bunyip was. 

After singing the song and reading the book, we had to go searching for bunyips and drop bear bears. The children looked up, squealed when they thought a drop bear might drop on them and imagined bunyips hiding in fallen logs and behind bushy scrubs. It was  lot of fun and I wonder if those children, who are now adults, still remember those times. 

The reason that memory came to mind was that I've been teaching my Year 5/6 class about ballads and other types of poetry. I read them "The Man From Snowy River" and found a modern ballad called, "Space Cows and Green Cheese". I must admit I was surprised when a student teacher on placement admitted he had never heard of bunyips and when one of my students thought the idea of a drop-bear bear came from the US who called a kind of crazy looking koala a drop bear.

This afternoon, I came home and made green jelly, after buying shaving cream, hair gel and mayonnaise for a science experiment my class will do to explore the 3 states of matter; solids, liquids and gases. I think the content I teach my students these days is sometimes more advanced and 'technical' than it used to be many years ago. I don't remember teaching about solids, liquids and gases and although I taught them how to write a few years ago (and then some) we focused more on poetry and narratives rather than persuasive and explanation type genres.

No matter what the content is, it is important that the teacher teach it in an engaging way and models for the students, the fun in learning. Be creative with your students. Make a mess. Laugh and learn. Instil a love of learning so that long after the classroom doors have closed, your students choose to go on learning.

Is the Grass Greener In the Other Paddock?

The other day my colleague/friend called to let me know that she might be late for the morning debrief because she had seen my horse Shorty standing still, further up the paddock. When she went to investigate, she discovered he had got stuck in the wire fencing trying to reach the grass on the other side. She had to cut the fencing to release him and then re-fence it to keep him in. If she had not discovered this before work, he would have been there all day without access to water and shelter. This was not the first time it had happened and fortunately, he was not hurt. Shorty often stretches his long neck in to the next paddock despite being surrounded by plenty of green grass. He will snort and flick his nose at treats such as carrots and apples but will nicker into the palm that offers him fresh grass.

As you approach the end of the school year, life gets busier and frantic with report cards to be written, end of school functions and trying to fit in assessments and other tasks that need to be done. It is possible you are feeling tired and discouraged, running on less sleep than you need. This is the time that you need to remind yourself to stay focused and remember the blessings of each day. At the start of each day, remind yourself of 3 things you are thankful for as you enter your classroom. 

When you are tempted to look to see if the grass is greener in another paddock, consider:

1. What are my goals professionally? Short-term or long-term, as a teacher, consider what you want to achieve. If you are teaching in Australia, look at the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and use this document to guide you. I went to a PD recently and one thing that was said was to use templates such as the one I just mentioned, to keep it objective.

2. What are your passions/interests? Consider your personal interests and hobbies, your family, your leisure time pursuits and decide if you have a good balance in life with work and with pleasure. If the balance is uneven, one of those is getting short-changed.

3. Are you simply just tired and needing a holiday? When we are not getting enough sleep, refreshment and/or not eating or exercising, not just our physical health is affected. It is a lot harder to make objective decisions when our emotional health is at a low ebb.

4. Seek wise counsel. Talk with those who know you best and who are willing to tell you the truth even when it's not what you want to hear. Talk with those who will walk beside you in the hard times and who will encourage you to persevere when you are slowing down or who will help you make a break for it, if it is the right time.

When all is said and done, even if the grass is greener on the other side of the paddock, it doesn't mean it's the best thing for you. There are some horses who behave as though they have had a 'sugar hit' when they've had too much green grass and some of them put on too much weight when it isn't controlled. Know your limits. Acknowledge your blessings. Take care of your health.

Snakes Alive!

I know it's a cliched heading but we are coming up to snake season and being in a country where 9/10 of the most venomous snakes live, it is a relevant topic. I will be mindful of the faint-hearted and/or those who have ophidiophobia and not include a picture of a snake on this post. Personally, I am not a fan of snakes and earlier this year when I was out riding my bike along the river trail, I did let out a little 'yelp' and swerve to miss a snake crossing the path. I then checked my back tyre to make sure it hadn't got caught up in the spokes. Not long ago, a couple of the students at the school I am teaching at, spotted a snake on the back oval heading towards the railway line.

My first experience of a snake with students was when we were out walking in the bush on a school excursion. It was only a baby brown snake but we took precautions and gave it a wide berth with one adult keeping an eye on it and directing the students to go around it and the other adult ensuring the students did not go close to it to check out its markings and/or to try and play with it. Some of those kids were bush kids and would have liked to have got up close and personal. I still have the photo of that snake.

We have had guest appearances from reptile keepers who come to schools and allow kids (and staff) to handle the less-venomous ones and see the reptiles up close and personal. I remember one teacher who had a very strong phobia of snakes, allowing a snake to be put on her shoulders. She was very brave! These sessions are usually done well and students enjoy their visits. They are given lots of information about the reptiles and also told what to do if you encounter one in the bush and/or if one encounters you or a person you are with. First aid is very important. 

When we went to the zoo recently as part of our camp, the students enjoyed going into the reptile section. It was a dark place (literally) with minimal lighting to guide people's footsteps around from window to window. The students would ask me to "come and look at this one!" or "Look at that one under the branch!" and I 'oohed' and 'aahed' at appropriate times maintaining my resolve not to show fear.

At one school I was at, I was outside of the classroom dealing with a boy who was having a melt-down when suddenly he pointed at a snake that was slithering off into the rocky, garden area. I ushered him inside and called the office to let them know what we had seen. The boy's melt down was forgotten and the diamond python snake (or was it a tiger snake) he had seen got longer and longer each time the story was recounted to the other students. The students ran to the window when the snake catcher came and watched it being caught and bagged up. It was a very exciting event.

So, as we slide towards summer and spot snakes slithering their slender bodies, be still and stealthily slip away from the vicinity in which they are sighted.

Attend a Professional Day Face-to-Face

 The other day I attended a PD (Professional Day) in the city. It has been a few years since I've been able to attend one and I was pretty excited about going. I was not disappointed. 

I arrived the night before, and felt like a country bumpkin as people in black, holding on to briefcase/laptop bags jostled around me. I manoeuvred my overnight case around them, my backpack secure behind me and took in my surroundings. Sirens sounded, trams rang their bells and cars beeped each other.

The following morning I got up early and went for a walk, joining the coffee crew at the bagel place where the regulars were known by their names. When I found the place where the PD was being held, I entered the lift that another person had entered and when the doors closed, I looked for the button to press to find my floor. I finally got the attention of the man and he deigned to remove his ear buds and explained to me that one needed to press the button when they were in the plaza. As the doors opened on his floor, he pointed out the touch screen, sent me back down to the plaza and I followed his instructions.

I joined another teacher at the table and we immediately clicked. Along came Julie and the three of us chatted like we'd been friends for a long time and we discovered we had mutual friends. There were about 50 teachers at the conference and we were there to learn about professional standards for teachers and particularly how to mentor and encourage provisional teachers aiming for full registration. It was a good day that was interactive and productive. 

We three teachers of different locations worked well as a team, we laughed, we shared and we listened. We encouraged each other and by the time we left, I felt valued for my experience and knowledge and I am sure the other two did too. We swapped email addresses and I also included Alison who was sitting to my right, as she had engaged us in conversation and had also reflected mutual values and understandings.

PDs are really important to be involved in and not just because we have to do a certain amount of hours of PD a year. When Covid lockdowns were in place, we got used to zooming for conferences and working on our own. We got so used to it that we forgot how refreshing it is to work with people face to face. Bouncing ideas, experience, knowledge etc around the table is so much better without glitches and screens freezing. Julie shared that she had almost decided not to attend as there was so much work to be done at school. She was so thankful that she had come after all and got to meet us.

I encourage you to take the opportunity to attend PDs face-to-face.  Yes there is a cost to it, but it is worth it.

Teaching In Weather Extremes

In my first years of teaching, I was in a rural town where, although it got cold, it didn't snow... until it did. It was a cold morning and I peered outside the window and saw the covering of white down the driveway and up the mountain. It was so pretty! I grabbed my coat, gloves, boots, beanie, scarf etc and drove to work. The teachers met in the staffroom for the morning debrief and as we headed to our classrooms, we ducked snowballs and resisted the temptations to throw snow back. 

As the students lined up to go in class, I hastily made up a few rules:

"No snow in the classroom"

"Don't throw snow at someone younger than you" etc

One child asked, "So what about the big kids? Are we allowed to throw snow at them?" I looked at the child and mischievously smiled, "Sure. But if you do, they'll throw one back at you." I might have added, "Don't come crying to me when they throw one back at you" but that was so long ago and sounds quite insensitive now. Perhaps.

The snow had mostly melted by recess time and all that was left was slush. Later that night, my brother, his wife and their young son came to visit so they could play in the snow. When they stood under the clothesline, I could not resist the urge to shake the clothesline and watch snow fall on them. My nephew was not sure what to make of snow. 

Twenty or so years later, I was teaching in the US and during winter, snow was not such a novelty. I had to drive carefully to work, avoid black ice and if a driver slid off the road, they could be fined for reckless driving. If the snow was particularly bad, it was a 'snow day' and school was closed but otherwise, we put our coats and gloves on to do duty where students played in the yard.

Towards the end of winter, when Spring had allegedly begun according to the date, one of my colleagues wore flip-flops to school. We were standing out in the yard, in the snow and I asked why she was wearing them. She giggled and said she was being hopeful. "It's Spring so it's time for the warmer weather. I'm being optimistic!" she declared.

At the opposite end of the cold, was when I lived in North Queensland. The air conditioner was on almost every day of the year, hats were compulsory all year round and the students kept their lunches in the classroom fridges so that it wouldn't go off. They brought frozen drinks to school in the morning which melted by lunchtime.

I feel very privileged to have taught in different places, with different climates and different lifestyles. Sometimes I had to improvise and put in place unexpected rules/codes of behaviour and sometimes it was fun to spontaneously enjoy an activity that made the most of the unusual weather. As a teacher you get to make choices that may enhance your students' learning and provide them with unique learning experiences. Embrace those moments!

When Teaching Breaks Your Heart

** Before I begin this post, I want to assure you that if I mention any child's attributes or 'situations' in any of my posts, the names, places and details that would identify them, have been deliberately changed. 

Over the years, I have come across students who are broken. Broken in many different ways for a variety of different hurts that have been thrown at them, that they have no control over. For young children do not have control over what life circumstances and adults thrust upon them.

When I was completing my Masters of Education, the subject I found most intense and challenging was Child Abuse and Neglect. True cases were presented and we analysed, evaluated and discussed what we would do if that child presented in our classroom. Each case broke my heart and I wondered what I would do. I also compared their stories to the stories that I knew had entered into my classrooms and evaluated, with the benefit of hindsight, whether or not I had handled it well. 

When I was first teaching, I was young, idealistic and naive, passionate and ready to take on any class. The plethora of information that we have now, thanks to technology and research, was not as readily available those many years ago. Looking back, I made mistakes but I also did some things right and of course there are things I would change if I could go back in time and do it over again now that I know what I know now.

There are children who will grow up and we will never know what became of them or even what happened between the years we taught them and the adult they've become. One bright and intelligent child I taught got in touch with me through Facebook and the words that spewed out of his keyboard shocked me even though they were not directed at me. His perception of life and reality made me wonder what had happened in the intervening years.

So, when you should be sleeping at night but instead you're planning tomorrow's lessons and making adjustments for the students who need it and tossing around theories and solutions for the child in the middle of the classroom who has not been herself lately, keep in mind that you do make a difference. It might be something you said, it might be that you listened or even that you helped her understand fractions "finally". It might be that you gave him a safe place to learn and encouraged him to do his best. 

Don't lose heart. When your heart breaks for the child who is broken and who you can't seem to reach, don't give up. 

When your heart breaks because a word from a friend or a parent, has broken their heart and you can't put their heart back together again, keep on loving them.

You only have this day, this student, this class for this moment. Give them the safe, engaging, learning environment that only you can provide and do your best. For the child who worries you, research and get support so he/she can be looked after. At the end of the day, when they leave your classroom, you will need to let them go.

Teaching breaks your heart but as another cliché says, it also fills your heart. It is a privilege being a teacher but it is also hard work. Don't be hard on yourself when you feel you've messed up or when you haven't been able to help a student as much as you wanted to, despite giving it your best. If you are questioning your teaching ability, seek out someone you trust in leadership and ask them for an objective opinion. Surround yourself with colleagues who will challenge, encourage and keep you accountable and who will speak the truth with love and grace with you.

Teaching is a work of heart. 

The 5 Senses

I am teaching poetry to my Year 5/6 class and it is a unit I love teaching. This term my focus is going to be not only on composing but also on evaluating and critiquing poetry. What makes a poem good? What structure and vocabulary does the writer use to convey emotions and to paint pictures in the reader's mind? Often the first type of poem I like to use is the "Sensory Poem" which the author has to say what he/she sees, hears, tastes, can touch and can smell. I have seen children who have never written poetry before begin with a sensory poem and then start producing high quality poems.

I love words and being descriptive when I write. I want to engage my reader and make them feel that they are there too. When I write these blog posts, I want the reader feel like they are sitting in the same room with me, perhaps having a cuppa (I'll stick to my diet coke, thanks) and that there is a companionable atmosphere. We get so caught up in rushing from here to the next place, being constantly on the move, that we often forget to stop, to be, to ponder and reflect and to breathe in the fresh air. 

Recently I heard a pastor say, "God made human beings, not human do-ings." 

So many verses in the Bible encourage us to take time out, to be still, to rest. As teachers we work at school, then we often bring our work home. We might not get the computer out, we might not look like we are physically working but our minds are ticking over. I could write a thousand possibilities of what you might be thinking right now and I'm pretty sure you'd relate to them, if not now, then maybe at other times; such as when you're trying to sleep, when you're spending time with the family, watching TV, doing shopping...

This afternoon I went to my friend's place where I keep my horse. I grabbed the halter, opened the gate and Shorty came towards me. I reached up to pat him and put his halter on and he walked alongside me to the post where I tied him to give him a good brush. He was so dirty! Shorty likes to roll around after every ride, every groom and just for fun, when he's not eating. As I brushed him, I spoke with him about my day, told him he was a good boy and combed out his mane. I saddled him up and went to the round yard and rode him around, turning him to the left, the right, going straight ahead, in circles, and did a figure of eight a couple times. He listened and responded to my touch, going in the direction that I asked. I found it relaxing.

When we (teachers) have had a full day, week, &/or month etc, we need to take moments to engage our senses, refresh our minds and souls and just "be". We need to find time away from the classroom and the thoughts that take us back into the classroom out of hours. 

Grab a piece of paper and write these words into boxes: See, Hear, Smell, Taste, Touch. 

Fill the boxes in - either for what you are sensing now, or choose a vivid memory. I choose this afternoon, although I also like to do this when I'm at the beach.

See - horses grazing in the paddock, 2 green parrots in the tree and 3 cockatoos flying overhead. 

Hear - Dogs barking, a pony neighing and the padding of horses' hooves on the ground.

Smell - fresh air, horses

Taste - diet coke

Touch - the mane, tail and hair of Shorty and I feel his breath as he comes in close

And now I am content, my classroom is a day away and I'm ready to sleep.

On a Short Break

 It's mid October already and I haven't posted since the end of September. I'm just taking a break while getting back into the swing of the last term and all that it holds. I aim to be posting again from the 20th of this month. Thanks for your understanding.

Spontaneous Learning Outside

 Well, it's almost the end of Term 3 holidays and on Sunday, daylight savings begins in Victoria, which means an hour less of sleep, not just for the teachers but also for the students. It's a common complaint that some need a holiday to get over their holidays and we all know that Term 4 is going to be busy with report writing, end of year functions and wrapping up a year of work and hoping our students are ready for next year. I love daylight savings; the longer days when you can come home after a long day of work and go for a ride or a walk while it's still light.

These holidays, apart from trying to get fitter again, I've also spent time preparing for the new term, looking at the curriculum I need to implement, sorting out resources and working out how I am going to teach in an engaging way. Having been a teacher for many years, I've learnt a few different strategies to inform, instruct and teach my students and having an interest in technology has also helped. The way we teach has changed, grown, evolved, and adapted. The content/curriculum has also travelled along a similar pathway. 

If I was an artist (and my students will tell you I am not - although there are a few loyal ones who claim that my stick drawings are accurate) I would get a whole lot of different coloured pencils and draw lines and circles, some squiggles and a few arrows to show the progression of pedagogy and curriculum. It would be connected, there would be direction but there would also be diversions into a seemingly different path, while still coming back to the path then off on another tangent.

What I miss most about teaching these days is the spontaneous and somewhat incidental learning that we didn't plan for, yet was so effective when we taught years ago. It built positive teacher-student relationships, it encouraged creativity, learning happened outside of the classroom, and it gave students the opportunity to problem solve in real-life situations.

One sunny day in my 2nd or 3rd year of teaching, I took my class outside to sit under the tree while I read to them. Midway through the chapter, a jumping jack ant stung me which put an end to me sitting on the ground. The students were full of stories of when they'd been stung and how to deal with it.

Another day, another class, we had been reading "The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek" and decided to go looking for a bunyip. We were in a rural area so plenty of trees and acres to follow. At one stage a child claimed to see a bunyip. "Look!" he exclaimed, "There's the tail and the body near the log." I looked in the direction he pointed but I could not even imagine what he was seeing.

When a new portable was delivered to our growing school, we took the students out of the class to watch it happen. That was pretty exciting!

Those spontaneous days of learning aren't as easy to initiate these days. As I was looking at the curriculum this week, I wondered how I was going to fit it all in to the timetable. A few years ago I took my class outside to measure the oval, the fence and other distances and when we got back to the classroom, admin took me aside and said that she had needed to find me and I should have been in my classroom as the timetable had said. She also reminded me that I needed to take my mobile phone with me so I could be contacted. (I had, but it was on silent.)

During the first year of Covid, we were encouraged to take classes outside and do our learning out there. It saddened me that in music lessons, students were not allowed to blow their instruments and we weren't allowed to sing without wearing a mask.

There are drawbacks to trying to run classes outside - distractions from students running around, birds singing, insects crawling about.... Young boys taking the wings of a fly and calling it a 'run', students looking up at the sky and turning the shapes of clouds into animals. But, when you weigh up the pros and cons of spontaneous learning against formal learning, do the students really lose that much? In fact, I believe students would discover things that aren't covered in textbooks and they might also develop a love for learning that would grow with them.

Learning doesn't only happen in the classroom. 

Tip #5 Set Boundaries

Originally, this post was going to be entitled, "Eat Dinner". A few years ago I got caught up in working. I'd come home, sit at my desk and plan lessons. I'd heat up a lean cuisine frozen meal, bring it to my desk and continue working so that I didn't lose the momentum. I enjoyed the work, the learning and keeping busy and didn't see it as a problem. One night though, as I looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:00pm, I realised that this was not healthy and from that moment on, I made it a boundary to eat my dinner and not work at the same time.

Setting boundaries is not a new idea and we all know how important it is, yet......

We make excuses: 

• I need to get this done.
• It's not hurting anyone.
• I'll worry about my health tomorrow.
• I'm feeling inspired/motivated. 
• All of the above.
• Other: _______________________

Definition of boundaries: something that indicates bounds or limits; a limiting or bounding line.

As part of a resilient teacher group, we are often reminded that we are people first, before we are teachers and recently I read another post say the same thing about a different profession. The question must be asked then, "What does it mean to you to be a person first?" For me, that means living my life to the fullest and keeping healthy - physically, spiritually and mentally. I want to enjoy my life and contribute meaningfully to my family and community. I love my work but I need to set boundaries to ensure it doesn't consume me and that I am able to be refreshed and keep giving it my best.

It's up to you to set boundaries that work for you and I'd also encourage you to put in place some kind of accountability that checks that you are doing it well. Find someone who will ask the hard questions and who won't get side-tracked into agreeing with you on every issue. You know who I mean: There are a few people who will always tell me I'm doing a good job and they encourage me to persevere when it gets hard. They're good people to have around but not always helpful when you need constructive advice.

The last few years I've set a goal at the beginning of the year to be healthy and to walk/ride 'x' amount in distance. I formed a group in Facebook to keep us all accountable and because I was the 'owner', I made sure I kept up. This year, I rarely contributed and the last few months, I didn't really bother to keep recording it daily. Last week for camp, we had to walk a lot and I realised that I didn't find it as easy as I would have a year or 2 ago, so that has motivated me to get back into it, including recording my progress daily.

A few years ago, I had a colleague who I got on well with and she was fantastic at making sure she did all the pretty-ing up of work, set out her planners in colour-coordinated folders and had a very interactive classroom. She would call 'after-hours' and on holidays, recounting all the work she had done and how ready she was for class and while that was good, it put me in a panic. I had to set boundaries and remind myself that it's a marathon, not a sprint.

The thing is, all of the above things are good and they might work for you in a positive way. So, my tip is this: Set boundaries when you find yourself comparing and falling short of your own expectations and stay healthy. Take time away from teaching to do what you enjoy, every day. Eat dinner away from the computer and/or work.

Remember: You are a person first. 

Respect All People

The idea for today's post was already in my head before I heard the news of how indigenous people have been discriminated against in AFL. It was heart breaking that even after all the publicity, the resources we have, the information that has been shared with us, that this is still happening today. This is not the forum to discuss politics and be controversial so for now, I will leave that track and move on over to what is on my heart to chat with you about. 

When I was growing up, I was privileged to be in a family where people of all nations were recognised as equal. As it says in the Bible: 

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28)

Having said that, as a child and a young adult, my knowledge of indigenous people and Australian history was very limited. My primary school and high school education glossed over the atrocious ramifications of colonisation and there wasn't a unit of aboriginal studies when I was learning to be a primary school teacher. A few years ago at a school I was teaching at, Lynette who is Head of Indigenous Initiatives, ran an informative and practical PD for staff to learn about First Nations people and she also gave me resources to help me teach my students in a meaningful and honest way about colonisation. I am very thankful for her input and for the inspiration to delve deeper and find out more about our First Nations people.

There are a lot of practical resources and information that we can have access to and I encourage you to stay abreast of this knowledge. There are picture story books, novels and text books to read with your class, no matter what their age. I also found some flash cards that have character qualities with aboriginal illustrations at a local craft store. 

Two great places to find resources are: Australians Together which includes cross-curriculum lessons with a teacher manual and student worksheets. 

The other is: Welcome To Country which is an online store which sells resources that are useful.

Stay informed and help your students stay informed. It is important that we value all people.

Learning To Teach Students More Effectively

 Many years ago, when I began teaching, the students who had a unique approach to learning, who didn't fit the 'stereotype' and/or had challenging behaviours, were largely labelled as naughty, brats, 'feral', and other such labels. Their parents were seen as lacking good parenting skills and generally speaking, were regarded as part of the problem. Thirty or more years ago, ADD, ADHD, OCD, ODD, Autism Spectrum, etc., were not a regular part of the teacher's knowledge and vocabulary and quite frankly when children exhibited extraordinary behaviour, we tried different teaching strategies to help support our students, with little direction and support from mentors and school organisations.

There were students who broke my heart as I tried to find a way forward for them. I remember one young boy who had a challenging home life, begging me to allow him a special privilege even though he hadn't earned it. He said, "If you love me, you would let me do it," and I replied, "Because I love you, I can not." (Obviously there was more to it but for confidentiality and privacy, I choose not to say more.)

Over the years, we have become more aware of the many different learning needs of students and have learned different strategies for providing an optimum learning environment for them. We have many different PDs we can attend, books/papers to read, and people who are specialists in fields that we can access to obtain resources and practical help from. When I think back to that boy mentioned in the previous paragraph, I wish I could go back and use the knowledge and experience I have now, to support him better in his learning. He possibly had Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) and it was quite likely he was on the Autism spectrum with a comorbidity of ADHD.

When I was learning about educating children with special needs as part of my Masters, ODD scared me somewhat. How do we educate children who look you in the eye and lie without any remorse if they're found out to be lying? I watched an episode of "New Amsterdam" and the child psychiatrist was faced with an 11 year old girl who would hurt her brother and cause serious injuries and yet appeared charming. I called someone who is a psychologist and asked him if there was any hope for children diagnosed with ODD and he said there is in the early stages and if people were willing to take the time to work with the child.

A few years ago I was teaching a student who would get up close in my face and demand to use the bathroom or demand to be allowed to do something that was against the ethos of the school. He could be very charming but even his school friends would try to move away from him without him noticing. He would argue with the PE teacher and in the art room, he would throw scissors on the floor and argue that there was no room on the bench for them. We tried a lot of different strategies but none of them seemed to work for more than a day.

Being in a classroom, teaching 25 students, all of who have a wide range of learning needs, can be a daunting task. There will be days you feel like you're on top of it and many days when you just want to curl up under the blankets and wait until it all goes away. I want to encourage you to not only hang in there but also be proactive about dealing with a challenging class while also looking after your own wellbeing. You can make a difference; it might not be a fireworks-hooray moment, you might not get teacher-of-the-year award and in fact, it's likely that you might be the only one who notices the almost-imperceptible moment when a student finally gets it.

A well-known person who runs courses and provides practical resources in Autism, is Sue Larkey. If you have not heard of her, look her up, listen to one of her free podcasts and I can assure you, you will not be disappointed. Sometime last year, I listened to one of her podcasts on teaching students with pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and I also bought a book she recommended called "Collaborative Approaches to Learning For Pupils with PDA" by Ruth Fidler and Phil Christie.  The book describes what PDA is and how it impacts a child's learning, as well as giving practical strategies to implement in the classroom. I wondered if the students mentioned above had PDA.

Individuals with PDA share difficulties with other people on the autism spectrum but often seem to have a better social understanding which means their difficulties may be less obvious at first. "PDA is best understood as an anxiety-driven need to be in control and avoid other people's demands and expectations."  If you want to know more about it, you can check out this site: What is Pathological Demand Avoidance?

My purpose in writing this post is to encourage you to know your students and do your research, not because you have to fill out an IEP but in order to help you teach your class more effectively. When I was faced with those 2 students, I wasn't sure how to best support them in their learning as well as provide a safe learning environment for the other students in my class. When you know your students well, when you find strategies that work, it will help you and give you more confidence. It is important that you reach out for support from someone who can help you. Find them. Go to a PD and network with others. Find like-minded colleagues who you can collaborate with, share with, and who help you find solutions.

If this post resonates with you, feel free to contact me and if you need support, please reach out. 

Students and Their Phones

 My parents were one of the last of their friends to invest in a phone. I still recall a family friend coming over to tell us some news and complaining that if we had a phone, he wouldn't have had to drive around. Mum's response was she preferred people to drop in. When we finally got a phone, if you missed a call, you missed it and had no way of knowing who had tried calling you. If you were in the bathroom, or if you went out, you didn't answer the phone and there was no message bank.

As a teenager, I would hideaway in my parents' bedroom to make phone calls to boyfriends and school friends and hoped that that no one would notice. When we got a 2nd telephone, it was not uncommon for my siblings to listen in or for mum to pick up the phone and tell me to get off the phone as I'd already seen them at school, so what more did I need to say?

Fast forward 20 years or so and every person has a mobile phone or 2 handy, even children younger than 10 years old. As an adult, when I upgraded my mobile phone, my son would get my 'old' phone. Being more techno savvy than his mum, he played that to his advantage. One time I upgraded my phone when he suggested it was time. After the deal was done, the salesperson asked why I had upgraded when the older phone was better. My son just grinned.

On my first mobile phone, I loved the 'snake' game and enjoyed being able to send messages. Mobile phones back then were simply to make and receive calls and send messages. Obviously phones these days far outshine the first phones. These days phones have:

• better memory space
• calculator
• cameras
• Google 
• dictionaries
• apps for health
• access to face time 
• etc etc

I remember when my parents saved up to buy an encyclopaedia each week until they had received the whole set. We would pore over those books, using them to find information to our projects and trace over the pictures to copy on to posters. Nowadays, we keep phones handy so that if we have a query about anything, we can check on our phones. We can use it to see where our child is going, what our friends are eating, and look at photos that are shared over social media. We can read the news and listen to politicians and others spouting off their ideas.

A few years ago I was in a school that went into lock down as an alleged criminal was on the run about 5kms away, supposedly headed in our direction. Within moments of the lock-down, parents were calling the office wanting to know what was going on because they'd read it on Facebook. It was handy to have my mobile phone so that I could communicate with other staff about what was going on and reassure the students I had with me, that it was all good.

Students and their phones - to be or not to be, at school. If you make a list of pros and cons, I'd venture to guess each would be about the same length, however, if you weigh each pro and con against its value, there is evidence to prove students should not have mobile phones at school. Cyber bullying, cheating on tests, addiction, lack of social skills outweigh the positives and surely students should be able to have a phone-free zone?

Research has been conducted in Australian schools (and internationally) that confirm the banning of mobile phones has a positive impact on students and their academic performance. Students achieve higher results, there is decreased bullying in schools and students are more focused on completing their work without the distraction of mobile phones.

Interestingly enough, when news readers speak of this, their questions go along the line of, "This is great for schools, but how do they do it and how do I get my teenager to put down their phone?" 

When it was time to take my Year 5/6 class on a camp, I debated whether or not to let them bring devices &/or mobile phones. It was going to be a long train trip. It would be nice for parents to talk with their children while on camp but on the other hand, what would happen if a child lost their phone/device? How much time would they get to use their device with all the other things we had planned and how could we monitor it after 'lights out' to ensure they were getting enough sleep? My concession was that while devices and mobile phones were permitted, I'd prefer students didn't bring them. I also said that they were the sole responsibility of the student and we (staff) would not be looking after them.

Students and their phones will always be a part of our lives. So, as one article I read said, "These findings do not discount the possibility mobile phones and other technology could be a useful structured teaching tool. However, ignoring or misunderstanding the evidence could be harmful to students and lead to long term negative social consequences." (1.) 

Make it a conversation you have regularly with your colleagues and your students. Evaluate how it's going, with or without the ban and check in with your students with regards to their use of phones and their social emotional wellbeing. It's also a great topic for a 'persuasive' essay. 

1. https://theconversation.com/banning-mobile-phones-in-schools-can-improve-students-academic-performance-this-is-how-we-know-153792

Gossip in the Workplace

 Staffroom gossip is a serious problem in the workplace that nobody wants to admit to being a part of, nor does anyone want to be a victim of. The insidious nature of gossip causes: broken trust, broken relationships, hurt feelings, and an unhealthy workplace environment that inhibits creativity and productivity.

Definition: idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. 

Synonyms: hearsay, scandal, slander, chatter, meddling, defamation.

Definition of insidious: operating in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect.

It would be safe to say that there is nothing good about gossip and the person who likes to indulge, even in a "little bit of gossip", is part of its poison. I make no apology to the person reading this who might be thinking, "that's a bit harsh". If you are able to give me an account of someone who has benefited by gossip in a positive way without anyone getting hurt, then by all means, please let me know.

Why do we listen to gossip? I must admit it feels good when a colleague comes to me and in a conspiratorial whisper, asks, "Do you want to hear a little bit of gossip?" It sounds like they want to include me because they trust me and want me to be part of their group. My first reaction is to say "Yes" because I want to be popular and I want to be liked. One of the first schools I taught at, the principal used to say, "If someone it talking to you about someone else behind their back, you can be sure they're doing the same to you." 

Sometimes I might be listening to a colleague chat and then the conversation turns and I am listening to the faults and problems of another staff member. Gossip is not always clearly labelled especially if you trust the person who is speaking and believe them to be speaking honestly. I must admit though, that when I have listened to gossip, I don't feel good. It is discouraging and unhealthy and can often set up the demise of another person's reputation.

The Bible has very clear instructions on the words that come out of our mouths. I looked up Ephesians 4:29 in a number of versions and have included them here for you:

The Living Bible: Don’t use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing.

NIV: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

NLT: Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

If you have been a part of gossip and perhaps it's become a habit to join in with others, admit it and take action to remove yourself from gossiping. When someone invites you to join in with them, say "No" and challenge them to "Stop with the goss".  Simply put, step away from the gossip and/or the gossiper. Proverbs 20:19 says, "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."

If you are friends with someone who gossips, or begins to gossip with you, call them out on it. Speak the truth to them and encourage them to choose words that build others up and benefits the listener. Having said that, clarify with your friend the purpose of the conversation - is it they need clarification/support in their relationship with the person they are talking about, or is it gossip?

Go to the colleague who has been gossiped about and stand with them. Support and encourage them, understanding they're more than likely feeling alone, betrayed and discouraged. I am not suggesting you go to them and tell them they're being gossiped about, simply go to them and ask them how they're going. Listen to them with genuine kindness.

If you are a victim of gossip, seek help from someone you trust. Depending on your school structure, go to someone in leadership, a chaplain, or HR. Gossip is a form of bullying and should not be tolerated in any school. While some may encourage you to "Don't let it get to you", or "Rise above their gossip", you and I know that's easier said than done. It should be dealt with and the gossipers should be reprimanded. Seek action.

How we speak to one another reflects the culture of our school. If we want to build a positive, supportive environment amongst our students, it begins with the staff. The students see how we treat each other and although they might not know how to articulate it, they often know which staff members are kind to their colleagues and which ones are not. 

So, let everything you say be good and helpful. Use your words to encourage those who hear them and bless others.