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.