Michelle Fenn Constant Learning, Inspiring Students, Inspiring Teachers, Mental Health, Mindfulness, self reflection, wellness, Wellness, wellness

Mindfulness Tips for Stress Reduction

I’ve recently spent some time with fellow educators and health care practitioners in order to find solutions to an all too prevalent issue.  Burn out, stress, compassion fatigue or empathy fatigue; whatever you call it, it is a reality for those in caring professions like teaching and health care.  The room was filled with women from all over the province.  Although our stories were different, we were all exhausted, overwhelmed, and consumed by feelings of guilt and inadequacy.  We had a common purpose for coming together; to find ways to put mindfulness and stress reduction into our daily living.  
The most common excuse that people use with regards to self-care is that they don’t have enough time.  I used to say the same thing.  Then I realized that if I have had enough time to watch two episodes of something on Netflix, I had enough time to go to the gym or cook a healthy meal.  As I have learned more about mindfulness and meditation I have realized that it doesn’t have take a huge amount of time and it really doesn’t take a whole lot of effort.  You just have to start.
I’m an “all or nothing” kind of person and a perfectionist.  I used to set lofty exercise, meditation and healthy eating goals for myself and then quit when I haven’t met these unrealistic expectations.  Now, I start one thing and do it, slowly and simply.  I try to adopt Nike’s “Just Do It” advertising campaign as my mindset towards mindfulness.  I have to remind myself to be patient, kind and compassionate around my mindfulness practice.  I forget, I get distracted and I feel disappointed in myself sometimes.  The most important thing that I try to remember is I can always begin again.  I can begin again every moment.  The judgment that I have about missing days at the gym or on my meditation cushion is my own.  There is no one that works at the gym that will berate me when I come through the door.  They will welcome me and I have never left the gym or my meditation cushion wishing that I had done something else with my time.  I thought it might be helpful to share some simple and quick ideas that can easily become habits in order to become more mindful and practice self care.

1.  Begin each morning by spending three or four minutes lying in bed awake before getting out of bed.  Pay attention to your breath and set your intention for the morning rather than shutting the alarm off and immediately swinging your legs to the floor.  It seems like such a simple thing, but it can make a positive impact on how you face the day.

2.  While doing any mundane task such as washing your hands you can simply pay more attention to the task.  Don’t try to multitask and don’t be on “auto-pilot”.  Be aware of what you are doing and do it slowly.  Actually enjoy the simple task of hand washing.  It may take you a few seconds longer but it gives your brain and body time to become more grounded.  Pay attention to your breath.  Are you holding your breath?  Are your shoulders tense?  Let the warm water flow over your hands and be grateful for the water we have.  Lather the soap and feel it squish through your fingers.  Dry your hands completely, taking the time to appreciate the act.  We know in the teaching profession how important the act of hand washing for our health and we do this many times a day but how often do we wash our hands mindfully?  Take these few extra seconds, breathe, be aware and be grateful.

3.  Each morning before exiting your car at work take a few minutes to check your breathing.  Be grateful for the day, be aware of your intention for the day at work.  Try to do a quick body scan to see if you are holding any tension and let it go.  If you aren’t really looking forward to the day, force a smile.  The silly act of putting a smile on your face on purpose while alone in your car will often produce a genuine smile!

4.   Be mindful about your cup of tea or coffee.  Over the years we have become accustomed to having our tea or coffee “to go” that we are no longer mindful about drinking it.  In fact, we have adult sippy cups to ensure that we don’t spill it and companies that put warnings on the side of cups to remind us that the contents might be hot.  As a society, we have become pretty mindless about drinking hot beverages.  Our coffee and tea have become caffeine that is fuel to be consumed rather than a comforting and tasty beverage to savoured and enjoyed. So take the time when drinking your hot drink.  Take the time to smell it, feel the warmth in your hands, to really look at it and to enjoy and be grateful for it.  


For more information about “Tea” Meditation and mindfulness visit Tea Meditation – Plum Village

5.  In order to incorporate mindfulness practice into your work life, practice it with your students.  Each day I have a morning meeting with my class.  I use a singing bowl to draw attention to our practice and we sit in a comfortable position.  We only do this for a few minutes each day but we pay attention to our breathing, we close our eyes or choose a spot to land a soft gaze.  The students have said that they can feel the energy in the room become more calm and peaceful.  I do the practice along with them.  I have grade 4 and 5 so we also talk about mindfulness and what it means.  It works hand in hand with self regulation.  If students are mindful about their behaviour then it becomes easier for them to practice self regulation strategies.

I do not claim to be any kind of mindfulness or meditation guru.  I have not painstakingly researched the positive effects of mindfulness from a scientific perspective.  I’m just an elementary teacher and mom trying to bring balance to my life, one moment at a time.

 

Michelle Fenn Classroom Management, Resilience, Wellness

“Portable” Teaching

So…you found out your classroom is in a portable.

In my fourth year of teaching I was assigned planning time coverage to primary classes and had a portable to deliver the physical education program, which was an interesting challenge, particularly in the winter. Getting kindergarten students dressed, out to a portable with winter gear, out of winter gear and into indoor shoes before even beginning a class was not the best use of instructional time, but it was the task I was given. On the upside, I didn’t have to spend a whole lot of time planning to fill our gym periods.

This year for the first time in 20 years of teaching, my classroom is in a portable. I am choosing to embrace the life of the portable classroom and focus on the positive aspects. Before I even see the inside of the building, I decided that it would become our “cabin/cottage” retreat space. My classroom is next to the parking lot, which is great for lugging my teaching items in and out and it will be handy when I forget my morning tea in my car. We will not hear students as they travel between classrooms. We will be able to engage in inquiry and play our musical instruments without worrying about disrupting the learning in other classrooms. We will be close to our playground for quick entry after the bell and quick exit at the end of the day.

Of course, there are serious logistic challenges of working in a portable classroom that I cannot ignore. I talked to some of my colleagues who are veteran “portable” classroom teachers to find out some tricks of the trade. Here is the advice that I have been given in order to keep our “cabin” in good working order.

Keep only the basics that you need in your classroom. (Good tip! My portable came outfitted with one bookshelf only deep enough for paperback books. My closets at home are now filled with labelled boxes of teaching resources.)
Endeavour to keep clutter from your classroom. (No issue. No storage=minimalist teaching.)
Have a sweater and a fan in your classroom at all times to combat the change in temperature. (In my experience this is good in any classroom.)
Have a job available for a student (perhaps one that needs to move a lot) to be a messenger to the office or other classrooms.
Have a class set of clipboards to take work outside on a hot or beautiful day.
No sink in your classroom to paint with your students? Bring three buckets to your classroom. One filled with water, one for dirty water to be dumped and one for things that need to be cleaned later.

Mike Beetham Celebrating Success, General, Inspiring Teachers, Making a Difference Through Education, self reflection, Wellness, wellness

THANK YOU!

It has been a long, arduous journey from September to the end of June and we are just weeks away from closing the chapter on another academic year. I am going to relive the last ten months of a fictional elementary school teacher.

A group of twenty plus disconnected, diverse individuals arrived in your classroom with a variety of needs beyond their academic status. Through careful planning, creative thinking, endless commitment and tremendous flexibility you were able to to:

  • make each child feel welcomed and loved
  • create a learning community
  • develop the confidence and self-esteem of your students
  • help them move forward in all academic areas
  • taught them the power of being a team
  • provided off campus, intramural, choir, club and athletic opportunities for them
  • offered them a high five to celebrate and emotional support when needed
  • in some cases provided food to meet their basic needs
  • laughed and cried with them
  • believed in them enough to provide tough love
  • wrote reports, called parents, attended meetings
  • organized assemblies and spirit days
  • created Individual Educational Programs
  • purchased necessary materials for your class and students
  • spent endless hours beyond your school day
  • gave up personal and family time for your students
  • helped develop future global citizens
  • attended a variety of professional learning opportunities to help in your journey toward best practice
  • you have sacrificed personal health for your class and school
  • please continue this list with anything I have missed

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! On behalf of students and parents everywhere, you continue to be a part of one of the most rewarding and important roles there is. You are a teacher!

I would also like to take this time to thank ETFO for the opportunity they have given me to be a part of the Heart & Art blog for the last 5 years. In that time I have had the wonderful opportunity to learn from many talented people. I have had comments shared with me that reminded me how proud I am to be a part of this profession. Finally, I have become a better teacher as my blogging has helped me reflect on the day-to-day work in my classroom. I am making this my last blog and challenge the many talented and inspiring teachers in ETFO to join in and share the expertise that lies within you and your teaching. THANK YOU!

Laura Bottrell General, Mental Health, Wellness

Daily Physical Activity: When, How and Why?

I’ve been thinking a lot about DPA lately. We are required to provide our students with 20 minutes of physical activity on days when they don’t have physical education. Many times, this time is used as an extra 20 minutes outside before recess or time playing movement games on the smart board inside. It’s become a part of our daily routine as teachers and something that our students know and expect – trust me, they never let me forget!

At a recent staff meeting focusing on positive school culture and wellbeing, my principal posed us with some questions. When do we do DPA? How do we do it? And most importantly, why?

Often times, our instructional schedule dictates when DPA happens in our classroom, but I’ve been thinking – is that really best for our students? Having that 20 minutes of activity at a guaranteed time every day is great for our routines and planning our day, but is that best for the needs of our kids? Is DPA the most effective and meaningful when it happens when we can see that our students need it? I think it comes down to the teacher and most importantly, the group of students. Some students probably benefit more from knowing when DPA will happen in their day. Some students, such as my active bunch of grade twos and threes, need it at very different times in our day. The activity and attention level of my classroom fluctuates greatly throughout the day based on the kind of learning they are engaged in. DPA benefits my students the most when I can notice their changing behaviour and ability to self-regulate, and respond with a break for physical activity.

Another thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is the “how” of DPA. How are kids spending these 20 minutes of time? What is the best way for them to spend it, and is there even a best way? Aside from a good old soccer or basketball game, there are a ton of resources that provide ideas for active large group games or video programs such as Go Noodle, Kids Zumba or Cosmic Yoga to follow along to on the smart board. The options are endless.

I tend to do something a little bit different. Inside of my grade two and three students who are intelligent, critical thinkers and wonderful young adults, I see kids – young kids who are meant to be playing. The play I refer to isn’t guided or adult-directed, either. My students are in their happiest, most natural state when they are given the freedom to be outside and to direct their own play. So when my class has DPA time we head outside and I tell them that as long as their bodies are actively moving, they can play whatever they want to and I love to watch what happens. In a previous post I talked about how students, even in older grades, still engage in dramatic play and how valuable this experience is for them. When we are outside, just my class on the playground, my students have the freedom to create meaningful play in a calm and relaxed outdoor environment. Most of the time, they are all engaged in a few different things – dramatic play (right now, they are right into role-playing Harry Potter characters which has me in stitches every time), super hero play or they are engaged in a game they created on their own (think of the skills involved in this – problem solving, leadership and logical planning). We are very lucky at our school to have a small forested area on our grounds and we will often take our DPA time there, where the students build their play into the forest setting, often using branches and natural features to build forts. To me, this is the most valuable DPA time because my students are getting their much needed physical activity but they are also getting time to de-stress, be autonomous, and just be kids. When we come back inside from this, they are ready to learn.

This brings me to the “why“. It’s obvious why our students need DPA. Our students’ attention spans are a limited resource, like a gas tank. After a certain period of time their gas tanks run out and they no longer have the ability to attend to learning. Engaging them in physical activity increases their heart rate and gets oxygen flowing to all areas of their body, but most importantly their brain. This increased oxygen to the brain not only acts as a preventative measure to anxiety and depression, but it “refills” their attention span gas tanks and is scientifically proven to increase their academic performance.

DPA isn’t only about promoting physical fitness. It promotes mental health by reducing anxiety and puts our students into a calm, mindful state that sets them up for success when its time to learn. This happens especially when we, as teachers, are purposeful with how, when and why we initiate it.

 

Will Gourley Constant Learning, General, Modern Learning, self reflection, Wellness

The Groove

This is my follow up post to Am I Teaching in a Rut

By Shane Gavin [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Shane Gavin [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Without offending your musical sensibilities, I want those who might have been singing Madonna’s Get into the Groove, to turn it off of their mental playlist for a few minutes, and spin Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground instead.

It’s OK, if you have both battling it out in your brain. I did. Stevie prevailed in case you wondered.

Although it’s catchy, the Madonna track gets me into a small groove, but it can’t keep me there. Music is like that. I count on it, always, to get me in a steady groove and to keep me there. Shouldn’t education be like that too?

So, what’s a groove?  Is it a track or channel that you fit yourself? Is it a vibe or a feeling? Is a groove smooth? How do you distinguish when you’re in a groove versus a rut? And how does it relate to my practice and pedagogy when you’re in one?

A groove is something that fits you perfectly. A groove feels good. When you’re in a groove, it never feels like what you’re doing is work. Being in the groove is contagious. It helps others around you find theirs too.* Imagine a whole school where everyone is in their teaching and learning groove? Students are witness to enthusiastic educators who are fearless learners and relentless encouragers.

What an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and share everything that is awesome in education?

The groove is good

So whenever it feels like work then you’re in a rut. A rut travels from A to B or deeper. A rut wears down the traveler and the trail. Teaching in a rut is like being on auto-pilot because you’ve been down the same worn path over and over. A rut leaves its travelers dulled before, during, and after the journey.

The foundation for this post was set by wondering whether I am teaching in a rut or rocking/rolling along in a groove? And whether one was different from the other? My original post can be summed up in 3 key points to help stay out of a rut;

  1. Being a flexible learner in front of students and colleagues
  2. Being open and adaptable to what and where I teach(kind of like #1).
    Seeing the challenge as something to accomplish rather than feeling punished for it.
  3. Being unafraid of change even when it is something unknown

Thinking about this might be scary for some. Many of us have been raised in a corporate culture that requires keeping a nose to the grindstone, focused on the job, and safe from risk. That is precisely why we have to lift our heads and stretch our outlook. This comes from taking chances in the classrooms, hallways, staff-rooms. We have to encourage one another to share ideas, passions, successes, and failures. Teachers need to celebrate “the hard times and the good” with our students and with each other. That’s how we will find our groove(s)?

For me the groove is what gets me out of bed before the sun rises. It makes me excited to share learning with my students and with a world of educators. A groove does not have time for pettiness, negativity or self indulgence. A groove is designed for the positive, potential, and process in education.

Now the hard part…

What’s your groove? If you could do anything in education knowing you’d succeed, what would it be?
Thank you for reading. Please share and keep the conversation going in the comments section.

Will

* Oh, oh! I just thought of a B52’s song to go with this post.

I love music in most of it’s forms. It pervades my day, accompanies me as I work/relax, and provides me insight into people as an inter-generational time machine and lens. For a deeper understanding about the soundtrack to my life, click on this link to I(n) Tune.

 

Mike Beetham Celebrating Success, General, Inspiring Teachers, Making a Difference Through Education, Mental Health, self reflection, Wellness

Memories

 

I remember my first day of teaching as if it had happened yesterday and not 32 years ago. As my journey of teaching continues, there have been countless scenarios that have occurred that brought a smile to my face, made me cry, challenged me, taught me and humbled me. Those are the moments that inspire me each and every day I enter my classroom. About 13 years ago a very passionate and visionary principal I worked with started our year off by giving each teacher an empty box. She then went on to describe how it is up to use to fill that box with memories, moments in time that are like treasures not to be lost or forgotten. Ever since that time I have kept a memory box.

 

This box is filled with magical moments that I have been a part of in my teaching experiences with colleagues, students and/or their families. There are letters, cards, toys, photographs, trinkets, phone call summaries, thank you cards, trip mementoes, amazing accomplishments of individual students as well as class accomplishments. What goes into that box is anything that reminds me just how precious and important my efforts are and that no effort is wasted. I take the time to go and revisit my box in moments of self-doubt, challenging times or just when it seems that nothing is going right. After just a few moments of revisiting these wonderful experiences I can raise my head and once again forge on filled with confidence and positive energy. I look forward to the day (not too far in the future) when I can stop, reflect back on a career as I take the time to go through each item in my memory box, piece by piece, story by story.

I hope you take the time to stop and smell the roses in your everyday teaching and life. Make a pledge to start your memory box in 2017. Happy New Year!img_20170107_131253

Tammy Axt Wellness

The challenges during the holidays

My sister in law specializes in helping people with eating disorders. As we sat together over the holidays, I asked her how her patients were handling this time of year. She shared with me some challenges that are facing her patients such as: relationships with family are strained due to all the stress that is caused by the constant change in schedule, food is such an overwhelming center of many of the celebrations which makes this holiday season difficult and finally many support services are closed at the time when people need them the most.

It was a reminder to me that not everyone has a wonderful holiday experience. We went on to talk further about many of the challenges that are heightened at this time of year for many other people, which includes many families of the students we teach.

Some families have lost their jobs and are trying to make ends meet and feeling the pressure to buy gifts to put under a tree.

Some families have lost loved ones this year and their absence is heightened during family traditions.

Some families are far away from their loved ones this year and are missing them a lot.

Some families are struggling to get along and being in the same room for days on end is not helping.

Some families have mental health concerns that are heightened by all the visitors and the change in routine.

Some families have spent Christmas in a hospital this year with sick or dying family members.

Some families are just struggling to make it through the day.

The conversation that my sister in law and I had was not a pessimistic one at all. Just a reminder to me that some of our students are facing challenges over these two weeks off from school. I will be sure to remember that the holidays are not perfect for many people and that when the students come back to school they may need some support. I will be on the lookout for those students who need an extra smile or a divergence from the conversation about presents and festivities.

Beverly Papove Mental Health, Wellness

Time to Recharge

The way work slammed into the holidays this year explains why I find myself sleeping in late every morning. Phew! That just happened! Now the two weeks ahead seem like all the time in the world to do anything but work. So, what is the best way to spend this time off?

Some things are out of our control around these super-charged holiday periods – traveling, family time, weather, finances, health – but finding some time to shut down and recharge your energy supplies should be a priority before heading back to work in January. Things really start to gather momentum when we return to the classroom with end-of-term reports being the biggest extra-curricular activity for teachers at this time of the year. Not that I’m thinking about work. Well, maybe a little. I am finding it really hard to walk by recycling boxes in the city without glancing in to see if there is some cardboard – kindergarten gold – I can harvest. The holidays have already provided me with an abundance of recyclables for the Creation Station, so it is not as if I need to keep gathering items. I will just be super ready for our first Monday back and I’ve made sure I have some sturdy plans in place for the first week for a smoother re-entry.

Trying to shut off “work-brain” is not easy – in spite of all the distractions over the holidays – and in fact, distractions are often not quite enough if you want to really recharge your energy. Quiet time, time for self-reflection, is what this dark, cold season warrants, sort of like housecleaning for the brain. Whether it is by walking/skiing/snowshoeing in a forest, field or city park, listening to natural sounds, or while listening to your heartbeat as you bob around in a floatation tank filled with warm, salinated water (doesn’t everyone have one of these kicking around the house?), we all need time to ourselves. Hopefully, you will find the opportunity to gather some loose ends within your mind so that you don’t return to work frazzled and unrested.

Our jobs are stressful, no doubt about it, with a high rate of burnout, so that is why there are so many reminders, to new teachers especially, for the need to look after ourselves. Occupational burnout is a real thing and I recall a doctor friend, whose patients included police officers and teachers, who was fond of saying, “You guys are always on stage. If, for some reason, you aren’t able to perform, I will have to take your badge away.” With that in mind, we are lucky to have a break in between gigs, where we can slow down, take some things off our plates, stare into space and breathe deeply to recharge those batteries.

Tisha Nelson Building Inclusion, General, Inspiring Teachers, Mental Health, physically active, Professional Learning and Growth, Wellness

How do we nurture positive relationships amongst our colleagues?

“We come to work for our students but isn’t it nice when we get along with the adults? (Heart and Art Book of Teaching and Learning, pg. 12)

As teachers, we are so careful to nurture positive learning environments for our students to learn and thrive in. We are mindful of the social, emotional, physical and mental well-being of our students and work diligently to ensure that they are safe and secure in our care. Our families are grateful for the love in which we care for our learners and they are resolved in knowing that the adults in the building are committed to their personal well-being of their children. How then, do we nurture this same kind of environment for ourselves and our colleagues? After many years of working with many different educators, I’ve come to realize that adults are super comfortable addressing the needs of students but act in ways that are incongruent with how we take care of ourselves. Collectively, we are intentional about teaching students to be respectful and cooperative, but how might we nurture these great habits amongst ourselves? The following, though not an exhaustive list, are some things we can try tomorrow to foster healthy working relationships amongst our colleagues:

  • Send a thank you note or email to express gratitude.
  • Visit the staffroom for lunch at least once a week. Sharing a meal lends itself to conversation that allows you to get to know those you work with and appreciate the diversity they bring.
  • Start a wellness club that encourages physical, social and mental well-being through physical activity and healthy eating.
  • Escape your “divisional cubical” and reach out to those you may not have the opportunity to work with. We have more in common than we think.
  • Start-up a book club. My favourite thing about reading a good book is talking about it. Why not explore a text together and see how much that ignites collegiality amongst the staff.
  • Say “please” and “thank you”. Manners just makes the world a better place.
  • Presume positive intentions but also be honest when an offence has occurred. Talking it out with the presumed offender will invite a learning opportunity, as opposed to engendering future conflict and harbouring resentment.
  • Smile wide and laugh loud. The radiance of a smile and the joy of laughter always makes for a welcoming.

As the adults in the building, we really need to take care of each other. We are growing the adults of the future and the model we set is read more nuanced than the one we say we expect. Let our actions speak volumes in our commitment to serving our learners. Let us serve the community. Let us serve each other.

Mike Beetham Challenging Topics, General, Inspiring Teachers, Learning in a Real Life Context, Mentorship, Resilience, Wellness

Rebound From Your Mistakes

Perfectionism seems to be a common character trait of teachers in that they expect to be perfect at everything they do. They must have perfect lessons, they have to have perfect classroom displays, they expect perfect interviews and so on and so on. If this level of achievement has not been met they often feel they have let down their students. They may feel guilt or embarrassment and tend to dwell on the negative aspect of the scenario. The reality is we are human and humans make mistakes even if they are teachers.

We are patient with our students. We expect them to make mistakes in their personal learning journey and offer formative feedback that allows them to reflect on their learning and move forward to the desired outcome. If this works with students, it will also work with teachers.

There have been many, many times over the course of my career that I made a mistake. Like when I said something I should have phrased a different way or when my reaction to a classroom situation was not handled in as professional a manner as it could have. Each time a situation occurs that I feel could have been handled a different way I complete a personal reflection that helps me move forward in my practice. All of those not so shining moments, have helped shape my learning and skill set for the present and future.

One of the Keys of Excellence in my classroom is ‘Failure Leads To The Sweet Smell of Success’. This foundational belief teaches my students that mistakes are inevitable and we can examine the error and turn it into a teachable moment so that future scenarios will result in success for all. An added bonus to this is that my students become more of a risk taker as it relates to ability to try new things. I live by this belief and it has helped me become a lifelong learner as well as a risk taker in experimenting with new pedagogical practices.