Becoming a tranquil teacher
Mindfulness and education have developed a strong partnership in our attempt to address the growing social emotional needs of students. There are plenty of trainings to support teachers in how to implement this practice into our classrooms. We’ve been told how mindfulness will help our students to:
Reduce stress and anxiety: Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety by helping you focus on the present moment rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
Improve emotional regulation: By practicing mindfulness, you can develop greater emotional regulation skills, which can help you remain calm and composed in challenging situations.
Increase resilience: Mindfulness can help you develop greater resilience by helping you bounce back more quickly from setbacks and challenges.
Enhances focus and attention: Mindfulness can help you improve your focus and attention, which can be particularly beneficial during long days in the classroom.
Improves overall well-being: By reducing stress and improving emotional regulation, mindfulness can improve your overall well-being and quality of life.
It is said that Mindfulness is one of the most effective ways to improve the overall social emotional health of our students since it contributes to all aspects of the child (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual). Once a student starts to engage in the practice of mindful living, there is a good chance that many aspects of behaviors, emotions and self confidence will improve.
With all of this being said, I wonder how many teachers actually have time to practice Mindfulness themselves? Most of my colleagues live on a hamster wheel, balancing work, their own families and sometimes second and third jobs to support themselves. Mindfulness sounds like a good idea, but in reality it is out of our reach on a regular basis.
But what would your life look and feel like if you could actually take care of yourself? I know, it’s a novel idea, because educators by nature take care of others. Yet, if we are to be able to work in education for sustained periods of time, we have to shift our mindset and focus on ourselves in a positive, nurturing way.
There are a number of ways in which we can do this, but it takes dedication and determination to invest in self-care. I decided to start this blog as a tool to share what has worked for me and some of my teacher friends over time. It is a journey, which I myself am still on, and it is one that must be revisited on a regular basis. It is my intention to write and teach whoever wants to learn, things that can help you as a teacher and a person, live your life more intentionally and with less stress.
Sometimes, I'm amazed at how much more difficult we make everything for ourselves. For some reason, we tend to make this harder when we don’t have to. We want to rewrite curriculum, make new lessons that are more engaging than what we’ve been told to teach, translate a book for our new English learners, create amazing online lessons and more. This, on top of all of the work our administrator’s believe is necessary and that bogs us down. It’s perfectly normal; it’s what we do. The problem is we overload ourselves on a regular basis in the name of our students. There is a sense of beauty to it, but it’s not always healthy.
There is a solution. Simplify. Collaborate. Share responsibilities. Let go of the need to control everything.
As teachers we experience an immense amount of stress, whether it be brought on by outside influences or if we impose it on ourselves. Often, we take on more than we can handle and we don’t know how to say no. We pile one thing on top of the other, making our lives more complex, creating more distractions, overthinking, over preparing and stress. We do this all in the name of our students, so it is impossible to stop. We are incapable of not doing our best for our students, even if it is to the detriment of ourselves.
I ask you, what would it be like to just do things as simply as possible?
To be able to do this, we have to get control of one thing and that is our mind. By spending a short amount of time calming our minds, we can and will let go of the things in our work life that are not serving us. It doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. Here are some simple tips for getting started:
Start with just a few minutes a day: You don't have to dedicate hours to mindfulness practice. Start with just a few minutes each day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable.
Find a quiet space: Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed. This could be a spare classroom, an empty office, or even your car.
Focus on your breath: Focus your attention on your breath, paying attention to the sensations of each inhale and exhale.
Notice your thoughts: As thoughts arise, simply notice them and then gently redirect your attention back to your breath.
Practice gratitude: Take a few moments each day to reflect on the things you're grateful for. This can help shift your focus away from stress and negativity and towards positivity and gratitude.
