This post showed up in my Instagram feed a few weeks back (thanks to @busstopprophet for posting!)
My first thought as I read was…I LOVE THIS! As I reflected on it, however, I wondered if it was even possible. Every single moment?! Aren’t we running the risk of crossing into Toxic Positivity Territory? Anyway, it got me thinking about self-awareness and teaching. I’ll leave you with these five thoughts, and you can decide for yourself!
1. Understand the ways your emotions move you.
First, we are offered this charge: “Teach yourself”. The implication is that you have things to learn from and about your mind, body, and spirit, and that those things are fluid. Self-awareness is rooted in noticing the ways our bodies feel in certain situations. One of the ways that I grow this skill by taking time to actively listen to the ways with a “before and after” check. There tends to be quite a range throughout the typical school day, beginning with the serenity of the warmth of an early-morning beverage busily coursing its way to “the spot”. Mmmmmm! Then…as your first class enters, you send up the trusty quiet signal, and several students don’t get with the program right away. Can you place yourself into both of those places and imagine exactly how you feel and respond in each? What is likely to happen next? How does your body feel? As you visualize yourself in those scenarios, ask yourself: what is my expectation for the class in this situation? Have we put norms in place with copious practice beforehand so that the expectation is met? Is what I’m asking of my class even appropriate for my students, given its cultural, sensory, and neurodiverse makeup? That last question is beyond the scope of this writing, but it both bears mentioning, and is worth a deeper look. The more deeply you understand how you act and react in certain situations, the faster you build your self-awareness. An emotion journal helps you to recognize those moments by keeping track of your visualization work. In her book, Mindfulness for Teachers, author Patricia Jennings offers both guidance and examples of how to get started.
2. Anticipate before you escalate.
Next, we have the word “recognize”. One of the main reasons why self-awareness is crucial for teachers is that it lets us know right away when something is “off”. While this would be perfect to have in every teaching situation, certain things interfere, making that lofty goal a challenge. Let’s say…one of your kiddos is sick so you’re running on little sleep, you hit ‘snooze’ a couple times too many, and now you’re rushing so you don’t end up late for work. Even though you slide into the building just under the wire, you know that your whole day will be strange. The problem is that the kids know it, too. It’s like they have a sixth sense for our struggles, and any shred of negativity on our part is multiplied by the rising anxiety and/or general antsiness in your classroom. Next, you find that the little “itchy” moments which are easy to work through on a normal day are waaaay more of a challenge because you’re now trying to manage your energy level and emotions while simultaneously trying to navigate theirs. Pretty soon, probably right before lunch, you’re close to the breaking point. It’s at this point when teachers have horror stories of yelling uncontrollably, exacting then regretting unfair consequences, and/or breaking down in tears in front of the group. Knowing which scenarios and triggers cause your emotions to boil over is essential for preventing these situations from derailing your day. So, what would the perfect morning scenario be? The way you know it would be perfect is that you would feel amazing about it! Then, visualize (let them clearly in your head, almost like a video) and begin to keep track of those puzzle pieces (journal, jotting them in your plan book, whatever). You got to work early, everything was neat and organized…decide what “perfect” looks like for you and your classroom. Now you have something to compare to the above disaster. The baseline you set will give you a barometer by which you can assess where you are mentally and physically and begin to recognize those warning signs. By now, you’ve dug deep into Tish Jennings book, and you’re beast at keeping up with that emotion journal. Child A said this and Child B did that in response. Oh boy… I can feel my face flushing. Time to take action before I let things get the best of me!
3. Talk less, listen more.
Action? What action?! Did you hear that? The train is careening off the tracks! Not so fast. Your next move is critical. What medicine do I need? According to Oxford Languages English Dictionary, one of the uses of medicine is as “a compound or preparation used for the…prevention of disease”. If you’re like me, your class is in for a talking-to if their actions don’t align with your expectations. But, is that really the best answer? This is one of those moments when the old adage of building relationships and really knowing your students comes into play. What does your class really need right now? Are they overdue for a brain break? Is it really close to lunch and everyone’s running on empty? Or is there another reason why your group may just be a little talked out? Sometimes, medicine takes the pain completely away. I use nonverbal communication frequently in my classroom. I believe that all of us do both intentionally and unintentionally. If I notice that two students seated toward the back are struggling to maintain focus, I will simply walk and stand closer to them and make eye contact, usually assessing student need without words. Some teachers have a vocabulary of hand signals they use with their students communicate directions, redirections and student needs. Other times, medicine dulls the symptoms, but there is lingering discomfort. What if I were to move toward the students, and one of them stands up and yells, “Why are you walking over here? We weren’t doing anything!” And, of course, we always hope to avoid those moments where we take medicine and there are unexpected side effects (see the pre-lunch scenario described earlier). When it doubt, it’s hard to go wrong with a brain break!
4. Use mindful practices to keep emotions in check.
One of the ways to think about being mindful is to focus on the present. Dwelling on the past and/or worrying too much about future events can cause a lot of stress. Once we’ve recognized the medicine, we have to see it in every moment. Now that we’ve used visualization and we’re working on our emotion journals to learn why we behave the way we do when we’re hit with certain feelings, it’s time to learn mindfulness techniques. Self-awareness is knowing and understanding yourself deeply. Mindful practice is the way to get there. I speak about meditation in an earlier post, but there are many things you can incorporate into your daily routine that will help you grow your skills. The best part is…you can do them with your students! Start with breath exercises. Regular measured breathing helps to reduce stress and anxiety, while increasing our focus. Here is a fave that I use with my middle schoolers. I also keep the lights low and use sensory-friendly accent lighting. Lastly, discuss gratitude and put it into action. Allow your students space to reflect on what they are grateful for and on where that gratitude leads them to its best use in your school and in the greater community.
5. Fight the good fight.
This is the Holy Grail of self-awareness for teachers: know yourself and know your students so well that you can head off uncomfortable emotional situations in the classroom before they begin. This is a never-ending process. We will change, and so will our kids. While I am confident that the author of our quote is imploring for us to find healing and growth in every moment, I think that finding what best serves you and your students no matter what the day brings will serve you better.