iN REGARDS TO MY CHOSEN cstp AND SELF-reflected INQUIRy, WHAT WOULD i LIKE MY REALITY TO BE?
I would like to add in a mindfulness activity to my day where I can reflect or write about the day and my profession in one. Research shows that mindfulness can help teachers, and other professionals in high-stress careers decompress and vent out some of the pressures and frustrations we feel. However, many of the journals for professionals are not centered around social-emotional needs and from the research done on teachers and how high burnout is right now, we could really benefit from a tool like that.
HOW CAN i CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN WHERE i AM AND WHERE i WANT TO BE?
I would like to start journaling and writing more, as this practice was therapeutic for me in the past. I’ve found that there are many journals for different professions that tailor their prompts for the types of stressors that come with each profession, but for teachers, they more so lean on planning and organizing, rather than the social emotional needs we have, and the heightened sense of urgency we all feel in our day to day. In my work to journal more and the need for a teacher-specific emotional outlet, I designed a journal worksheet for teachers to do. As time is something that is very valuable to educators and generally in short supply, it was integral to keep the worksheet short and simple, while still addressing the stressors that keep me from falling asleep. I chose calming colors and organized it so it doesn't require much effort to finish.
What actions will you take to promote success for your historically underserved students?
There is certainly a need for more effort in reaching student demographics that are historically underserved. Just like educators who are feeling overwhelmed, our students also recognize this in us, and feel that stress as well. Taking care of ourselves and reaching our underserved students go hand-in-hand. When teachers are overworked, frustrated and reaching high levels of stress, it can cause burnout and an exit from the profession entirely. When you add on top that we are undeserving of specific demographics of our students, it can feel as though we are failing at our jobs.
When we take care of our social-emotional needs and take the breaks we need, we come back fresh and ready to help. It's important to recognize that when we aren't teaching at our highest selves, our students are reviewing the high level of instruction that they deserve. In my case, journaling and taking short breaks helps me recover my mental capacity and makes me a more engaged, organized educator. Students who are underserved need to be heard, need to have access to high quality academics and be supported with universal design, and differentiation.
15 Minute Reflection Journal for Educators
Click on the image of the journal (left) to navigate to a printable version.