Are You Showing Up Well For Your Students?

I wrote a post recently with ideas for creating school environments that are supportive and help students "show up well" and ready to learn. A positive school and classroom culture can help overcome some of the negatives in a student's life that may be impacting their emotional and educational well-being.

In the post, I also mentioned that adults who work in schools must also work at "showing up well." We have to take care of ourselves and each other to have the type of supportive environment that we all need.

Teaching is stressful. In fact, teaching seems to be among the most stressful professions in America. A 2014 Gallup Poll found that nearly half of all teachers reported high levels of stress from the previous day. It was the most stressful profession in the study, slightly ahead of doctors and nurses in terms of reported stress.

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Stress takes a significant toll on the individual, but it certainly impacts our effectiveness as educators, too. If teachers are feeling high levels of stress or are otherwise emotionally drained, it is not possible to show up well and meet the needs of students.

So why are teachers feeling so stressed? There are a variety of factors. Heavy workloads, challenging student behaviors, lack of autonomy and voice, and high stakes assessments might be a few reasons. Some of the factors are completely out of the control of educators. And some of the factors are just inherent in working with kids. It's awesome to work with kids, but stressful at the same time.

Everything we do is about making life better for others! Never leading scorers...we love the ASSISTS! #KidsDeserveIt pic.twitter.com/WdV5s5Thmi

— Salome Thomas-EL (@Principal_EL) August 6, 2016

There is an important truth in this quote from Salome Thomas-El. We can't always control the weight of our load. We have to look for ways to find the strength we need to show up well and be our very best. Our #KidsDeserveIt!!!

If you are struggling to show up well in your classroom, it can result in anger, resentment, frustration, depression, and other hurtful emotions. Actually, these emotions will probably show up from your students, too. As educators, what we model is typically what we get. 

Here are some ideas on resilience for teachers and taking care of your own mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. I'm not great at all of these, that's for sure. But I recognize their importance and how they help me to be my best when I do have success in these areas.

1. Focus on your purpose and the meaning in your work.

A recent Edutopia article explained how stress in itself is not necessarily bad. Stress tends to be negative when it doesn't seem like it is meaningful. I'm reminded of the pain mothers endure in child birth, and yet it is worth it (so I am told) because of the miraculous value of bringing a child into the world and being a mother. In fact, moms often willingly do it all over again. The deep meaning of the experience must make it worth the pain.

2. Recognize you are making a difference.

This letter posted by Danny Steele on his blog really captures the commitment and dedication of teachers. You are making a difference. 

3. Build a support system at work.

We need people at work who believe in us and who inspire us. Surround yourself with people who energize you. Stay away from energy vampires, who might suck the life out of your day.

4. Develop a support system away from work.

Beyond work, we also need healthy relationships that strengthen us. It's tough to do life alone, and we all need to rely on others. If you are struggling to find your support system, try to be that person for someone else. Giving to others is a great way to find people who can also lift you up.

5. Learn to say no.

Focus on the things that are most essential to your mission and purpose. Being busy isn't a happiness killer in itself. But when you are too busy doing things that you aren't even passionate about, that's a sure recipe for burnout.

6. Make spiritual wellness a top priority.

My spiritual life is important to me. I need to nurture my relationship with God and rely on him for guidance if I'm going to show up well and be my best for my students. 

7. Relieve stress by exercising.

When I feel stress or anxiety building throughout the week, a long run does wonders to help me relax. There are so many bad habits we can turn to as a stress reliever. But exercise is good for you and helps ease the stress.

8. Eat well.

I really struggle to eat well. I love fast food, pizza, and ice cream. But when I am eating too much of the wrong stuff, I can tell it impacts my ability to be my best overall.

9. Set boundaries.

Healthy people don't let others run over them. They set boundaries and they communicate their thoughts and feelings to others. A lack of boundaries will eventually lead to simmering resentment or angry outbursts. Ask for what you want. But also listen to others and respect their boundaries. 

10. Practice being grateful.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful things you can do for your emotional health. Be honest with yourself about your struggles, but also be always grateful. There are blessings in each day and even our difficult circumstances have the power to make us better if we choose to grow.

11. Forgive yourself and others.

Let go of things that are in the past. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves. As educators, we have to be willing to forgive. Bitterness is a heavy burden to carry.

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12. Remain always hopeful.

If you're like me, you don't want anything to feel like it's out of your control. You desire a sense of security and predictability. But life doesn't work that way, and the only way to have peace is to give up on worry and live in the present moment. Our worries tend to live in the past or in the future. Hope is believing good things are possible and headed our way. In the mean time, we must live in the current moment.

13. Have fun!!! Enjoy the journey.

Last Friday, I had a lip sync battle at lunch with one of our other teachers. It was for a good cause. We were raising money for Care to Learn, a charity that helps students in need. But it also helps me to not take myself too seriously. I like to joke around and make laughter a part of each day.

Lip sync battle for Care to Learn! #goliberators pic.twitter.com/8k5oa8iHIc

— Liberator Counselors (@LibCounselors) November 4, 2016

14. Keep learning and growing.

Whatever problem you may be facing, you have the power to do something if you are willing to learn and keep growing. I don't feel as stressed when I feel like I can learn from my difficulties. I view challenges as opportunities for growth, instead of stress inducing burdens.

15. Take risks.

One of the biggest regrets people have is playing it too safe. If you really want to get the most out of life you have to be bold and take risks. 

Question: How are you working to "show up well" for your students? How are you managing stress as an educator? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on or .

One More Reason to Use Social Media in Your School

In an earlier post, I shared 7 Reasons To Use Social Media In Your School. The post outlines some of the biggest reasons to use social media as an educator. Never before have people been able to connect, share, and learn from one another the way we do now. Email is becoming less prevalent while social media platforms are becoming stronger even for professional communications. I've been thinking about one other reason to use social media, but before I get to that, I want to share 8 ideas your might want to try to incorporate social media into the life of your school. I included links to lots of examples and resources in this post. I hope you find them helpful.

1. Tell your story

More and more schools are using Twitter or Facebook, and even Instagram and SnapChat to share positive moments and student successes. Social media is a great way to connect with your community and showcase the great things happening in your school.

2. Share information

Social media can be a great way to share your monthly newsletter or an upcoming event, like parent open house or the school musical. Canva is a great tool to create social media images to use to promote different events.

3. Student takes over the school Twitter for a day or even a week

We've done this a handful of times, and it's been a fun thing to do. We just ask a responsible student if they would like to tweet out their day through the school account. We make some announcements leading up to it and give them some ideas of things to tweet about. It's a good way to encourage student voice and build trust with students. 

4. Snow day chat

Last year we didn't have many snow days at all. In fact, it was an extremely mild winter. But two years ago, we had a really fun snow day chat with lots of students and teachers participating. We joked around some, but we also discussed some important topics like helping friends overcome challenges. Just because we're not at school doesn't mean we can't connect and learn. And students joined in just for the experience. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that I said school would be canceled again the next day if we had 100 participants. :)

5. Teachers tweet out from other teachers' classrooms

We did instructional rounds using Twitter to share out the great stuff happening in classrooms. Teachers were invited to visit other classrooms on their conference period. The idea was to tweet out the great things happening and really lift each other up and make learning visible. If a teacher preferred not to have visitors, they just posted a note outside of their classroom. 

6. Social media kindness campaign

Last year our Character Council partnered with several other CharacterPlus schools to do a social media campaign to promote kindness and acceptance. The students in the group wrote positive messages on sticky notes and placed them on every desk in the school. When students arrived at school, everyone had a positive message. Students were asked to tweet out the messages using #StartsWithUs.

7.Twitter scavenger hunt

We had a couple of Twitter scavenger hunts, one for faculty and one for incoming freshmen. They are great team builders, but you can also use them to accomplish tasks in a fun way. For instance, one of the faculty challenges involved learning about different Twitter chats.

8. Play games

Sometimes we use Twitter to give away prizes or play games during Spirit Week or any other time we want to spice things up. We had a mystery teacher game where we tweeted out clues about a teacher and students had to guess who it was.

9. Host a Twitter party

We haven't done this...yet. But we are planning something similar. Jennifer Hogan shared this idea on her blog. It's a great way to introduce newbies to Twitter and encourage teachers to use social media. It really looks like a lot of fun. For all the details, check out Jennifer's post: Kickstart your school's social media use with a Twitter party.

The opportunities for using Twitter or other social media platforms are really endless. It's a great way to build community, generate school spirit, and promote creativity and whimsy.

But I also wanted to share one more important reason to use social media with your students. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I believe in sharing what students are learning on social media for this reason: I believe what students are learning is important enough to share with the world. It matters. 

Students deserve to have their learning celebrated. Tell your students the quality work they produce deserves to be shared beyond the school walls. It's a great message to emphasize that learning isn't just for the classroom. It should be shared widely.

Question: What ways are you using social media in your classroom or school? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on or .

9 Ways to Help Your Students Show Up Well

Every teacher wants students to "show up well" to their classroom. It means students are mentally, physically, emotionally, and otherwise ready to learn. We know that doesn't always happen, because life happens. Kids are dealing with real issues and problems and brokenness just like every other person on the planet. Some students have most of their needs met and rarely struggle to show up well. For others, it's a constant battle.

No matter if the challenges are big or small, every student who walks through our doors has a unique story. It's a story that may impact their ability to learn. And if we don't seek to understand what's going on in their lives, we are missing an important part of the profession. We aren't just teaching curriculum. We are teaching kids first, and we have to understand their needs.

 

We also have to create environments that help students to show up well, even when all of their basic needs might not be met. A positive school culture can help overcome the challenges a student may face. A positive classroom culture can do the same. If we want to build stronger, more respectful learning communities, invest in the lives of students and never miss a chance to brighten their day. That's helping them show up well!

Every student in your school needs to feel physically and emotionally safe. They need to feel a sense of belonging. They need to feel people care about them as individuals, that they matter, that they have dignity. Every student needs to feel respected and supported. When a school or classroom has a positive culture, it creates a secure feeling so students can be fully present and ready to learn, even when stuff outside of school might be really tough.

Here are some ideas everyone can use to help students in your school show up well:

1. Greet students, learn names, give high fives and fist bumps. Say hello to each person you meet in the hallway.

2. Get to know your students as people. Ask them about their hobbies, their weekend, or just about anything. Eat lunch with them.

3. Always protect each student's dignity. Show great care and concern. Give respect even when it's not returned.

4. Notice how your students are feeling. Make it safe for them to express their feelings to you without judgment. Ask them if they are okay? Check on them.

5. Smile. Joke around. Use humor to lighten another person's load. Laughter makes life better and even more bearable.

6. Meet a need. Provide a snack or a jacket or a pencil. If you can't meet the need, find someone who can.

7. Encourage and praise. Use your words to inspire and lift up. See the spark of genius in each student.

8. Have high expectations. You can do it. I believe in you. I've seen you overcome this before. You can do it again.

9. Listen with empathy and try to understand. Approach that hurtful comment, behavior, or action with curiosity to understand the child better.

We all want our students to show up well, and together we can create environments to help them do just that. But we also need to work at showing up well ourselves. Educators are human too, and life can be rough on us as well. Never neglect your own self-care. The teachers I've met throughout the years are some of the most selfless people I've ever known. But if you aren't taking care of you, it will result in resentment, fatigue, and poor emotional health. Our students need us to show up well, too. So take the time to care for yourself and develop a strong support system for your own well-being.

How will you help your students show up well in your classroom and school? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on or .