Enriching the learning space while fostering a healthy mental, physical, and purposeful learning environment.
At the start of this school year I was met with that distinct classroom smell as I opened the door to my classroom. It was a combination of books, dry air, and the lingering water from the AC vents. My thoughts instantly spiraled: How do I get rid of that smell? Are the vents working? What’s my plan for filtering the air? Am I allowed to mandate masks? What are the latest COVID procedures for my specific school site? As educators we know that these thoughts aren’t just reserved for the back-to-school season, they can occur throughout the school year.
As someone who has worked in education for 10 years, I am overly familiar with how much goes on in both our classrooms and our lives as educators. I’ve found ways to keep my head while still fostering a healthy mental, physical, and purposeful learning environment.
How to Ground Yourself
Do you ever find yourself in a spiral of thoughts that become so heavy you don’t know how to stop? Or if you are able to stop those thoughts, it’s difficult knowing where to even start?
We are not just worried about our kids but their families, communities, district, and state mandates. Teachers walk around looking like Dr. Strange in Avengers Infinity War trying to anticipate and plan for every scenario that could take place. It is why many of our planners are piled with activities for our substitute even though we only called out for an hour. I admit to that.
We anticipate sometimes to our detriment. A Medical NewsToday article states that “anticipatory anxiety involves feeling high levels of anxiety about a future event or situation.” I have been known to reschedule important appointments because it’s more work and even more worry. I have spoken to many colleagues who also relate. But it’s not realistic to think we can control every situation.
If we can’t control everything, we should try to ground ourselves in what we can control. Our thoughts can lead the body to respond to these thoughts.
Ground yourself in your breath. In some instances, it may be the one thing you can control at the moment. Breathing can help to regulate your nervous system, especially when it’s kicked into the fight or flight mode caused by spiraling thoughts. When your body feels safe, you may recognize those negative emotions without judgment. You might find it beneficial to stop and think, “What do I need right now?”
Sometimes all I need in that moment is to read the opening bulletin with the latest up-to-date facts and procedures. Other times I rotate through these practices.
How to Practice Gratitude
Fill your bucket with happy moments. Anytime my Apple watch goes off and tells me to breathe, I use it as an opportunity to find things to be grateful for. That practice has helped me to see good in a difficult situation.
In my early days of teaching, I used to pride myself with having perfect bulletin boards, but I noticed that I would focus on the beautification of my room. Now, I have freedom from those thoughts, which created space for the positive moments to happen throughout the school day.
At some point after going down a negative spiral, you may recognize that you are still in a difficult situation, but choose to ground yourself in gratitude. When I think about returning to school, I am grateful for the safety procedures we have in place, I am thankful for the masks individuals wear for safety, I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to provide a learning space that is such a conduit for their social growth.
Put Yourself in Context to Others
Many teachers feel they are experiencing challenges within their educator circles, but our students are also facing similar challenges. Rather than thinking beyond ourselves, we may want to consider including ourselves in the narrative. We can see that as a community we are all experiencing change and embrace the practice of having empathy for one another’s situations. Having grace for others starts with the practice of having grace for ourselves.
How to Create Positive Affirmations
Teachers constantly encourage those around them, but I find that we sometimes need support. Affirmations do not disregard these difficult situations, but acknowledge them with a positive outlook. I sometimes write how I feel and ask what is the narrative that is driving these feelings. I ask what I need or want. Lastly, I list what I can control or do.
I say to myself, I know that this transition is difficult and it brings out overwhelming feelings but I know this will not be forever. I am doing my best to create a positive learning environment for me and my students.
Creating positive affirmations takes practice and although we teachers are good at providing constructive feedback, suggestions and advice, it might be difficult to do that for ourselves. I sometimes write my list in the third person when I am having difficulties seeing myself as that teacher. Try thinking of the person you want to be and write the things that that teacher would do.
“When a teacher is ___ and they may want to be ___. They can ___.”
How to Transition
Adding transitions into our routines can help bring a calm to our learning environments. Try lighting a candle to relax, make some tea, and binge watch your favorite show. We may need that same transition when we walk into our classrooms from the stress of sitting in traffic, the loud voices from recess playground, or higher levels of energy from PE to calmer levels.
Power yoga poses may change your mood or help you transition from the outdoor space to the indoor learning space. I have a traveling teacher friend who does not have a specific space, so her way to settle into her teaching space is to unroll a pack of colorful pens. That simple gesture helped her become ready.
Choose what’s right for you
Reprioritizing your “to do” list can help to ease the transition. I know social media is filled with images of beautiful classrooms, the newest borders, or amazon gadgets, but remember if you are stressed about how the class looks and judge yourself by comparing your classrooms, remember that the thought of needing the picture perfect classroom comes back to your mind and your body.
I’m not saying that you cannot have a beautiful classroom. We can remind ourselves that we are not perfect, we may have some grace for ourselves during this transition. Do what works for you.
I prioritize creating a peaceful and welcoming classroom environment, and believe when you put your values in the forefront you can find that your cup is full enough to do more!
Choose
I eventually take in a deep breath and bring my attention to calm. Again that distinct smell returned and although I have not smelt it all summer, it has become so faint that I don’t even acknowledge it. So for now, I take another deep breath and ground myself in the moment. I remind myself that I am grateful for the opportunity to be a curator of a safe and welcoming learning environment. I am proud to be of service to my young scholars and it is my purpose. Regardless of the challenges I’ve faced during this school year, I have met adversity in the past. I can do my best. I can do this. The last affirmations become a little bit more difficult to say, so I say it in third person.
You have everything you need. You are enough.
