Strength, Serenity, and Wisdom

Saturday, February 13, 2016

I'm published!!!

So I submitted an article to Elephant Journal and they accepted it!

Omgeeeeeeeeeee!!

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2016/02/6-ways-to-beat-the-winter-blues-bonus-recipe/

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Tattooed Lady

In celebration of my one year from the date I found I had cancer, February 5th, I had some permanent artwork done. :)

There it is, folks! I'm now a tattooed lady!

So now that I have it, I better get myself prepared to answer questions about it. I already know I'm going to start with: "Do you want the long answer or short answer?"

Short answer: The elephant became my mantra in a time of need because of its symbolism of strength, serenity, and wisdom. The pink represents my battle with breast cancer, during which I found that obstacles can be overcome with Acceptance, Gratitude and Healing. I wanted it placed in a spot where I could look at it everyday and remember the lessons I learned.

Long answer: Well...there's this blog. Start reading... :)

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Career Crisis

Superman has had to talk me off the ledge twice this week. Its only Tuesday...

January has always been rough on me. (Btw - Let's take a moment of silence to celebrate that January is now over!!) But this one has been really bad. Probably why I haven't written much this past month. Because, my brain:

I don't know if its because I survived cancer, or what, but now I'm hyper aware of sources of unhappiness and discord. I've spent considerable computer time googling career change possibilities and alternatives to teaching lately. I even checked out a career change book at the library.

Here some career possibilities I've come up with so far.

Professional panda cuddler http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/help-wanted-professional-panda-cuddler/
Music Copyist/Engraver/Preparer or Music Editor for a publishing company
Quit working and go back to school to extend my music education credentials to....not sure what.

pursue higher education. Ex - professor of....

Dog trainer or coordinator for therapy dogs that go into schools for literacy programs (kids reading to dogs!)
Writer (ha! Unrealistic. Let's go back to panda cuddler)

I've come to the conclusion that if someone would pay me to sit in a secluded area (with some pretty lamps, happy music, and coffee) and create music curriculum, lesson plans, and teaching materials for others, and occasionally let me out of my cage to interact with happy and excited students, that would be my dream job. I can't find any evidence that this job exists however.

I have found I'm pretty awesome at a couple things: 1. I'm super organized. 2. I can design the crap out of a music lesson (given time and resources).

I'm not awesome at these things: 1. Motivating students who don't want to be there 2. Being consistently interesting and entertaining 3. attracting respect and creating influential relationships.

Fortunately, today was a good day and I haven't drawn up my letter of resignation yet. But it has made me feel better to just sit down and look at my options. If I don't want to, I don't have to spend the rest of my working life being bullied by 13 year olds, which is what the past 3 weeks has felt like.

I've just really felt like, recently, that teaching is a very unnatural profession for me. I am sooooooo introverted. Teaching is constantly giving away your energy to others. It is so. emotionally. exhausting. And my bank is completely empty right now.

I've come across a couple articles on introverted teachers recently, and those have been really illuminating. This article expands on the idea of how introverted and extroverted teachers perceive their classroom differently.

http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/content/how-introverts-can-thrive-teachers

Reward and punishment

Standing in front of a full classroom can be particularly stressful for introverted teachers, who are quick to pick up on what Little refers to as “punishment cues”. “They will note the kid who’s rolling her eyes in the third row,” he says. “They will worry whether the material is too advanced for the kids or not advanced enough. They will monitor the sounds outside that are interfering with the progress of the kids near the window.”

Extroverted teachers, by contrast, are primarily drawn to what Little terms “reward cues”: the students who are excited or engaged. (He refers to this extrovert condition as “pronoia”: a delusional conviction that other people are plotting your well-being.) “They’ll look out and think, ‘They love me’,” he says. “They’ll be more likely to go on, oblivious to the sounds of projectile vomiting at the back of the class. Whereas the introverted teacher is aware of those sounds even before the vomiting kid.”

Um. that teacher that can't concentrate because a student is rolling their eyes or sighing discontentedly at their neighbor: That. Is. Me. I am super aware of unhappy students. And I beat myself up over it. Now that I know that exists, I think it helps me cope. But I don't think it will ever go away. I will be this way, always. So why do I keep punishing myself by staying loyal to this profession? Shouldn't I cut my losses and do something else? Allow myself to be happy?

Yea, this has been my brain recently. Not that I'm going to get up and leave my job anytime soon. But I'm allowed to think about it, and consider my options.

Sigh...

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Balance

January and February have always been my most difficult months. This year, so far, has proved no different.

October, November, and (most of) December were smashing successes! I found BaLaNcE. Working my proper duty day. Going to yoga regularly. Making time for walking. Drinking my water. Sleeping my proper sleeping hours. Happy Heather.

Recently, however, I've been dehydrated. I've been staying up too late. I haven't been walking and going to yoga as much. I've been overwhelmed at work with self-imposed to-do lists. My poops are not photogenic. I haven't been my happy self. I've been SOOO GRUMPY.

I know WHAT I want to blame this change on, but I'm refusing to say it out loud. I did declare to the world a few months ago that I would not be complaining about winter this year. HYGGE! So, yea, the temperatures dipped below 0-degrees Celsius this week. The moment I knew that I needed to take action was when I squealed furious noises in the garage when I was loading my car before work. I squeal noises all the time, but not furious ones that resemble bad words. Red flag.

I am out of balance!

So here's what I've done about it so far:
1. I gave myself the gift of time:
Took a day off work.
Got some extra sleep.
Went to a yoga class.
Catching up on some of that self-imposed to-do list, and erasing things that are not essential to the cause.

2. I bought a Himalayan Salt Lamp, with an old gift card I haven't used.
Why?
http://wellnessmama.com/23569/himalayan-salt-lamp-benefits/

3. I'm drinking hot water. There's a water cooler at school with a hot button. I've decided that every time I go to the office, take a cup of hot water. (I reject the common preference for ice in water. Even in the summer. Ice water! Yuck!)

4. Allow myself the permission to rest. Even though I need to continue going to the gym and go to yoga more, Chinese medicine says that winter is a time for rest:

The ancient Chinese believed that human beings should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on our health, replenish our energy and conserve our strength.

Winter is Yin in nature; it is inactive, cold, and damp. Remain introspective, restful, and consolidate your Qi through the season and prepare for the outburst of new life and energy in the spring.

5. Speaking of Yin, I bought my own copy of "The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga" by Bernie Clark. And the yoga class I attended today was entitled "Yin-Yang Flow". I've been researching different things in relation to resting during the winter, Yin, Yang, etc. Stress and illness is nature's way of telling you that you are out of balance. (evidently, I was out-of-balance in a very big way the past 10 years or so. #cancersurvivor)
http://zazenlife.com/2013/06/27/7-ways-to-balance-your-yin-and-yang-energies/

6. Some other things I want to research but haven't yet: Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Qi Gong. Don't know much about any of these things, but rest assured, I will use my mad research skillz to find out!

And on a concluding note - I ran on the treadmill yesterday. I hate running. But for some reason, yesterday I wanted to and needed to. It was weiiiiiird. Time to buy a lottery ticket.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Work Your Proper Duty Day, Phase 1

For a thing at work, I've been asked to write an essay "describing the innovations, inspirations, and impacts your teaching practices have on your students and the school community."

Naturally I thought - This is my platform for Work Your Proper Duty Day! YES!

So here's my essay. (And for the record, I can't take any credit whatsoever for the referenced youtube video. But I'm proud to be associated with the colleagues who are responsible!)

Impacts of Teaching Practices - Heather Reynolds 1-5-16 Work Your Proper Duty Day

I’ll start with a list of top 5 techniques I use that impact my teaching practices. I’ll conclude with some ideas on how I believe every teacher can directly impact their teaching effectiveness and unlock their greatest strengths.

1. Narrate Correct Behaviors. The day I started using this technique, the climate changed in my room. It shut down almost all opportunities for a student to argue with the teacher. Example: Jack is up out of his seat without permission. The teacher narrates the desired behavior: “Jack IS going directly to his seat.” 9 times out of 10, Jack proceeds directly to his seat. That other 1 out of 10 times, Jack’s situation is quickly resolved with the teacher commenting, “I’m agreeing with you”, followed by Jack owning up to his word and completing the desired action.

2. Do What I Say I’m Going To Do. I strive to never ever waver from my classroom management plan. No amount of arguing, deflecting, or crying will sway me from remaining true to my previously prescribed steps. The result: students follow directions the first time. In the event a student doesn’t follow directions, they revealed themselves as having CHOSEN to be a problem and it’s not a matter of miscommunication or confusion. This clarification is so important when moving forward past the issue.

3. Types of Praise. I subscribe to the philosophy of drawing attention to hard work and effort, not talent and intelligence. In fact, there is a book entitled “Talent is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin, which elaborates on the concept that 10 years or 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is what separates world-class performers from everybody else. This reminds me of the Growth Mindset model.

4. Give the option to go above and beyond. If you want students to shoot for the moon, you need to show them what’s beyond the ceiling. I’m usually prepared with activities on hand for those students ready to extend their learning or help others. My rubrics always have a category entitled “Exemplary” or “Exceeds”.

5. Frequent Self-Reflection. I never enter a lesson without a plan, and I rarely exit a lesson without reflecting on how that plan went. Aside from teacher reflection, frequent opportunities are offered for the students to reflect on their own learning, and also for them to give feedback on their experience. My ultimate goal: To be their Learning Facilitator. They are capable of teaching themselves and teaching others. I like to step back and let them do all the work!

In Conclusion. This final idea, I call: Work Your Proper Duty Day. Last spring, I was diagnosed with cancer. Totally random, no genetic predisposition, under the age of 35, no risk factors to speak of. For the first time in my teaching career, I was forced to put my needs first. My one and only task for 9 months: Stay Alive. I reflected on the previous 8 years of pouring my time and heart into my teaching career. I remember a time when my calendar looked like a pen had exploded all over it. My personal time was dominated by work. My summers were spent curriculum mapping (which I enjoy more than the average person). On the weekend, I would spend a 6+hour lesson planning session just to be prepared for the coming week. I would stay at work past 6pm most days organizing, copying, documenting, collaborating, prepping, communicating, labeling, etc. Back to not having any known cancer risk factors, I now believe I actually did have one big risk factor: STRESS. Repeated, unending, year-after-year stress.

[Cue Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdpwMv648ls Inspiring Excellence Music Video.]

The politicians these days are giving education less but demanding more. All of the teachers who love their students and [Inspiring Excellence] work harder, longer, faster, higher, and louder.

If [Every Grownup] worked our proper duty day, putting 100% into teaching [Every Child] during our contracted work hours, do you realize how quickly it would become obvious how LITTLE we have been given to achieve [our hope and dream for every child we see]? Not only are teachers teaching, but we are, and with pride, filling the role of ALL THE THINGS: counseling, police enforcing, IT support, fashion consulting, paperwork, entertaining, volunteering, nursing, advising, managing, mediating, fundraising, etc.

This approach is allowing our politicians to think that this is the bar. And we wonder why there's a health epidemic in our country?

After my cancer treatments ended, and my schedule and energy returned to normalcy, I decided to continue a different form of “treatment”. Start on time/Leave on time. Be more active. Frequent yoga classes. Take my dogs for walks. Read more books, FOR FUN. Spend more time with my family. Sleep more. Eat better. It’s amazing how prioritizing eliminated tasks from my self-imposed to-do list that were unnecessary and not at all essential to the mission. I found that I am (working less but) TEACHING BETTER and MORE EFFICIENTLY. I am fulfilling my own needs, and more able to meet the needs of my students, with a clear head and focused purpose. (And improved health!!!! #cancerfree)

The politicians aren't yet giving education more resources because my Work Your Proper Duty Day campaign has about 2 followers. But maybe after today, I'll get the opportunity to gain some more. [Every Grown-up. Every Child. Every Day…. in KCK…. We do BELIEVE.] [Fade Music…]