Heading 1NDMTSS Conference
Description
Teachers have always needed to know and practice protective strategies in their social emotional first aid kits to manage the daily stressors of working on the front lines of a human-service oriented profession. That need has never been greater given the massive increase in uncertainty and unpredictability in the teaching profession and in one's personal life due to COVID.
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In short, teaching is emotional labor-- the effort required to manage and metabolize strong emotions like anger, shame, guilt, anxiety, and overwhelm, as well as generate and stoke positive emotions like joy, hope, and compassion.
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Stress significantly diminishes a teacher's capacity to regulate their negative emotions and cultivate positive emotions. Ironically, teachers who leave the profession often cite their inability to cope with their own emotional reactions to loss of control, unpredictability, and lack of purpose in their teaching as the primary reason for burnout.
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There are many, many strategies and practices rooted in cognitive and affective neuroscience and social and behavioral sciences that teachers can learn, practice, and integrate into their personal and professional lives as teachers to metabolize stress, manage negative energy, protect themselves from the burnout cycle, and find joy in teaching the whole year through!
Learning Objectives
In this session, teachers will:
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Explore the core elements of the teacher burnout cycle and learn how to protect one's self from the 2 paths to burning out,
"Recent brain research makes it clear-- the brain shuts down under pressure. Fear of failure, anxiety, strain and boredom block creative intelligence.
Creative thinking is linked, not with stress, strain and insecurity, but with good humor, playful attitudes and feelings of safety..."
(Creating the Teachable Moment, Stewart)
Description
The state and quality of a teacher's mental health directly impacts the state of a teacher's emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Our bodies respond to the thoughts we think, so if we are thinking stressful thoughts that are putting our minds and bodies into flight, freeze, or flee mode, we have no intellectual energy left over to think creative, compassionate, and positive thoughts.
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Teachers who know how to notice negative thought patterns, spot common and predictable stress-producing teacher thoughts, and re-frame anxiety and fear-based thinking exercise mental health because they know how to free their minds to be more pedagogically creative, innovative with their lesson plans, and playful in their instruction.
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Teacher behaviors in the classroom are believes (*thoughts that are thought over and over) made visible. A teacher's state of mental health truly is the base-line for creating classroom climates that are inspiring, productive, and joyful-- for both students and teachers!
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Learning Objectives
In this highly experiential learning session, teachers will:
MIND
BODY
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Learn the 4 fundamental elements of teacher mental health and healthy self-talk.
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Explore the top 10 "stress producing" thoughts/ beliefs of teachers.
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Learn about the origins of perfectionist thinking and how to re-frame self-critical thought patterns.
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Engage (2) mindfulness-based meditations for slowing the speed of thoughts, redirecting negative rumination, and resting in a quiet mind.
PRACTICE
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​Practice (2) strategies based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to combat overreacting and anxiety in teaching.
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Practice a 4 step process for challenging negative thinking and re-framing problematic thoughts to gain greater perspective and mental agility in the classroom setting.
Interested in this session?
Contact Jen to discuss how to customize this professional learning experience to meet your unique staff well-being needs and fit your professional development schedule:
jen.presentwellbeing@gmail.com
