When I think about it, the above questions come to mind.
Family dinners, reunions, work meetings, coaching conversations… the list goes on and on.
Gatherings, often a hub for small talk.
The bringing together of people can produce a variety of emotions. Some are predictable, others not.
Similar to designing professional learning or lesson planning, the intentionality that occurs before the gathering is just as important as the event itself.
As you think about your upcoming gatherings, personal and professional, take a moment to consider the purpose of your gathering. Is it to eat turkey and see family, connect, share updates and check-in, or revisit timelines and project updates?
Priya Parker reminds us that the right question has the power to help people see each other with fresh eyes, to navigate a conversation beyond small talk, and create an opportunity to continue learning about one another while expanding an authentic connection.
What would happen if you prioritized a collective conversation where you shared your “crucible moments” instead of small talk? Parker defines crucible moments as moments that changed us and made us who we are, “Share a moment in your life that changed how you viewed the world…”
Looking back, I’d love to know how my grandmother would have answered that prompt…
The power of an intentional question…something worth chewing on this season.
It was 4 am on Thursday and I was awoken by a real cry from my 3-year-old. Those of you with infant and toddler experience know what I mean when I say a real cry. Andy got up first and went into her room to try and calm her. When the normal approaches didn’t soothe, I got up and went in to assist-also unsuccessfully. She was holding her neck and cringing in pain. From 4 am to 9 am we continued to assess the situation.
Did she have a freak accident and get bitten by a Black Widow? Did she get whiplashed yesterday and we didn’t know it? Is she playing us?
Unaligned.
We can’t always predict it, articulate the specific pain point, or what the root cause is, but wow, we can feel it.
Luckily, in most cases, we can realign, but it takes grappling with the discomfort first.
This week, I encourage you to spend some time scanning. Both your physical self as well as your roles and interactions within the organization. Where are you feeling solid and strong? What’s feeling pressured, slightly uncomfortable, or unclear?
The worst thing you can do when you are out of alignment is ignore it. Prioritize engaging in stretches literally and figuratively. Take some preventive actions to maintain the elements that are working, and respond to the areas that may need attention.
As a leader, this may mean providing a space to scan and check in with your team. What’s working? Where is additional support or clarification needed?
Facilitators, what actions can you take to ensure you are in alignment when bridging our organizational goals, values, and content to your partner’s context?
Coaches, how are you ensuring you are in alignment with your coachees and leaders? When you talk about engagement and expectations, does their definition match yours? When we say improvement what will that look like and sound like?
The crisp morning air, pumpkins lining the walkways, the ghosts, and goblins swaying in the evening breeze, the complimenting aromas of pumpkin spice and apple crisp. We’ve officially arrived, fall.
Alisha, an author of Girls Night In, recently shared her feelings for this time of year. “ I feel excited and overwhelmed. I feel overwhelmed because I want to do ALL the Big Fall activities, like apple picking or leaf peeping. Realistically, I don’t do any of these, probably because of said overwhelm.” These feelings and emotions are relatable for me, and maybe for you too.
I yearn for the fall transition, but with it comes the overwhelm of our family’s birthday season, holidays, and the pressure to get ahead even though I’m already behind.
One approach Alisha shared was instead of leaning into the overwhelm, embrace the “little fall things” and savor the good, small stuff. A TBS of pumpkin in your morning smoothie, noticing the crackling of the leaves as you walk over them, hanging up one of your favorite decorations, etc.
I found this advice to be valuable not only for the current seasonal transitions but also in our professional space. The feelings of overwhelm and excitement are familiar. If we focus on the “little things” the overwhelm may feel less intense. Over time, multiple little things will add up to big accomplishments and transitions.
As you embark on the next week, take a moment to identify a few “ little things” that you can lean into and appreciate.
The entryway was long and constructed with red bricks. The walls were bare, almost as if it were an intentional build-up. The smell was distinct, yet indescribable. At the end of what seemed like a mile, you came to the two metal doors. I recall not being quite strong enough to push them open, yet tall enough to peer in through the fingerprinted class as I waited for someone with more strength to open my access.
If you went straight, you entered the adult section. If you turned left, you entered my favorite space. There was a long table down the center of the room, and underneath it were square stools of different colors. I loved sitting on them. The walls were covered with art, illustrations, and new additions.
The public library.
It’s where my love for storytelling came to fruition.
Storytelling has the potential to be a nostalgic memory for many. A sacred time we crave like sugary cereal.
A time that unintentionally influences our imagination, what we believe, and who we aspire to be. What’s odd to me is how often this powerful experience falls out of our routine. It’s like carrying a child. We just stop doing it one day without actually thinking about it. It’s kind of sad to think about.
Storytelling.
It fosters self-awareness, social awareness, relationships, empathy, and has the power to influence the decisions we may or may not make. These are all characteristics that help cultivate skills and environments that advance students’ learning and development, according to CASEL Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Pretty powerful. When engaging in group storytelling, we allow for choice in what we share and how vulnerable we want to be.
This week, I invite you to think about how and when you will reignite the power of storytelling. If you are wondering how to begin your stories, or create an invitation for storytelling check out the prompts from Elena Aguilar below:
After reading an excerpt or passage: What does this idea raise for you?
Tell me about a challenging moment, insert timeframe or location, when you learned a lot.
What season is most like you? Why?
Tell me about someone in your life who is really important to you.
Tell me a story about what you were like when you were the same age as the students you teach.
When you were 5 or 10 years old, what did you want to be? Why did or didn’t that change?
Do you ever hit that moment in the day where all you can think about is locking yourself in the bathroom?
I do…a lot.
While the bathroom serves many functions in our homes, the one I didn’t anticipate was a space for me. Space where I can take 5 minutes to reset, escape the chaos, view something online, or quite honestly, sip my wine or coffee (depending on the time of day) and practice deep breathing. Why 5 minutes? Because it’s long enough to reset, could be a reasonable time to be using the facility, but not long enough that people start questioning where you are.
5 Minutes.
This is a place to bookmark, a place where you can escape reality and take a few minutes to put everything on the other side of the door and focus on person #1, you. This is a place for the ambitious educator who wants more. The educator who is exhausted but finds energy in continued thinking. We’re all working on overload. There isn’t the time or access to attend a million workshops, add 52 new meetings to your calendar, or read an entire book. However, you can find 5 minutes.
5 Minutes.
The period is intentional. Every week, I’ll email you a post. 5 minutes of something worth your time. The only two requirements I am giving myself are that the content must connect to education and the entire post will only require 5 minutes. That’s it, hence the period.
The air is frosty and it’s questionable if the peeking sun will hangout for the day, or if the typical Michigan gray skies will take over. It doesn’t matter. The air is filled with the aroma of fresh ground coffee beans and apple pie cooling on the stovetop.
Should we put the turkey in now? Or wait another hour?
The annual debate begins in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the sound of cousins giggling as they steal Nana’s famous rolls fills my heart and reminds me that this is what I’ve been missing. It’s been since March since we have been together in person.
It’s Thanksgiving Eve, 2020, and is still a dream. While family is in Michigan we are still in Reno.
Life is hard.
It’s the holidays and there is a global pandemic. The majority of us want nothing more than to live the dream.
Yesterday, I was clearing my head with a quick spin when the screen saver on my computer popped up:
Gratitude helps you fall in love with the life you already have.
I’m torn between wanting to lie in bed and cry over what should have been, and finding gratitude in what have.
Life isn’t perfect, the plans we make don’t always come true. However, we get to debate this,and that in and of itself is something to be thankful for.
Many of us aren’t living our dreams this year, but I encourage you to start or end your day with a gratitude practice. It helps reframe your thinking and as the quote states, it helps you fall in love with the life you have. I decided to do this each morning with the following structure:
Andy: my first cup of coffee this morning and initiating our Christmas card photo
Cooper: his response to Nana’s question: What does I want get you? Noofiing!
Josie: independently walking down the hallway
Personal: spinning
Professional: meaningful feedback from this week’s coaching conversations
Why am I calling out specifics?
Because life is hard… and sometimes my frustrations from one aspect come out in another.
It’s important to identify the good all around us and fall in love with the life we have.
The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. – Ernest Hemingway
Gosh, that sounds so simple…
The other day I was processing challenges during Covid, with an administrator and she brought up trust.
Trust is always hard to establish.
However, with distance learning, individuals‘ choices regarding health precautions, and limited availability to use evidence to validate our assumptions (positive or negative), it’s more challenging to establish trust than in the past.
Harder to establish, yet, more important than ever.
We are operating in a time that requires making decisions based on our levels of trust in systems, structures, and individuals. Trusting our schools to take every precaution necessary to ensure our students have limited exposure. Trusting our families to be open and honest about their exposures. Trusting our students to sit at the screen when all we see is a blacked-out box. Trusting our communities to enforce best practices regarding social distancing. Trusting that our teachers are receiving the support they need to best support their students…the list is never-ending…
This is emotionally taxing.
We know from lived experiences that it takes time to establish trust. While some feel like they have more time than ever on their hands, others are feeling the complete opposite.
So, what can we do?
Don’t forget the importance of relationship building and human connections. We need this.
Invest in establishing trust and adapting systems and structures. Remember Voltaire’s aphorism, don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good...take action now.
Sometimes the most important conversations are the most difficult to engage in. – Jeanne Phillips
Rather than waiting to ensure trust is established, I recommend taking action now. Douglas Stone, author of Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most, said “Often we go through an entire conversation– or indeed an entire relationship– without ever realizing that each of us is paying attention to different things, that our views are based on different information.”
Gain Clarity
Start by being open and honest. If you’re concerned, questioning, or want to align expectations do it.
Unfortunately, we have to have these conversations, but I value you/our relationship enough to have them…I’d like to discuss…
Explain the why
I want to talk about X. This is important to me/our students/teachers/you because…
Articulate the impact
Doing X is concerning/meaningful because…
Validate (this doesn’t mean you have to agree)
I get…It must be…
Give thanks
Unfortunately, we are living in a time where we find ourselves having conversations around X. I appreciate it.
In closing, I reminded the administrator that lack of clarity often creates chaos and frustration. These conversations may or may not change one’s actions, however, they provide you with additional information to better assess your level of trust.
My mind is the hamster running on a wheel at all hours of the day.
What’s the first thing on my calendar today? Is breakfast ready? Did someone prep snacks? Did that agenda get sent out? What time was the dog last out? I need to remember to order that birthday gift. Oh, and groceries need to be ordered tomorrow night so I can make that meal I planned. Should we have your mom up for dinner? When’s the last time the baby’s diaper was changed? I wanted to revisit our argument from last night… I need to send out that Zoom link. What was that article I wanted to lookup? Should I spin now or tonight?
On…and on…and on…
Seriously. I’d be the worst at meditating! My mind NEVER stops wondering.
Peloton. There are a million and one reasons to rave about it…but let’s not go there.
Aditi Shah: 5 min Basics on Mindfulness.
This session changed my perspective on meditation and continually helps me to navigate my offmoments. In 5 minutes, I took away 4 characteristics of mindfulness meditation from Aditi.
Mindfulness meditation comes from an old tradition, Vipassana. Vipassana is the ability to see things clearly by focusing on and learning more about our inner life.
Mindfulness means purposefully paying attention in the present moment.
The purpose of mindfulness meditation is to start noticing our thoughts, feelings, where we may be hiding pain, etc. without getting swept away by them.
Two wings make up mindfulness. 1) Recognition (noticing). 2) Being non-judgmental (accepting). Typically, we notice or feel something and try to justify why we feel that way, create a story rationalizing the feelings, or even just “pretend” that feeling isn’t there.
I’m more aware of my anxious feelings. Anxiousness about heights, getting on airplanes, overnights without my kids, going into the grocery store, and so forth. I continually feel the need to justify these feelings, and more times than not, I say it’s my mom anxiety.
If you notice your mind wandering, it’s ok. You’re not going to get in trouble. Notice it, acknowledge it, and bring yourself back to the current moment. It’s normal for your mind to wander...
Phew. My mind was already wondering…thinking about how I was only 2 minutes into this session and that I was already off-task…
Be gentle with yourself. Notice where your mind went and begin again.
Aditi explains that in mindful meditation you have an anchor. It’s the focus of the session, what you come back to. This could be your breath, a part of your body, your emotions, or thoughts. Whatever you are focusing on, it’s what you come back to when you get distracted. When you get back to your anchor, take a minute and soak in the goodness you feel, and start again.
I would argue most of us have experienced new feelings in the past few months. Some good, some bad, and some we can’t quite articulate.
After listening to Aditi, I tried applying this skill to my daily routine. Starting with identifying my anchor. I spent a week trying to identify patterns in my behaviors. What do I come back to each time my mind wandered off somewhere other than where it needed to be? Where did I go when I was experiencing feelings of fear, or when I couldn’t seem to bring myself out of bed. My kids. Regardless, of what I was thinking, feeling, or experiencing when I gave myself permission “take 5 with my kids” everything felt alright in the world.
I noticed an attraction to their smiles, their hugs, their immediate asks of Mom, done working for the day? Off calls? They calmed me, amid a tantrum. Cooper and Josie ground me in my why, making sure what I do today provides a better tomorrow for them. They are my anchor.
I can’t help but think about the importance of mindfulness right now.
Rather than trying to avoid or bury our thoughts, feelings, and pain in the present moment, I think we should all try to recognize our feelings and emotions in a non-judgemental manner. Identify the thoughts and feelings then come back to your anchor and start again.
I received the following statement from a client this week: This probably isn’t surprising, but we are treading lightly with our very over-taxed staff.
This is a global trend. While educators want to focus and support everyone, we must encourage, and provide space, for personal mindfulness.
What’s your anchor? How are you providing yourself moments to make sure you are connected to it?
The cling wrap was nearly melted to the pink styrofoam tray filled with the dozen freshly baked cinnamon rolls and the price, written on the cling wrap in marker, was smearing from the warmth. Uncle Joe’s Grand Marquee was barely in park as my sisters unloaded out of the car and raced to grab their favorite Adirondack rocking chair on the front porch. The coffee was done percolating, the waves crashing up against the rocks, and the wind blowing from the west. We were on our annual month-long stay at the cabin in the Upper Peninsula and just returned from our early morning ritual, a trip the IGA with Uncle Joe. Typically, Dad and Uncle Jerry would be taking the poles down to the boat, however, the westward wind meant fishing would be delayed. I’m not sure how long it had been, but when Megan came back to grab the cinnamon rolls it was clear she was annoyed with me.
There I was. Sitting in the middle of the backseat with my nose in a book. Something everyone used to comment on.
I’m not sure why, but I still remember the book, Whatever Happened to Janie by Caroline B Cooney. This book… Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, A Wrinkle in Time, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Giver, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ann Frank, Walk Two Moons, Flowers in the Attic, Tuesday’s with Morrie...
I remember reading each of these books. I absolutely loved them.
I may not be able to tell you the characters in each of them, the author, or possibly even the plot, but each of them will forever be meaningful to me.
These titles feel like I should have read each of them a hundred times, I mean 20 some years later I can still rattle them off. That’s not the case. In fact, I read these books only once.
What if I reread them and hated them? It would crush me. Yes, I can barely tell you anything about these books, but they must have been something I needed at the exact time I read them. To reread them and ruin these nominal memories is terrifying to me.
If you have nothing better to do, you’re reading this post on July 10th, 2020. It’s been exactly one year since we returned back to Reno, NV from our 10-month long Adventure in Amsterdam.
I remember deleting my iPhone photos and packing all the empty camera cards I own. Questioning if this would be enough space. As I open the photos on my phone today, I have 8,060…yep, that’s not counting the several 100 others in Dropbox.
1,000s of pictures captured so many incredible memories of our 10 months abroad… and very few have been opened up since our return. Several months passed with the My Goals section of my daily planner being filled in with Amsterdam photo book. The hardcopy of Adventures in Amsterdam carries a similar fear as those childhood books from the U.P.
I hate moving a goal from one week to the next, never making any progress on it. Unfortunately, this book became one of those, so one week it just dropped off. It never made it to the next week and my goal vanished.
It’s been a few days anticipating putting words to a page. Constructing this post in my mind and then deleting it all. Questioning if anyone will even read it. I decided it doesn’t matter…
We moved our bedroom around this weekend to better accommodate our second home office…thanks Covid-19. I’m now sitting at a white desk facing a wall, working on two monitors, listening to two sound machines replicate the sound of moving water as our kids struggle to nap.
I don’t experience Deja Vu often, but it just happened. I can vividly picture the nude lady who used to hang above our Dutch desk, beside me the accordion windows open…allowing the ripples of the canal to lap over one another as the boats passed by.
My Dutch workspace tucked back in the corner
Most nap times were spent at that desk. Grappling with the next blog post or the unfinished paragraph in the book yet to be completed.
Returning from Amsterdam was exciting, that is after the 26 hours of travel…getting stuck in Dallas due to a staffing issue, and then a lightning storm.
Coop being a champ, sleeping on the floor of the plane from AMS to DFW
26 hours later we landed in Reno…Coop didn’t hit his breaking point until baggage claim
I felt claustrophobic for the first few weeks. Driving my car, something I desired every time it rained in Amsterdam, now felt like I was fighting a perpetual rat race. Summer construction, ugh why did it take so long to get across town and why do I need to go to 5 stores to get everything I need?
As with most things in life, we adjusted. Pre-ordering groceries, backfilling our freezer in the garage, living social interaction to social interaction, and forgetting the joy the morning park plays brought to Cooper. Afternoon Borrel, who has time for that? It was back to up and at’em and out the door.
98 days after moving back to Reno, we welcomed Josephine Marie Van Dellen to our family. She wanted to make her presence known initially, kicking off life with more waking hours than either Andy or I had ever experienced. Luckily for us, she is the happiest and most independent baby. Completing our family with each and every roll. I always tell her that her rolls are memories of all the delicious coffees and cakes Cooper and I exposed her to in Amsterdam!
Josephine Marie Van Dellen: 8 months
Sadly, Amsterdam quickly felt like the blink of an eye or maybe a vacation rather than nearly a year of our life. Andy and I always talk about the elements we want to keep alive and the values acquired that we want to instill in our family. Lots of conversing prereturn and less intentionality post-return.
In true fashion, March 2020 rolled in like a lion. Cooper turned two and then Covid hit. Transforming all our lives in what felt like 24 hours. We suddenly found ourselves back in the life we had in Amsterdam…living in near isolation with the now four of us.
Cooper’s 2nd birthday
As we navigate the rollercoaster of social distancing, working from home, no daycare, and summer travel being put on hold, we continue to seek the silver linings in similarities to life in Amsterdam. Take a look:
Starting our mornings slowly and prioritizing family breakfasts.
Lots of walks and bike rides less focused on the destination of the walk and more focused on connecting with each other and making observations with the kiddos.
Clearly all the biking rubbed off on Coop
Writing off entire days just to honor our personal needs.
Taking true lunch breaks and soaking up some sun while doing so.
Afternoon Borrels consisting of cocktails and coffees.
Staying up late to write and work on passion projects.
Unlocking the previously locked cabinets so the kids can explore.
Creating the park in our front yard and finding joy laughing with Cooper and Josie.
Andy building Cooper and Josie their own climbing wall
These may seem simple. What we learned in Amsterdam, when done daily, they become a part of your values. You quickly realize back in the US, we live to work. Life is so much more enjoyable when we follow the European mindset and work to live.
The week before we moved back, Patagonia went above and beyond to express their gratitude to Andy. As we sat for one of our final Borrels with Herve, a coworker, we were commenting about all the send off’s, they were giving us being too much. I’ll never forget the conversation …Herve, in his stern French accent, said, “Nothing is too much when you care.”
For years Andy and I talked about quitting our jobs and moving to Europe. Fortunately, this experience allowed our dream to become a reality. Patagonia is the culprit that allowed me to take the risk I’d been dreaming of… becoming an independent consultant.
Ironically, this summer Andy was furloughed by Patagonia. That in and of itself has raised a lot of reflections, emotions, and questions. Within a week Ryan, Andy’s boss in Amsterdam called to check in on us. After hanging up the phone Andy and I were both awestruck that Ryan had referred to Josie as Josie. Regardless of if he’d written it down from her birth announcement, or remembered it, his call showed Andy and our family were important.
Raakhee and Arjen, my Amsterdam partners in crime continue to What’s App us, send packages, and call. My girlfriends and I, here, frequently text how we’d love to catch up but are waiting for “enough time.” Raakhee on the other hand, calls me from the toilet. Why? Because regardless of how and when it happens, our connection is important. I’m trying to “be more Raakhee.”
Forever grateful for these two, Raakhee and Arjen
I miss Hema and their insanely adorable children’s clothes. Patrick’s fresh flowers. Cafes. European Travel. Loading my bike up with more groceries than safe. Stopping for gelato on the way to mail a letter. Wasted mornings watching the trains and boats go by. Biking in the pouring rain. Interrupting Andy at work and finding ourselves still at the office an hour later as they pass the kiddos around and make coffees. The simple joy of pressing the elevator button. Warm bread loaves and 25 cent croissants. Staying up too late drinking and playing Rummy. The simplicity of hanging our laundry up to dry just to watch Cooper pull it down a million times. The clerk at Odin who tried to teach me a new Dutch word every week. The falafel guys, their endless samples, and peek-a-boo games with Cooper. Our cheese man. The “mini-van” (aka my bike)…
Completing the Amsterdam Adventure photobook feels fearful for all the “what’s gone” emotions that will come up. With each daily flashback, I’m working on following Dr. Suess’s advice “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
Amsterdam was the biggest risk our family has taken, so far. Without it, so many amazing memories and family values wouldn’t be dancing around in our minds and causing us to second guess “What are we doing?”
While there are many uncertainties at this time, and we often feel unsettled between wanting to be in Reno or back in Amsterdam, we often smile because it happened.
Supporters. Improvers of Instruction. Listeners. Partners. Reflectors. Leaders. Servers. Resource Gatherers. Providers of Professional Learning. Relationship Builders. Modelers. Analyzers. Goal Setters. Feedback Providers. Planners. Observers. Content Chameleons. Professionals. Communicators…the infinite list of hats Instructional Coaches wear.
Well, guess what? There’s a new title now: lifeline.
Our Current Reality
Covid-19 transformed our world overnight. The morning catch up at the copy machine is a thing of the past. The joy of welcoming students through the door with a high-five is gone. And, our happy place, within four classroom walls, disappeared for the foreseeable future.
It’s tempting to want to join others and curl up with a good book however, we have a job to do.
One Thing We Know
More than ever, educators, administrators, students, and families need us.
The Elevator Speech
Pre-Covid-19 you could ask an Instructional Coach to define their role and they’d struggle to articulate a succinct response. Ask an Instructional Coach today what their role is, and they may still struggle. We’re all struggling with the ambiguity of our ‘new’ roles in education, but we know that the end game is the same…supporting educators to continue increasing student achievement.
Lifelines are listeners. When the horn blows, they answer. They anticipate the rough waters and plan to navigate them. When overwhelmed, conflicted, eager to share, or searching for someone to process with, your lifeline is whom you call.
What We Know
Humans are relational. Our relationships matter. Amid our current reality, we must turn to our Social-Emotional Skills.
Typically, we think of lifelines as rescuers, carrying out the function to save. Instead, let’s think about lifelines when we need to keep contact with a person, like the connection between the mother ship and a diver. Lifelines should be there whether they are needed or not.
This is the function of your role.
Addressing the human element needs to be the priority in conversations. Below are some prompts you may use:
How are you?
What do you need right now?
These are essential prompts, during a time of heightened emotion and stress. While you might start every call with Hi, how are you? the prompt above sends the message that you care. It’s intentional.
Be open and honest with one another.
Have compassion.
Be a listening ear where judgment is unheard of.
What Does It Look Like to Create a Digital Connection?
While the most meaningful connections are in-person, suddenly we are experiencing a time when waving through the screen is the closest we get. It is time to get creative!
Here are some ideas:
Invite a colleague to a virtual coffee hour. Be the ear they needed to vent to, the smile they needed to see, or the thought partner they’ve been craving.
Be creative. How do we reestablish communities from isolation? #SpiritWeek? Optional virtual game nights? Zoom Happy Hour? Virtual Donuts and Discussions?
Include some humor in your virtual meetings. Consider Conference Call Bingo, Virtual Tours of workspaces or Play I Spy.
Last but not least, be sure people aren’t only hearing from you with a task request or deadline.
The Coaching World Just Changed Overnight
Teachers are faced with extreme circumstances and it looks different for everyone. Some may be in survival mode and need full access to their lifeline. Be there for them.
Others feel more confident with this shift but need some tips. If that’s the case, keep the lifeline visible, but loose.
Partner with administrators to understand what the expectations are for teachers. Be proactive in anticipating challenges they may encounter and think through them, providing small lifelines to distribute in advance.
Coaching.
Take a moment and refer back to the hats outlined in the initial paragraph. I know you. Your sitting here thinking:
I don’t have pre/post conversations scheduled etc.
Stop.
Don’t get caught up in models and structures.
Focus on being available, be a lifeline.
Ask yourself, How can I continue supporting individual and collective capacities? The context is irrelevant.
One of the most digestible ways to think about your role is through Jim Knight’s popular definition: a partnership.
Through the good, the bad and the ugly partners stick together. You can’t cut the diver loose. And let’s be honest, we’re all in this together.
Students Can’t Learn If…
The other day I heard someone say, Students can’t learn if they don’t feel seen, heard, and loved. Well, guess what? Those same students grow up to be the adults who need you right now.
Here are some ways to see, hear and love on our adults:
Send an email reminding your team that you are here for them. Remind them they may be out of sight, but they are not out of mind.
Collect their new “working hours.” Keep these in mind when responding to requests. If your contribution will hold others up from moving forward, make sure it’s in their inbox before their next “working hours.” Time is essential.
Continue to share resources. OpenEd Resources that will make their digital learning less stressful, a good read to escape reality with or some tools to maximize the new role of working from home while simultaneously parenting.
Without being a mental health expert, have some community resources in your pocket, just in case.
Share some borrowed YouTube Videos on setting up Teams, facilitating a Zoom meeting or any other resources that will make their digital teaching easier.
Whole Child
A term that’s not new. We know the value of ensuring each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
Whole Educator, another term that’s not new, but is less prominent. Add this term to your vernacular.
Educators like guidance. We like to know: what is happening, when, how we will get there and why it’s important. A lack of Pandemic planning makes this time unsettling.
There is no survival guide. It’s scary. It’s essential that we name our emotions, tackle processing them, and attempt to navigate our fears.
There are lots of hopes for what will come, but when that time comes, we will come back to friends and families who are suffering losses, students who have been removed from content for several months, and systems and structures that are being built as we are using them.
Unfortunately, we need to delicately dance between surviving this moment and thinking ahead. While we may be physically isolated, we can still increase our connection.
Here are some things to consider:
Schedule time with your administrator and counselor to start thinking about the “return” plan and how you can support it.
Bring the conversation to a virtual Leadership or Climate and Culture Committee, be proactive while you have the time!
Be solution-oriented, start thinking about strategies and systems that can support this transition, present them to leadership.
The Last Thing to Remember
First, take care of yourself so you can give your best to others. Experience your emotions, prioritize self-care, and engage in gratitude exercises. Just because your someone’s lifeline, doesn’t mean you don’t need one too.
Stay tuned for some tips and strategies for taking care of yourself in the next post.
