You know that little (loud) voice in your head that tells you that your ideas are bad, that you aren’t good enough, that you’re not beautiful enough, that you don’t have enough… I not-so-fondly refer to that voice as my gremlin. That gremlin is only out to steal our joy, kill our dreams, and make us play small. Read on for some tips on taming your teacher gremlin:
How to Have More Time and Money as a Teacher
“Abundance” isn’t a word used a lot by teachers. In fact, the opposite phrase “not enough” is used by all of us probably a dozen or more times a day.
Not enough time.
Not enough money.
Not enough support.
Not enough resources.
Not enough sleep.
Not enough of me to go around.
And for 2020…Not enough PPE/space/ventilation/masks…you name it!
But here is the crazy thing: You will never have more time, money, support, resources etc. if you continue to tell yourself there isn’t enough. [Read more…]
Summer Reading for Wholehearted Teachers
Ahh summer. It’s a time for us teachers to rejuvenate, reflect, take time off, and just relax!! And it’s almost here!! I know a lot of you are in the last few weeks of your school year, teaching from home in this COVID-19 global pandemic era. Which is why I wanted to send on this little suggested summer reading list now before you peace out for summer.Trusting your Instinct as a Teacher
Do you ever find yourself writing and rewriting and re-rewriting an email to a colleague, parent, or your principal? Do you question yourself, doubt yourself, or feel unsure? Whether it is an instructional decision, a difficult conversation, or our own feelings – why is it so difficult for us to trust our instincts? [Read more…]
I Dropped the Ball
Don’t you just HATE dropping the ball? It literally makes. me. cringe. (I’ve told you I’m a recovering perfectionist, haven’t I?!) For me, dropping the ball is one of the most vulnerable things I can do. How do you drop the ball gracefully? (Is that even a thing?) [Read more…]
Best Wholehearted Teaching Reads of 2015
I love to read and this year has been a CRAZY BUSY reading year! I’ve read some of the most impactful books of my life this year, so I wanted to take the opportunity to share them with you!!
Living and Teaching With Purpose
Wholehearted living means living life on purpose fueled by your passion. What does living “on purpose” mean to you? Can you recall a time in your life when you felt “on purpose”?
Wholehearted teaching naturally means teaching with purpose. Let’s unpack this together.. [Read more…]
Fostering Your Learning Community
Most teachers by now are part of a professional learning community (PLC) – a community or team of teachers that encourage professional growth and reflection on your teaching practice. You may also be part of a professional learning network of your online colleagues from around the globe.
But have you ever thought about having a personal learning community? I submit that a personal learning community is just as important as your professional learning community. What is it, you ask? Let’s explore.
Teacher Gossip: Letting Go of What Others Think of You
Teacher gossip and judgement are rampant in some schools. I know because as I coach teachers from across the country, I hear these statements over and over :
- People will judge me for (fill in the blank) – leaving early, setting boundaries…
- I don’t want people to think I’m a (fill in the blank) – slacker, suck-up, pushover…
- I want people to see me as (fill in the blank) – an asset, superwoman or superman…
- I want people to like me
- I hate upsetting people
- I don’t want to make waves or cause a fuss
- I hate letting people down
What do these all have in common? They are other-oriented – focused on how others view you or what others think about you.
Other-orientation (focusing on others’ thoughts and feelings) makes you compassionate, empathetic, and caring. However, other-orientation can also be toxic. When these are the types of thoughts that control the decisions you make about your time, activities, priorities or attitudes, then who is in control of your life? That’s right…others. Ouch.
Not Good Enough To Teach
This post is part of my series on Wholehearted Teaching which provides some tips for tackling some of our greatest barriers to being “all in” with our calling as teachers. I previewed the series with a blog on self-compassion (the antidote to perfectionism), my last post was on modeling risk taking and learning from mistakes and failures (the antidote to fear of failure), and today we’ll tackle one of the biggest obstacles – the fear that we are not good enough to teach and that we are simply not enough for our students.
This is a silent killer of teacher’s souls. The thought lurks in the back of our brains. Sometimes never coming to the forefront of our thoughts, but silently wreaking havoc on our ability to be happy in our roles and with our performance as teachers. The truth is – it plays on our deepest fear – that we wouldn’t be good enough at the one thing we care most about – making a difference for our students. [Read more…]