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Recharge Your Battery, Recharge Your Soul Ep. 71

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Recharge Your Battery, Recharge Your Soul S. 5 Ep. 71

picture of a computer showing a drained battery, Recharge Your Battery, Recharge Your Soul

Listen to this episode to learn ways to recharge your battery and soul!

Episode Summary:

Have you ever felt emotionally and physically exhausted? Have you ever felt moments when you were completely drained of all energy and inspiration? We have! We all have those moments when our internal battery is running on or near empty. Just like your cell phone might glitch when the battery life is low, the same can be true when the battery of your soul runs low.

In this episode, we will explore how to identify when your internal battery is low, look at what drains your battery, find out how to recharge your battery and finally we will look at proactive steps we can all take to keep our passion charged.

In this episode:

As always, we share personal examples and stories in the podcast. For the full experience, please listen to the podcast.

Introduction:

When was the time you made a comment about a battery? If you’re anything like us it probably wasn’t too long ago, maybe even just minutes ago. We regularly say things like, “I need to charge my phone. The battery is running low” or “I need to charge my watch the battery picture has a line through it.” We might even say things like “The remote control isn’t working correctly, the battery must by dying.” Or “Can we wait to leave for just a few more minutes so my laptop can charge a bit more.”

Think of your passion for your life and work like a battery… Do you regularly talk about your internal battery? Think if you spent the same amount of time and energy on keeping the battery that is your passion and your soul charged, that you do on your phone battery? What would that look and feel like? Wow! That’s a thought.

Today we are going to explore how to identify when your life battery is getting low, how to identify your battery drainers, and explore strategies for how and when to recharge your battery, including how to charge up proactively and to supercharge your battery!

Look for signs that your life battery is running low

When our cell phone battery starts to get low, the visual reminder is there. The picture of the battery shows the percentage it is charged and it also switches to different colors, such as red when it gets low to draw our attention to it.

Our life battery does not have the same reminder and often gets overlooked in our busy day-to-day schedules.

When our cell phone battery gets low, it can get “glitchy.”   For example, it takes longer for an app to load or games don’t play as well.

Ask yourself:

What physical symptoms do I feel/display when my body or soul’s battery starts to get low?

For example, perhaps your neck gets tight, or you get migraines.

What emotional symptoms do I feel or display when my body or soul’s battery starts to get low?

For example, maybe you find yourself getting short with people  or things that normally don’t bother you start to bother you.

The next time you notice that you are experiencing any of these physical or emotional signs that your battery is getting drained, take notice. This is like the little battery picture telling you that is switching to red and needs to be charged.

Identify things that drain your battery 

Before we begin this brief section of the podcast where we discuss what drains your battery, we want to point out that not all things that drain your battery are bad. Even if you love something, too much of it can drain your battery…

For example, you might love to play a musical instrument or a sport. However, if you sign up for a competition that requires hours and hours of your time, it might just become a battery drainer.

Also, what drains your battery, may not be battery draining for another person.

Think about your last day or last week at home. Ask yourself, “Which of my daily responsibilities drain my battery/passion?” You know these things in your life, though you have likely not identified them as battery drainers.

For Paula, for years the car line to drop off her kids in the morning was a battery drainer. It was  extremely frustrating and it often drained her battery to the point that it regularly started her day off on a bad foot.

For Michele, city traffic is very draining. She gets frustrated when things are moving slowly or when drivers are irresponsible, cutting in, hitting the brakes, or honking at someone.

Find what recharges you

For our phones and devices, it is easy to identify what recharges them- plugging them in to an electricity source.

The human equivalent is REST.

This is another great time for self-reflection. In the same way  we reflected on what it looks and feels like when we are drained,  we can ask similar questions about rest. .

What physical  or emotional reactions do I feel or display when I am resting or recharging?

For Paula  the physical reaction is clear. Her shoulders drop down about 2 inches and the tightness in her face muscles relax. Emotionally, she is calmer and more patient. Reading, beaches, and long walks and talks with loved ones are her forms of rest and recharging.

For Michele, an introvert, recharging usually means finding quiet time for herself. Like Paula, she likes to be around water which helps her to be calmer and to think more clearly.

It is important to identify those things in our work and home life that recharge our battery and passion so that  we can make sure we are doing them!

What are those things for you? If you are stuck on this one, it might be helpful to break it down into two reflection questions:

What are the activities in which I most enjoy relaxing and recharging in my personal life?

What are the activities in which I most enjoy relaxing and recharging in my professional life?

Strategies for how and when to recharge your battery

A charging battery makes us think of renewal, resilience, and boundless energy. However, there needs to be a plan to recharge batteries or the renewal and rejuvenation won’t occur.

What if we recharged our battery as often as we recharge our phones? What would that look like?

Although it would be amazing, it is likely that you cannot spend as much time in a day thinking about and actually recharging your body and soul like you do for all of your different devices. However, it is important to look at the signs, physically and emotionally, that are shouting at you to charge up.

You need a plan. You need to be intentional. You need to identify how and when to charge.

When our cell phone battery is running low, we don’t wait for it to drain completely. We “charge up” when we have free time to prepare for long stretches away from the charger.

You might have a charger in your car, because  you know you might not always get home before you  need a charge.

We could, and should, be doing the same for the batteries of our soul. What could that look like for you?

Paula sings in my car with the radio on full blast on her way into work or driving to a particularly tough meeting. She particularly loves to belt out to ABBA! Or she listens to an audio book which does helps her to escape for a little bit.

Michele is not an ABBA fan, but she’s learned not to over schedule herself, even with fun activities or people. She needs need quiet time to read.

What fills your battery?  How could you fit in a bit more rest and recharging time into your day, even if it is just a few minutes in the car?

Ways to “supercharge” your batteries and restore your passion in short and effective bursts

Paula only buys the charging cords that give you a high level of boost in a very short amount of time. The same could be said for what we could do in our lives. Maybe you don’t have a week to sit on a beach and recharge your battery to 100%, however, a cup of coffee with a friend before work or a good laugh with the colleague down the hall can give you that nice little supercharge to your soul that you need to sustain you longer.

Consider activities you could do with colleagues or friends to supercharge your battery.  What fun things could you do with students? Is there a PD you want to explore? A short book you want to indulge in while riding the bus?

How can you prepare to space/time these activities accordingly so you can recharge before, or interspersed throughout, activities that drain your battery?

Recap:

Be aware. Be intentional. Listen to your body and your emotions. What drains you? What recharges you? Take that rest. Recharge in the way that best suits your life.

The ultimate goal is to avoid letting your charge get too low!

Quote:

We end with this quote from the wise and wonderful Oprah Winfrey.

“If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.”

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

The Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 16 Real Self Care

The Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 22 What’s Draining You? 

The Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 31 Finding More Joy

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

Finding Balance Between Work Life and Home Life E. 70

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Finding Balance Between Work Life and Home Life S. 5 E. 70scale with work life on one side and home life on the other, Finding balance between work life and home life

Listen to this episode to learn strategies for finding balance between your work life and home life. 

Show Notes:

Episode Summary:

We’ve all been too busy, too exhausted, and too overwhelmed to make the kind of difference we want to make for our students and still enjoy the rest of our lives.

School has a way of taking over your life. If you have struggled with overwork and exhaustion and are feeling like you are never good enough and will never get it all done, it might be time to take back your life.

We certainly don’t have all the answers. In this episode we’re talking about finding balance in our work and home lives. We’re going to tackle the real story about finding balance.

In this episode:

Finding balance- there is a loaded topic! It’s like the Holy Grail, if we could just find balance between work and home, everything would be so much better.

It is a constant push and pull. Sometimes school wins, sometimes home wins, and sometimes your personal needs win.

The real story is that finding balance is a misnomer. You probably won’t find balance.   However, there are some strategies that allow you to create a more balanced life.

How to create more balance and take back your life.

  1. Set boundaries.

You want to be responsive and helpful to students, colleagues and parents, but it can’t come at a cost of total lack of a personal life. You don’t need to be on call 24/7. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries for what you will and will not do.

  • Create a personal policy for returning parent phone calls and email.
  • Set a pleasant automatic response that tells others when you will return messages.
  • If parents or students are constantly texting you, reconsider giving out your phone number.
  • It is not part of your job to call a student every morning and wake him up for school. It is not part of your job to be awakened by a parent’s text at midnight- or to respond to it.
  1. Check your level of perfectionism.
  • If you have high standards and want to do everything perfectly, chances are it is causing you stress.
  • Perfection is not possible. There will always be a better lesson plan or a more perfect activity. A teacher’s work is never done, and the to-do list always exists.
  • If you like to have everything done and crossed off the list, you will be constantly frustrated.
  • Accept the fact that there are always things on the to-do list, but they don’t all have to be done
  • If you are exhausted, resentful and angry about how much you are working, look at your own expectations. Some things deserve 100% of your attention and skill. Other things might be just fine with B+ effort, or maybe even C+ effort. Spend your time on things that matter, and remember that sometimes, done is better than perfect.
  1. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Are you trying to keep up with the amazing teacher next door or the fun teacher on social media? Are you exhausted yet?

We each have our own gifts. There is something that you do that is unique and different from other teachers. Perhaps you give students amazing feedback. Perhaps you have a gift for making all students feel special. You might be the one whose jokes keeps kids engaged or the one whose passion for your subject inspires them.

Don’t try to copy other teachers. You can learn from them and borrow their teaching ideas or tools but recognize that you can teach in your own way.

Also, be cautious with social media; it is easy to compare yourself to influencers and come up short. Remember that you also have special things that you know and do.

  1. Start Your Day with Intention

The busier you are, the more you need to focus your time and energy on the things that are most important. When you have more things to do that time to do them, you need to prioritize where you put your attention.

Prioritizing is hard, especially when all the things feel important.

Without prioritizing what you do, your day easily gets hijacked.

If you don’t focus on what is most important, it is easy for others to make demands that seem like priorities in the moment but may not be your priorities.

Take a couple of minutes first thing every morning and list your top 3 priorities. Make sure those three things get done. That is a win.

  1. Focus on things you can influence.

Everything that bothers you is not within your circle of control. We can waste a lot of time and energy worrying about things that we can’t actually do anything about.

Look at your current situation. Identify which aspects of your situation you can control- and which you can’t. Then, let go of the things that stress you that you can’t control.

Identify the areas that you can control. These are the places where your actions can have an impact.

Pick one small thing you can control and do it.

Concentrating your efforts on small things that you can control helps you to realize that you can make a difference. Positive action increases our positive mindset and gives us a greater confidence in our abilities.

  1. Reduce stress by completing the stress cycle.

Many of the factors that contribute to stress are out of our control. There are things we can do to feel less stressed but most of those revolve around changing how we react to stress.

When we experience stressors-our body engages in a neurological and physiological shift.

You’ve felt the effects of stress on your body: increased heart rate, faster breathing, and heightened senses. Stress also messes with your digestive system, other organs, your immune system, and reproductive system.

Stress often stays with us, unless we do something to reduce the stress. That’s chronic stress, and it has many negative results including headache, anxiety, irritability, depression, insomnia, higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar, higher risk of heart attacks and even fertility issues.

All is not hopeless. Despite ongoing stress there are things we can do to complete the stress cycle so that our bodies can return to normal. We aren’t changing the stressors- just changing our reaction to the stress so that our bodies can let it go and reset to more normal pattens.

What can we do to complete the stress cycle? In the book Burnout, Emily and Amelia Nagoski suggest:

·      Do anything to help your body move and sweat.

·       Stand up and take a few big breaths.

·       Breathe deeply.

·      Engage in positive social interactions.

·       Laugh.

·       Show affection. Hug someone.

·      Cry.

·      Do something creative.

  1. Ask For Help

 Teachers often try to do it all. We fill our plates to the point of overflowing without the proper supports in place. Yet, even the knowledge that we are doing this to ourselves does not often stop it from happening again.

Consider that there are people who can help. They may be willing to share of their time, their talents, and resources.

As the old saying goes, “It never hurts to ask.  The worst they can do is say ‘no.”

Conclusion:

We want you to be here for the long haul. We need good, passionate, committed teachers. The danger of burn-out is real, as is the danger of losing good teachers to a less demanding profession. In order to continue to love your job, you need to find ways to rest, relax, and recharge. If things are feeling out of control, do what you can to take back your life. You might not be able to find balance, but you can create a more balanced life.

We have created a free resource to help busy teachers create balance. You can download the free guide/work book on the homepage of our website, inspiredtogetherteachers.com. 

Recap:

Finding balance between our work life and home life is a challenge. Learn to set boundaries, check your perfectionism and stop comparing yourself to others. Start your day with intention. You can also focus on things that you can control. Completing the stress cycle will reduce your stress, and you can ask for help. Chance you are won’t find balance, but with these strategies you can create more balance.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 6 Set Priorities to Take Back Your Life

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 7 Prevent, Eliminate and Reduce Stress

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 8 Choose Your Battles

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 11 Maximize Your Morning Routine 

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 16 Real Self Care

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

Our Best Summer Reading Suggestions Ep. 69

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Our Best Summer Reading Suggestions

S. 5 E. 69

person with sun hat reading on a beach, Our Best Summer Reading Suggestions

Listen to this episode to hear our best summer reading suggestions and find some good books to add to your summer reading list. 

Show notes:  

Episode Summary:

Calling all readers!  It is the beginning of summer, and we’re ready to head outdoors, drop into a comfy chair,  pour a big glass of iced tea and spend some time with a good book. When it comes to finding books, we’re always open to suggestions, so today we’ve decided to share some of our own suggestions. Grab a pencil and a notepad and get ready to write down some titles as we share some of our recent favorites.

Introduction:

Michele: I don’t think there is anything I love more than sitting on my patio on a nice summer day and getting lost in a good book. It is the perfect antidote to stress and the overwhelming to-do list that is so prevalent during the school year.

What about you Paula?

Paula: I couldn’t agree more. Reading is one of my favorite past-times and summer is the perfect time to indulge in a good book without the guilt I sometimes feel during the school year when I know there are papers to be graded and lessons to be planned.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to share some of our recent favorites.  For this discussion, we’re going to focus on fiction. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our favorite non-fiction titles.

A book every young woman should read: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

First up is a book we both read and loved: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

The title sounds like a textbook, but this is anything but. It is actually easy to read and funny at times, but it packs a punch.

Elizabeth Zott is the main character, a brilliant and inventive chemist in a time period where female scientists are not accepted. As she attempts to work in chemistry, she is treated with disrespect by her colleagues and delegated to tasks of a secretary and assistant. When offered a “more suitable role” in a television cooking show, she accepts.

When ensures is hardly your average cooking show as Elizabeth is out to teach more than cooking. Elizabeth isn’t a perfect character, but she stayed true to herself and found a unique support system to help her succeed despite the challenges.

This book has been turned into a series on Apple TV +. Whether or not you’ve seen the series, you will enjoy this book!

A classic book revisited: James by Percival Everett

This book is a retelling of Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the viewpoint of the runaway slave, Jim.  It has all of the adventure of traveling down the Mississippi River from Huck Finn and it is often funny.

Jim, we learn, is not illiterate and naïve, he is actually wise and perceptive. You’ll understand slavery in a whole new way after seeing the story through Jim’s eyes.  There is new perspective to the story of Huck and Tom and their adventures, and we are wiser for it. There is a lot of buzz around this book for winning a Pulitzer Prize.

Historical Fiction:  The Women by Kristen Hannah and Absolution by Alice McDermott

Paula: This story is about a group of women nurses serving in the Vietnam war.  Honestly, I hadn’t given any thought to women in this war, which is something I am a bit embarrassed to say. However, the book makes that exact point. No one really knows about the women who served our country in Vietnam. While it is a coming-of-age story about a young woman named “Frankie” in the 1960’s, it is also a unique portrayal of all that was happening in the political and social climate surrounding the Vietnam war. This captivating story is ultimately about a courageous young woman facing society’s expectations of women at that time and her experience of women as heroes not housewives. You will love Frankie, even in all of her brokenness and you will learn a lot about the political and social environment of the Vietnam War era. I have read a lot of Kristen Hannah and this is at the top of my favorites list.

Michele:  I haven’t read The Women, but it reminds me of another book I read this year, Absolution by Alice McDermott. Absolution takes place in Saigon in 1963. It is about a group of military and corporate officers’ wives and how they learn to fit into a new culture while also maintaining their role as spouses of important men. They are outsiders, very sheltered and protected, but want to reach out and help the people in the city. I’ve never read a book from this perspective before.

This book brings up the humanitarian issues of the time. It makes us question whether we are really helping those we think we’re helping. I thought it was a fascinating book. If you’ve read The Women, this might make a great follow-up.

A good YA Book: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The this book was a National Book Award finalist, and Michael Printz Award Honor winner.

Paula: When I first picked up this young adult lit book, I was intrigued by the recommendation of New York Times bestselling author John Green on the cover. His recommendation said. “Thrilling, beautiful, and blisteringly smart. We Were Liars was utterly unforgettable.”

I had high expectations. About halfway in, I thought, “This is good and captivating, but unforgettable? Not so sure about that.”  However, when you get to that half way point, I encourage you to keep reading. It is unforgettable. I listened to this one on audio and finished the book on the way home after a meeting that went late. When I walked in the door, I had been sobbing so hard, my son looked at me and said, “Mom, are you okay? What happened at your meeting?”

Michele: I read this a few years ago, but liked it and it kept me guessing.  It is a great choice for those of you who like thrillers. You will either love or hate the ending.

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Time Travel: The Measure by Nikki Erlich and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Neither of us is a big science fiction or fantasy reader, but sometimes we really like these books. We have a couple in this category to share with you.

 The Measure by Nikki Erlich

Paula: The Measure was nominated for best science fiction book of 2022 and best debut novel by Good Reads Choice Awards.

How would your life change if you knew when it would end? Would you want to know if you had the opportunity to find out when you would die?

That is the premise of this book. I am not ruining anything by telling you, that the premise is that everyone on Earth over the age of 22 receives a mysterious box with a length of string that tells them the length of their life. The question is, would you want to open the box and find out how long your string is?

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Paula: This, like The Measure, is one of my favorite books of all time.

Basically, every moment we make choices that impact the rest of our lives. The premise of this book is that the main character has an opportunity to go into a library of sorts filled with endless volumes of books. Each book represents what her life would have looked like if she had made a different choice at any given time. She has the opportunity to explore these lives.

Good Reads description:

 “ Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?”

How intriguing is that?

A book series:  Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, The Comfort of Ghosts

Michele: I have loved series books since I was a kid and first read The Boxcar Children series. If you love series, I highly recommend the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.

It takes place between WW1 and WW2.  We meet Maisie as a young girl who is a servant. When her employers realize she is actually quite gifted, they mentor her. Eventually she becomes involved in both world wars and is a private investigator and a spy.

The book I am most excited to read this summer is The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear. It came out June 4th, and is the final book about Maisie Dobbs in a series of 18 books.

A book about Witches and history and magical realism: Weyward by Emilia Hart 

Paula: This book was recommended to me by two different friends so I knew I had to read it. Most of the story takes place in Weyward Cottage, the home of Kate’s great-aunt. It is a story about Altha, who is going through a witch trial in the 1600’s, Violet who is coming of age in the 1940s and Kate, their relative who is living through a crisis in 2019.

The book weaves together their stories of bravery, courage, compassion, and female resilience. If this gives you any idea of the book, the final lines include a quote about the connections between and among women being among the most transforming force on the planet.

Our last book, a generational family saga: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Michele:  I loved this book and didn’t want it to end, which is saying a lot because it is 715 pages.  It is a current best seller.

The book takes place in India, beginning in 1900. We meet our 12 -year- old protagonist, who is on her way to be married to a stranger she has never met. Then we follow her and her family through seventy some years. We meet her children and friends and the people in their community. We experience all of the heartbreak and sorrows of the years and also the joys.

I learned a lot about India and the Caste system that separates those of different social standing and different religions.

If you love a big, juicy book that allows you to really know the characters, I highly recommend this one. It is a commitment, but it is beautifully written.

Conclusion

We hope that our suggestions intrigued you to pick up a good book and spend some time relaxing and recharging this summer.

 Recap: As a quick recap- here are the titles we mentioned in this episode:

Please note, we have included affiliate book links in this post.  If you buy a book on Amazon through our link, we earn a small portion of the price at no extra cost to you. This allows us to pay for the costs of podcasting in order to keep our content free for you.

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Life Lessons from Beloved Children’s Book Characters Ep. 68

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Life Lessons from Beloved Children’s Book Characters  S. 5 Ep. 68

children's book covers, Life Lessons from Children's books

 

Listen to this episode to revisit some beloved children’s book characters and see what lessons they have to teach us!

Show Notes: 

Episode Summary:

We all love children’s books. Reading stories provides great lessons for our classrooms, but our most beloved storybook friends also have a few life lessons for us as teachers and adults. What do our favorite storybook characters have to teach us? Check out this episode to see if we reference your favorite children’s story character AND to see what important life lessons we can learn from these beloved fictional characters.

Introduction:

We love children’s books. Since you are a teacher, we are guessing you do too.

When we read these books, we escape to a new world. So do our students. We also use these books to help our students learn important life lessons. But as an adult, especially as a teacher, have you ever considered what your favorite characters have to teach you?  Well, as true book lovers we couldn’t resist that challenge.

Here are the life lessons we, as teachers and adults, can learn from our favorite children’s book characters:

Ramona from the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary
Life Lesson: Assume that others have the best intention, even if they are making things difficult for you.

Ramona often finds herself in trouble, but she doesn’t mean to be a mischief maker. Like many children, Ramona is impulsive and inventive, a combination that can lead to trouble. She really does have good intentions though the receivers of her actions often don’t feel that way.

This is how Ramona describes herself:  “My name is Ramona. I’m nine and three months, and no matter what my sister Beezus tells you, I’m not a pest. My dad says I just having overactive imagination, which does come in handy. It makes the fun parts funner and the scary parts scarier.”

There is a lot we can learn from Ramona. Remember when your students get into trouble that they rarely mean to cause harm. Remember when your family members annoy you that they are probably doing the best they can in the moment with what they have. The same can be true for co-workers and administrators.

Alexander from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Life Lesson: Some days are going to be awful but tomorrow will be better.

You all likely remember that Alexander is having a bad day. Chances are, you are going to have a bad day, all teachers do. You may want to run away to Australia, but know that tomorrow will be better.

The book ends with this quote: “It’s been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia.”

On your way home from work, or before you lay your head down for the night, you might think that it’s been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. We’ve all been there. Many times. We all need to remember that some days are just like that…even in the schools with more resources, the families with more financial means, or whatever looks better than the place or space in which you experienced your bad day.

Lily from Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Life Lesson: Disagreements will happen but it is possible to make up and move on without holding a grudge.

In this well- known story, Lily and her teacher Mr. Slinger have a disagreement. You are going to have a disagreement with a student, with your significant other, your principal, your friend or your coworker. In the end, Lily and Mr. Slinger make up. They don’t hold a grudge, which is good advice for all teachers.

We love the simple way Kevin Henkes addressed this in the book. He said, “Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.” That is a mantra we could all live by.

Curious George from the series by H.A. and Margaret Rey
Life Lesson: Don’t lose your curiosity. Be curious in your life and work.

Curious George is curious! That is what makes him endearing. We love his inquisitiveness. This quote from The Complete Works of Curious George, reminds us about the power of curiosity, “Curiosity is a powerful thing. It can lead to great discoveries.”

Teachers should remember to encourage and love children who are inquisitive, even when they are adventurous “little monkeys” like George. We also should remember to hold on to that curiosity as adults. When did we lose that curiosity and what steps can we take to get it back? That is a question we should all be asking ourselves.

We love this quote from The Complete Works of Curious George, “Curiosity is a powerful thing. It can lead to great discoveries.”

Anne from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Life Lesson: Be an optimist and embrace each day as a new adventure.

Anne is an eternal optimist. She wears her heart on her “puffed sleeves.”  Most children are optimistic.  Teachers can follow their lead, embracing each new day and each new adventure as Anne does.

Consider this quote from Anne, “It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will”. It doesn’t get more optimistic than that.

Then there’s this quote about embracing each day as a new adventure, “When I left Queen’s my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla.”

Wow! Imagine how our lives would be different if we looked at challenges this way.

Flat Stanley from Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Life Lesson: Resilience and Explore New Things/Places

When a bulletin board falls on him and he becomes flat, Stanley doesn’t despair. He adjusts! He is resilient and makes the most of his situation. Teachers, and all adults, will always have days when things don’t go as planned. Like Stanley, we need to be flexible and pick ourselves up and move on. We also can take life’s bumps as an opportunity to learn more things.

How many Flat Stanleys have traveled the world because they could be packed up in envelopes and shipped to family and friends?

Consider this quote from the book: “Stanley enjoyed going in and out of rooms by sliding through the crack at the bottom of the door.” Flat Stanley was definitely resilient, making the most of his situation. Because of that Flat Stanley is probably the best-known world traveling book character. How cool is that?

What life lessons have you learned from children’s book characters?  We would love to hear your ideas in the comments section!

Conclusion:

To quote author George Orwell, “The best books… are those that tell you what you know already.”

The information we shared with you today is not anything that you didn’t already know. In fact, we hope this trip down memory lane, helped you reconnect with book characters that you already know and love. We hope it helped you remember the important life lessons we can learn from these beloved characters.

At Inspired Together Teachers, our motto is “Work life. Home life. Best life.” We appreciate that these book characters help us learn how to accomplish that lofty but necessary goal.

Recap:

 Our most beloved storybook friends have a few life lessons for us as adults and teachers. Today we revisited some of our favorite children’s story characters and explored the important life lessons we can learn from these beloved fictional characters- assume the best intention in others (thanks, Ramona), some days will be difficult but tomorrow will be better (great reminder, Alexander), move on from disagreements without a grudge (per Lily), be curious (good advice from that little monkey, George), be an optimistic adventurer (thanks Anne with an E), and be a resilient explorer (per our flat friend Stanley).

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Books are tagged in the show notes above. If you purchase a book through our link, we receive a small percentage of the total cost at no extra cost for you. This allows us to pay for the production costs of this podcast.

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Inspired Together Teachers Network Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Learning

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

 

 

Tips to Reduce The Tension of Teacher Transitions Ep. 67

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Tips to Reduc The Tension of Teacher Transitions  S. 5 E. 67

stressed teacher with help sign, Reduce the Tension of Teacher Transitions

 

Listen to this episode to learn strategies for surviving teacher transitions! 

Show Notes:

Episode Summary:

As teachers, transitions in our career are always happening. Some of these teacher transitions are voluntary and some are involuntary. Some are welcome and some are not. Learning to reduce the tension of  transitions can be a good lesson for all of us, no matter the time of the year or the place we are in our careers when the transition occurs.

Today, we explore common types of teach transitions as well as strategies we can use to reduce the tension that inevitably surrounds us as we make transitions. Whether your next transition is known to you, or is hiding around the corner waiting for the right moment to catch you off guard, you will definitely want to have these tension-reducing tips in your back pocket!

 In this episode:

The following show notes are a summary of the episode. In the discussion, we often add stories or examples. Listen to the podcast episode for the full discussion.

Introduction:

As teachers, we are always in flux. We continually have new colleagues, new students, new assignments, new….well you get it. The list goes on and on.

Teacher transitions often involve the unknown and the unknown can be scary. There can be a lot of tension and fear.

Let’s take a minute here and clarify one thing. In this episode we are talking about teacher transitions. We are not talking about the transitions that we help our students make between classes or between the classroom and the cafeteria. We do have a blog post about those types of transitions, titled Teacher Tricks for Triumphant Transitions, Today we are talking about the career transitions that teachers make on a regular basis. So let’s jump right in and explore types of transitions commonly experienced by teachers

Types of teacher transitions teachers commonly experience: 

Voluntary and involuntary transfers

Voluntary transfers occur when teachers choose to transition in their career. Maybe you’ve asked to teach at a different grade level or you have taken on more of an administrative role this year to see how you feel when you are out of the classroom. Even though voluntary transfers are sought out by the teacher making the transition, that doesn’t mean that they’re not scary and can leave a teacher feeling like they are far out of their comfort zone.

If you don’t know what an involuntary transfer is, consider yourself lucky. Involuntary transfers occur when a school district decides to transition a teacher to a different grade level or maybe even a different school based on student enrollment numbers or budgetary constraints. Involuntary transfers can be particularly difficult transitions for teachers to make because they often felt safe and comfortable and we weren’t ready to take on new roles, new responsibilities, or maybe even have to go to a different location to teach.

Moving to a different grade level

If you haven’t moved to a grade level other than the one you are currently teaching in, you probably know someone who has recently transitioned to a different grade level. Teachers transition between grade levels many times in their career. Some of the transitions are smooth, for instance if a teacher transfers from 2nd grade to 3rd grade in their current building on to a team where they are ready know all of the teachers well.

However, some grade level transitions can be much more difficult such as the case where a teacher who is certified to teach middle school and elementary, moves from teaching at the middle school to teaching lower elementary the next year. That is definitely a major transition when it comes to content, ways of teaching and behavior management, and the developmental stages of the kids.

New teaching teams

Teaching teams who have been together a long time start to feel almost like family. So when one person leaves the team and another one comes in, the transition can be very difficult. Whether it is the new person on the team feeling left out and like they don’t understand the inside jokes of the team, or it is the existing team members who are worried their new teammate won’t like them, this transition can often be difficult.

 Moving to a new school

Have you ever moved from one school to another? If you’ve made that transition you know how difficult it can be to pick up on all of the rules, nuances, and expectations of a new school. This can be especially true if you move at the beginning of a school year and are expected to teach all of this to your students when you haven’t even learned it yourself. It’s hard to be the new kid, which still stands true when you are the new teacher.

Moving to a new district

Moving from one district to another can be like moving from one planet to another. The transition can help any teacher realize how much they took for granted in their last district. Not all districts function the same in the transition from one district to another definitely can cause a lot of fear and anxiety for a teacher, even if the transition was one that the teacher wanted.

New careers in or out of teaching

Teachers definitely experience a time of transition as they move into the field of teaching or as they move out of the field of teaching. These are pretty major transitions so it can take teachers have while to get their feet on the ground. For example, imagine the teacher who transitions from teacher to administrator and then has to become the supervisor of their previous colleagues and peers. That can be a tough transition.

This quote from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sums up transitions well. “The transition was difficult. It’s hard to stop something that you’ve enjoyed and that has been very rewarding.”

Strategies for reducing the tensions of teach transitions:

Treat it like an adventure

Mindset matters. If you tell yourself the transition is like a jail sentence you will find things in your surroundings to confirm that. If you tell yourself it is like an adventure, you will find evidence in your new surroundings to confirm that too. Plan for the transition like you would an exciting trip- a safari into the unknown. What do you hope to see? To learn? To experience?

Make a “pros” list

If the transition is involuntary or a particularly large transition, you have probably already considered all the cons. This is our mind’s way of protecting us and keeping us safe, always looking for danger. But have you stopped to consider all the benefits? Make a list of the pros. You may be surprised at how quickly your list grows. Think about the new friends and colleagues you might meet. One positive outcome might be the opportunities you will get to play on your strengths that may not have been noticed before you made this transition.

Take action steps to ensure success in your new role

Instead of spending your time and energy worrying about the transition, repurpose that energy into action steps that will help you to be successful in the new roll you’re transitioning into. For example, if you are going into a new school or district introduce yourself to people before the first day of school. Switching to a new grade level? Read up on the content, pedagogy, skills, or knowledge that will help you to be more successful in that grade level. preparing for your new role will help you to reduce the stress about the transition.

Get yourself into a good place physically and mentally before making the transition

If you’re anything like us, and we’re guessing you are because you are human too, if you are feeling rested or happy, you can better handle the stresses that life throws your way. Because transitions involve so much unknown, the better you feel physically and emotionally, the better off you are, and the better you are able to approach the transition with optimism and energy.

Are you making a big transition soon? Try to get enough sleep, eat well, and have a few days of well-earned rest before you start. The optimism you bring to the transition, because you took care of yourself before the transition, will be noticed by others

We love this quote by Socrates, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new”.  That is what all of these strategies encourage you to do.

Don’t fight the transitions you encounter in teaching. See them as opportunities to build on the new.

Conclusion:

We wrap up today with these insights from author William Bridges who has studies and written about the differences between “changes” in our lives and “transitions”:

“It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. Change is not the same as transition. Change is situational: the new site, the new boss, the new team roles, the new policy. Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation. Change is external, transition is internal.”

When changes in your life and career occur, our hope for you is that you do the internal work and self-reflection of the transition. Using the strategies we suggested will help to ease the tension as you experience the many transitions of your teaching career.

Recap:

As teachers we are bound to face many transitions in our teaching careers. Whether these transitions are voluntary, involuntary, frequent or infrequent, how we prepare ourselves for these transitions makes all the difference in reducing our tension before and during the transition. By considering the transitions we are encountering as educators, and taking specific actions steps to reduce the tension during these transitions, we set ourselves up for success today and well into the future.

Quote:

“It’s hard to stop something that you’ve enjoyed and that has been very rewarding.” 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Children’s Picture book: First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Transitions: making the Most of Change by William Bridges 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Epsiode 7 Prevent, Eliminate or Reduce Stress

Inspired together Teachers blog:  Teacher Tricks for Triumphant Transitions,

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

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