Do you ever feel like there are so many changes in a day that you can’t keep up? Have behavior management issues got you feeling like you are freaking out? At the end of a day can you think of ways you would have handled a situation differently if you hadn’t let your nerves get the best of you?
We once worked with a young teacher who was fond of using the following phrases when things wouldn’t go as planned with her students, the schedule, or her lessons:
“I’m freaking out” she would say to her colleagues when there were abrupt schedule changes.
“Don’t freak out” she would say to herself when behavior management issues arose.
“I am definitely going to freak out if…” she would say when considering what she would do if her lesson bombed in the classroom.
The ironic thing was that this young teacher was very capable and was an excellent problem solver once she calmed down and moved past her initial “freaking out” instinct.
What she learned, that can be a lesson to all teachers, was that what she really needed to do was recognize her use of the word “freak” as a trigger to “solution seek.”
Like that young teacher, you too can follow these steps to move from “freaking” to “solution-seeking:”
- Every time you feel yourself saying, thinking, or feeling that you are “freaking out,” recognize this as a trigger for a mindset change.
- Stop, take a deep breath, and re-evaluate the situation.
- Say to yourself, “Don’t freak. Solution seek.”
- Start considering possible solutions to your dilemma. To determine what solutions you can seek, consider the following:
- What aspects of the situation do you have control of?
- What aspects of the situation do you not have control of?
- What steps can you take immediately that will lead you to a desired response?
- Take one actionable step to start working toward a solution.
- Continue to work toward the solution until it has been reached.
By recognizing the word “freak” as a trigger, your awareness of your own reaction and emotions will be heightened. By participating in the mental act of solution-seeking, you no longer have the time or energy to freak, as you are focused on the solution and how to attain it.
The teacher we worked with found this method to be extremely effective. Every time she felt that she was freaking, she stopped herself and told herself, “Don’t freak-solution seek.” She was thrilled with the results. She became more calm and in control of her emotions in front of her students. She was able to find solutions that she was not be able to find when she was too busy letting her anxiety get the best of her. She found that the phrase “Don’t freak- solution seek” had many applications beyond the classroom in her daily life and in her interactions with fellow teachers.
Do you ever find yourself in the same situation as the novice teacher? Could your students benefit more from a level-headed solution-seeking teacher than a teacher who is freaking?
Don’t freak. Solution seek.
These four simple words can alter the course of an interaction, a lesson, or a school day.
Who knows…maybe your students could even benefit from using this phrase in the classroom? Maybe this is the motto for your next team meeting? The possibilities are endless when you choose to seek solutions.
Wishing you calmer days and clearer solutions,
Paula and Michele
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