Resilience

In part one I paraphrased a quote from Virginia Satir “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. It’s what we chose to do with it , that makes the difference.“ So, how serene are you? Do you ever have a feeling of equilibrium or a deep sense of contentment? (mind you I have not in the past few months!!) What events – and more importantly thoughts – disturb your equilibrium? Are you able to find peace in the chaos? Have you had a situation in the past where you have just accepted things as they are and worked with that situation as it evolved? Do you listen to intuition or hunches…

I found this fantastic quote and thought ‘wow’! “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.“       Virginia Satir Of course! But often it’s the most obvious things that we lose sight of in this age of super uncertainty, fear and stress. These last two years has been one of tumultuous personal change and fear for most people. I think that’s why this quote had such an impact on me. There is an element of acceptance or surrender that is necessary for us to flow with the tidal waves of life as opposed to the struggle involved in battling the…

This is the second part of Gabbie Stroud’s summary of a recent webinar she delivered titled “How Am I Going to Last the Year? Survival Hacks for Teachers”. Hack seven: Get professional help If you’ve found yourself wishing for ‘a touch of Covid’ so you could have a week off work, your head’s not in a great place (even though it’s an understandable thought).  See a psychologist to talk through your feelings.  A psychologist is better than a friend because they can offer objective opinions, possible solutions and you don’t have to listen to their problems! It can be hard to get in to see a professional but it’s worth the effort.  Start by seeing your doctor and requesting a…

If you’re already feeling burnt out, demoralised and exhausted (and it’s not even Term 2), you must remember that ‘it’s not you’ or something you did or didn’t do.  The education system is currently overloaded and expecting more from teachers that can ever be delivered. It’s not you – it’s the system! This is a two part summary of Gabbie’s recent webinar titled “How Am I Going to Last the Year? Survival Hacks for Teachers”. Remember also that this advice is ‘teacher to teacher’ and is not based on research but on Gabbie’s lived experience of trying to survive the last two years of her teaching career. Hack One: Have a “work binge” Pick a night or a couple of…