Effort Even at the End

Watch starting at minute 24 and listen for about 60 seconds. The whole speech is worth a listen if you have 30 minutes. But if you don't, simply focus on minute 24. His message at minute 24  has had me thinking about the end of the school year and our effort.

Jay Shetty shares in his speech at Princeton that we should take a day and write down the things that took effort from that day. He asks us to note something that took energy, courage, and discipline. He asks us to forget what gets us praised and simply focus on effort.

As we wrap up the last week and get ready to close out the year, stop and think about what you have accomplished today that took effort. Jay's list included things such as, getting out of bed and staying calm in a difficult conversation. Small effort is still effort. Our effort matters. Our effort counts.

I am keeping this short and sweet. I encourage you to watch the video and take time to reflect. You've got this! 

 

Mindful Intention to Focus on Wins and Release the Rest

Last week we talked about the stress of the end of the year and ensuring we do not allow down time-clown time for our students.

This week lets talk about being intentional with ourselves at the end of the year.

On the website, cognitivecardiomath.com there is a list of 14 self-care tips for teachers. Reading them I can see where some as not as accessible as others. You cannot always take mini breaks, utilize your prep time for quiet time, and drink lots of water (because then someone has to cover you for the bathroom, all of your mini breaks will be bathroom stops). There were a couple however that stood out to me and I thought that we could explore them together.

To start with, very simply, begin each day with intent. 

When looking up the word intent you will find the definition filled with words such as; resolve, determination, and purpose.

Each day begin with a purpose. 

Each day begin with resolve.

Each day begin with determination.

Be determined to make the day the best day. Have a resolve to accomplish something productive. Set a purpose for the day.

The year may be ending but our effort does not have to end as well.

We can start each day with the intent to be calm. Resolve to do your own mindfulness. Center your brain, body, and feelings.

As you go about your day you can do self check-ins, asking yourself if you are making the most of day. Check in and ensure that you have a sense of purpose and a determination to fulfil that purpose. 

After having a day full of intent we can wrap up with an End of the Day "Wins" List. 

I liked this idea because I felt that it was a great way to bookend our day. We start with intent and end with our wins. It's basically the most mindful day you could have. 😉

Doing a wins list is similar to having an end of the day gratitude list. Studies show that gratitude lists help us be happier, have a more positive outlook, and seek out positive opportunities. Having a wins list, I believe, could be the same. 

At the end of the days that seem long, challenging, and stressful sit and find a win or two. Perhaps that one student who is always loud had a quieter day. Maybe students offered to help clean. Take time to notice what is a win, small things that are positive are just as much a win as big things that are positive. 

I hope that this week's small blog helps give you somethings to think about as we wrap up the year.

What is your intention for each day?

What were your daily wins?

Start and end your days the mindful way and see if it helps reduce stress.

Last but not least, take time to reflect and release.

Not everything will be positive in your day. Do not hold on. Reflect on what happened, how it could change, and what you will do next time. Then, release. 

Reflect and Release is another mindful way to utilize your time and energy. 

Intention

Wins List

Reflect and Release

School Year Wrap Up

 This time of year it is easy to become discouraged. You are tired. You are ready for the year to come to a close. You feel the energy of the students, the energy that says "good-bye, I've checked out." 

Take a minute to watch the video by Jay Shetty. I hope that his words help you realize you are still here and you are still going. 

"If it was meant to break you, it would have. If it was meant to stop you, you wouldn't be here."-Jay Shetty

You are here and you are pushing forward. 

Now that you've had your pep-talk, let's help you really feel like you can make it through these last few weeks.

In last week's What About Behavior email an idea was shared about Lame Duck sessions in government and applying this idea to school. As you wrap up curriculum it can seem as if there is little to share with the students to hold their attention. But if you remember reading Erin's weekly email she reminded us "down time is clown time." Here is the link to the Lame Duck article. I encourage you to take some time to read the ideas presented. I will take some time to highlight a few ideas here to help get you started.

The article breaks up the ideas into; low prep, medium prep, and high prep.

Low Prep

1. Clean Up. This is an easy and helpful way to use the last few days of school.

2. Thank You Notes. I love this idea. It's a very mindful idea. You could even do a mindfulness and then move into this activity. Write thank you notes to teachers, students, parents, etc. 

3. The Compliment Project. Watch the video here. Did you feel all of the feels with these kids? Imagine how you could wrap up your school year with this activity.

4. Go Outside. Now this article talks about playing Red Rover... 😧... maybe not this one, but go outside and read a book, listen to a mindfulness, clean up, etc

Medium Prep

1. Coloring Books.

2. Read Aloud.

3. Board Games and Card Games. TECH FREE TIME PLEASE! Think about all of the time we have students on screen for school work. Think about how much time they spend on screens at home. Give them what their brains need. Thinking skills. Communication skills. Following rules. Collaboration. Cooperation. 

4. Mindfulness Practice. What if you had a mindful morning. Do an Inner Explorer, listen to calming music, dim the lights, etc. You can mindfully eat. Bring foods to try in a mindful way. Mindfully listen to new sounds. 

I just had a great idea....Write positive notes to future students of that grade. You could give students post-its and have them write positive statements, you put them in a box, and in the fall bring them out and put them on desks.

High Prep

1. Genius Hour. Allow students an hour to research a topic of their choice and have them present on this idea.

2. Student Video Project. This could be a variety of things that you allow them to create.

3. Student/Teacher Unconference. If you read this one it sounds cool, but it does need a lot of prep and time. Maybe a small scale would be Student Ted Talks. Take what they research during Genius Hour and allow them to give a Ted Talk.

There are a variety of ways to change down time to activity time. Make your time intentional, maybe fun, and hopefully helpful. 

Incase you didn't click the last link here is the video from that article. It's less than 5 minutes, it's worth the watch.

Optimist or Pessimist ... or Practical Optimism

"Manage your emotions before they manage you."-Dr. Sue Varma

Dr. Varma is a psychiatrist who has treated patients who were near and effected by the tragedies of 9/11. Through her work and research Dr. Varma has written a book  Practical Optimism. This week we will explore some of her wisdom. 

80% of people will experience a life threatening situation. Only 8% of people will ever meet the criteria for PTSD. 

Optimist and pessimist experience the same amount of adversity. Optimists are better equipped to handle situations. Studies show that it takes more effort to suppress an emotion rather than express it. When you suppress your emotions your body will express what your mind cannot. 

You may have heard that when it comes to emotions we need to "name it to tame it" Dr. Varma expands this to help us begin to explore and practice Practical Optimism.

Dr. Varma tells us to:

Name it

Claim it

Tame it

Reframe it

Name it: Naming the feeling and naming its origin. This is tying a feeling back to a specific event.

Claim it: Where in the body do you feel it? This again is that idea that the body expresses what the mind cannot. Claiming emotions helps us with our "forbidden" emotions. These emotions are the ones we feel we cannot express due to fear of what might happen.

Statistically 85% of the time the things we worry about never actually happen. The other 15% of the time we are better equipped to handle it than we think.

Tame it: Taming our Ruminative Loops. Ruminative loops are repeating the same emotions over and over. It's the what ifs and catastrophizing. Taming is about soothing. Soothing should not create a negative habit, which means we should not be utilizing alcohol as a soother. We should make a five minute phone call to a friend. Text someone who will be supportive. Walking. This one is amazing because it can get you out of your own head and the science behind what our eyes have to do to keep us balanced as we walk is another way our bodies work on calming and taming.

We can also take time to journal or meditate. Taming our emotions is the perfect time to utilize our mindfulness practice.

Reframe it: We take back control. We say that we are not going to let this control or debilitate us. Look at the situation from someone else's point of view.

Dr. Varma, used this when working with 9/11 victims. She shares that the reframing process is a powerful technique often used in trauma processing. 

We can ask "Is this a problem to be solved or accepted?"

Not everyone is born an optimist, but everyone can work toward becoming a practical optimist. It's about brain training and working forward. 

Practical optimism is not always looking on the sunny side of a situation.

We cannot fake it till you make it,  Dr. Varma reminds us that we need to do the work. 

Practical optimism is a practice of gratitude to give ourselves the grace to be where we are at in our current lives.

As we keep pushing forward toward the end of the school year it seems that the observed behaviors are big, loud, and disruptive. What might our students be expressing with their behaviors? Maybe they are suppressing more forbidden emotions. And now their bodies are expressing what their minds cannot.

We need to ensure that we are working on our outlook to become better equipped to help our students handle what may come. 

Do the work for you and you will be able to help your students do the work too. 

If you would like to hear more on this topic look up The Happiness Lab podcast and listen to the episode with Dr. Varma.

Resources to Explore

 Without internet access for a couple of days I have not been able to do my usual research regarding a topic of mindful support. This week I will simply share out some resources that I find helpful. I hope you can take the time to explore and utilize them during this last month of school.

https://www.centervention.com/social-emotional-learning-activities/

https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/portal/en/grade-level/elementary-k-2

https://breatheforchange.com/resources/

https://www.middleweb.com/47080/relationship-building-with-dialogue-journals/

https://www.additudemag.com/

https://www.cope24-7.net/ (mental health resource for children and adults)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc0asrzrjtZJWljYTAwKM6mdb4RfoiSxx

https://innerexplorer.com/ 😉

https://www.mindup.org/

https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2022/04/19/5-tips-for-finishing-the-school-year-strong/

https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/

Earth Day the Mindful Way

Earth Day, April 22, 2025

While the official Earth Day has come and gone for the year, I thought it might be fun to explore it in a mindful way. We can continue Earth Day all year long.

Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970. Each year it grows and currently it is globally recognized by 193 countries and involves over 1 billion people. 

While Earth Day has played a role in environmental advocacy, it can also teach us a thing or two about being mindful.   

According to Calm.com (online of the Calm app), celebrating Earth Day can benefit mental health. It has been shown to give people a sense of purpose and belonging. Working together with others creates a community and a sense of accomplishment. Being out in nature can also help improve mood and ones overall sense of wellbeing.

How can we as a school connect Earth Day, or simply caring for Earth, with mindfulness? Let's explore!

When we engage in activities involving caring for others we give our brains a positive mental health boost. Caring for the earth can be just as rewarding for our brains.

Studies have shown that spending time in nature can reduce stress and depression. 

Caring for nature can help us look outside of ourselves and consider the ways we can better our community and surroundings.

Being out in nature also encourages us to turn off and put down screens and be present. Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment. Putting down our phones and stepping outside to be in nature and care for nature boosts our present awareness. 

This time of year as it warms up it is a great time to take students outside to spend time in nature. It is a great time to be of service to nature and encourage your students to take care of our school and clean up the playground and back field. 

You can find many Earth Day/Earth friendly mindfulness on the Calm app. If you do not have the Calm app YouTube has a variety of mindfulness related to the earth, being outside, and the elements.

This time of year I love to have students take outdoor walks to help calm, refocus, and help them be ready to reenter class. Taking time to watch and engage in a walking mindfulness and then trying it out with a student or your whole class could be a calming and helpful experience for you and your students.

Make every day Earth Day in a mindful way!

How do you RSVP to Power Struggles?

Power Struggles don't have to happen. I love how Dr. Becky says that when kids invite us to power struggles we do not have to accept the invitation. RSVP No to the power struggle party. That is not a party you want to attend. (If the link does not work go to Instagram and search Dr. Becky and look for Power Struggle post, it's a good one.)

But power struggles happen. They happen at home with our children. They happen at school with our students. But they do not have to happen. We have options. 

According to Psychologytoday.com, a power struggle is defined as an attempt to use coercion, force, and threats in response to a challenging behavior.

We have all seen adults RSVP Yes to a power struggle when a student will not comply. When an adult engages in a power struggle it is a sort of co-escalation situation and is almost always counterproductive.

Power struggles take an already challenging situation and make it even more difficult. All emotions begin to escalate and a resolution becomes much more difficult.

Students, as well as adults often face a variety of frustrations outside of school in their personal lives. If unskilled at addressing emotions those frustrations may find there way into school and interactions with those at school. 

When a power struggle appears to be starting it is important to remember that it is the job of the adult to support a student, not control a student.

Before we get into some strategies presented by psychology today and the website needsfocusteaching.com, I would like to encourage you to take the time and read the linked article from Edutopia.

The article from Edutopia gave some great examples of being curious (call back from two weeks ago!) as a way to prevent a power struggle you see coming.

We can utilize curiosity as a great way to reduce the likelihood of a power struggle. We can take time to show interest and understanding. 

Below is a great list of ways to prevent power struggles:

1. Communicate respect and promote dignity. 

    When we lead by example students are more likely to trust us. We need to show respect even in challenging situations. Modeling behavior is a great way to teach behavior.

2. Build and maintain good rapport

    There will always be that one student who can push even the calmest of calm teachers. Build a healthy relationship and work on maintaining it, no matter how the student pushes back.

3. Q-TIP

    That's right. Erin's wise words she shared at the beginning of the school year are here in psychology today. Quit Taking It Personally. Again this is that idea that we need to manage our own feelings before we can address others feelings and behaviors. Reflect back on what we already talked about with students and adults bringing in outside baggage. Q-TIP! Know your triggers and tap out when needed.

4. Provide Choices

    Choices you are ok with the student picking. "Are you going to get started or just sit there?" are not good choice options. Never ask a question you do not want the answer to. "Are you going to put on your coat?"

    Try: "You may choose to do your work now and have a fun recess. Or you may do your work at recess."

5. Pick Your Battles

    Not every battle needs to be won. Not every battle needs to be fought. Ask yourself if the battle matters enough. Does it meet a goal? Is it an important part of the curriculum? Is it contributing to the positivity and productivity of the classroom?

6. Reinforce Desirable Behavior

    Focus more on the positive than the negative. Try to have more positive interactions. For every negative interaction try to have two positive interactions.

7. Simply Be Helpful

    Be supportive and uplifting. Show students you care.

8. Change Staff

    We've talked about knowing your triggers, Q-TIP, and tapping out if needed. It is ok to need a break. It is ok to know your limits. It is better to ask for help than to get into a power struggle that escalates you and the student.

9. Provide Leadership Roles and Opportunities

    Instead of a power struggle, give responsibility. Give a student a reason to want to be in your class. Help them by asking them to help you (remember that blog and lesson from good ol' Ben Franklin?).

10. Collaborate with Them

    This idea has me reflecting back to the Edutopia article from earlier. Work with not against a student. Be curious. 

We have choices. Choices other than engaging in power struggles. We can build relationships, collaborate, and support good behavior. We can ask for help, not take it personally, and give opportunities for leadership. 

RSVP No to power struggles.

Below is a picture with some more help tips regarding how to avoid or deescalate power struggles.