As we get closer to the end of the hardest school year that I think most of us have ever experienced, I have noticed that there is such a huge range in the reactions to stress in my building. Some teachers are so angry, confrontational, and upset that I actually feel bad for them. It must be hard to carry that much negativity around with you all day; so much weight. Others seem to have retreated. Like me, I know many teachers don’t leave their classrooms as much as they used to. Many of us eat alone with our doors closed. I have regular lunch buddies, but even I had to text them one day this week to ask for a solitary lunch in order to recharge in silence. Toxic stress is an interesting thing. I honestly think that after being stressed for so long, many teachers don’t know how to NOT be stressed, and they seem to be almost overblowing small challenges or overreacting to perceived injustices simply because they have been completely poisoned by stress and have forgotten how to let go. This is not to say that there is not injustice, exploitation, and gas lighting happening in schools; those things are definitely present. But I can see that some teachers have become almost completely engulfed in fight-or-flight mode and are having a hard time coming back down to stasis after having to fight through the enormous challenges of this past school year.
There’s been a noticeable increase in self-care sessions during our teacher professional development days the last few years. I do think the district is beginning to recognize the impact of teacher mental health on the school culture, teacher burnout and turnover rates, and ultimately student achievement. But it’s still too little too late. Three days per year where teachers are given an option to participate in a 30 minute yoga session or go on a nature walk during an 8 hour long day packed with professional workshops is not enough to foster regular mindful practice in a person’s life. The constant reminders to “practice self-care” while teachers are piled high with more responsibilities than they can possible handle within their contract hours is the ironic to say the least. In order to implement true change, mindfulness needs to become a regular part of the school day.
I can hear the protests now – not enough time, not enough buy-in, not enough training… But believe me, if I can get a group of work boot-wearing, truck driving, teenage boys who don’t like school to not just sit and meditate in class, but actively seek out more opportunities to be mindful, then it IS doable with adult professionals. There are many things that we make time for in the school day that aren’t purely academic. What is stopping us from having a school-wide mindfulness time? Or inserting a mindful time into teacher schedules, just like a mini planning block? Could the faculty room not be redecorated to encourage practice, with a couple of yoga mats, a tabletop sand garden, some battery operated candles, some books about mindfulness, some quiet music or nature sounds? Is there a reason why the faculty room needs to be a place of work when we all have our own desks to work at? What if it was totally acceptable to get sit quietly with your eyes closed in the mindful room for 15 minutes every day as a part of your regular schedule… think about it.
When teachers practice, students reap the benefits. Even if a teacher doesn’t specifically teach meditation in their content classes, there is no way students wouldn’t benefit from having a more patient, calmer, and more focused teacher. And with the steep rise in student mental health challenges, which manifest as apathy, behavior issues, absenteeism, and impaired physical health in our schools, I cannot understand for the life of me why we continue to march forward as we always have without any pause to address the root of these problems en masse, rather than playing whack-a-mole with school psychologists, school nurses and guidance counselors who are currently completely overwhelmed.
This brings me back to my deep, inner wish. I have a secret dream that someday my yoga classes can… expand… become something more. I envision teaching teachers how to bring mindfulness into their schools, how to walk, talk, teach, react, converse, think mindfully in their daily lives at school. My dream would be to run workshops and seminars for teachers, to train them in how to implement a mindfulness practice with their students in the classroom. I guess you could say it’s a calling. Somehow over the years I have developed a deep passion for sharing my experiences and my knowledge. So, here I am manifesting my new reality, starting with resigning from public ed, opening my studio, and going for it. I am very excited to see what the future has in store. ~Namaste
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