Resilience Won’t Fix Everything, But Better Habits Help
Resilience has earned a negative reputation as the new catch-all for whitewashing away the challenges and stressors faced by today’s educators, skeptics suggest. In our newest book, Habits of Resilient Educators, we examine explicit habits of both personal and professional practice that have been found to cultivate resilience so that teachers may experience the joy and fulfillment of not simply surviving, but thriving as an educator throughout an entire career. Extending the content of our book, which describes nine habits (navigating negativity, getting and using feedback, zeroing in on purpose, for example), we offer two tips for habits grounded in positive psychology that enable educators to embrace their own well-being and nurture their resilience capital:?
Tip #1 Develop your “GQ”? or “Gratitude Quotient”: Intentionally taking time to identify specific areas for which we are grateful is proven to elevate our state of mind, improve our interactions with others, and foster optimism and hope (two key mindsets critical for building our own resilience to withstanding challenges). An immediate, simple shift in practice might look like using a gratitude routine at the beginning or end of a class period or a team meeting. Teaching students the skill of reflection presents an opportunity to journal about learning growth, for example, or gathering evidence of student learning from across the year to celebrate progress. As you continue to learn and do hard things every day, intentionally employing gratitude practices that authentically celebrate progress helps us see ourselves and others in a more compassionate way.??
Tip #2: Collaborate, Don’t Isolate: Building on the second habit described in Habits of Resilient Educators, the end of a school year is as crucial a time as ever to remind ourselves that no teacher is an island. Teaching can be isolating at times, and in the hectic days of spring finding opportunities to meaningfully connect may be even more daunting. However, collaboration does not always require a focus on instruction or student needs. Carving out time to “check in” on your peers may open an opportunity for someone feeling overwhelmed to find relief and experience a much-needed boost of support from one who understands what they are experiencing. Or, sharing your gratitude practices amongst a trusted group will serve to amplify the positive impact you experience by doing them alone!??