This week, our class engaged in some critical discussions about identifying trauma in students and how we can use self-care to help us be resilient in our field experiences, student teaching, or teaching (in general). While reading, I found that studies suggest that approximately 50% of helping professionals, including teachers, are at high risk of secondary trauma (Kyle Miller and Karen Flin-Stipp). Secondary trauma, as we learned in class, is an emotional duress that happens among individuals who have had exposure to a first-hand trauma experience of someone else.
As I read about secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue and its toll on educators and students who are getting exposed to it, I reflect upon on how it has affected me and how it may affect me in the future.Take a moment to reflect on a personal experience being overwhelmed by someone else's stress. What "in-the-moment strategies" from
the "Common Trauma Symptoms and Helpful Strategies for Educators" could you have tried or would consider trying in the future? How can we implement some of these "preventive strategies" in our future classroom?
Additionally, the consequences of exposure to secondary trauma (avoiding friends and colleagues, feeling hopeless, lack of self-care, etc.) lead to a decline in personal health and affect our teaching and helping students.
Additionally, the consequences of exposure to secondary trauma (avoiding friends and colleagues, feeling hopeless, lack of self-care, etc.) lead to a decline in personal health and affect our teaching and helping students.
Can you identify ways you have or might be at risk for being
over-stressed or burnt out? In other words, what are the signs that you
are heading towards burnout?
How can you ease or manage your stress? CHOSE ONE strategy/ coping technique from the article and in class
that WAS NEW TO YOU and share how you would be interested in trying it in order to support yourself during student teaching? Here is one new strategy we learned from Kat in class this week that I would like to try.
When I’m becoming overwhelmed by others’ stress, I tend to avoid them or start tuning them out while they are confiding in me. These would be a couple of my signs of burnout, as well as being tired or getting headaches. One of the first strategies to help that comes to mind is coloring. It is also something that we could sit down and do together while talking (it may even help relieve stress of the other person). Although I was the one to bring it up, I have never done any journaling (outside of class that is). It has never been something that has really stood out to me as a means of destressing, it just seems like it would be more work. After seeing picture examples of a student-teacher’s journal entries and logs of self care, I thought it seemed like a pretty fun thing to do (ex highlight of the day, notes from the day and scenarios that happened, reflections/emotions). I also think that talking to others about what they do to help keep themselves from getting burnt-out and de-stressing to come up with new ideas and learn new things.
ReplyDelete-Jorgan
ReplyDeleteI think one way I could become over-stressed or burnt out is because once I have a job, I become a workaholic. That’s just my being, I do it with all my jobs. I get over invested and spend way too much time at work. I know when I am doing this if that is all I am doing, is just thinking, talking, and doing work. I plan on having some boundaries with my job. Setting myself times to not be doing work, and having enjoyable hobbies.
One strategy from the article says to spend 15 minutes outside in the sun. I feel like this one will be so important because while teaching you are in a building for 8 hours. That can be a lot, and just being outside for 15 minutes to get some fresh air is something that I want to try.
From class, I want to try doing more breathing exercises. Specifically the one Wendy said about actually sighing when you breathe out. I usually only do breathing exercises while I am meditating at night. But I feel like that one would be an easy one to do while I am just feeling stressed about everyday things.
-taylor
Currently, my biggest stresses in the teaching field stem from my lack of separation between work and home. I, like Taylor, get overly invested in my work and tend to say yes to too many projects and/or bring home work far beyond the hours I should. I’ve seen the effects on both my personal and social life.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, my main form of self-care is spending time outside and moving my body. This could be anything from walks, hikes, paddle-boarding, running, biking…etc. Spending time in nature calms me and allows me to take time for myself. I would however like to get back into journaling, even if it’s just a quick reflection each day. I really enjoyed the journal Wendy showed in class, however, I do think the amount of information it covered was a little too much for me if I wanted it to be sustainable. I also think journaling and reflecting would help when it comes to the next year and/or the next time I lead that class or lesson. I think Wendy was right when she talked about thinking you’ll remember a story from a kindergartener in your first placement however, in reality, it’ll slip your mind as you’re trying to remember 100 other things and swap to another placement. Having not only a good space for reflection but also a record of lessons you learned, emotions, class dynamics…etc. will help for the next time around.
- Tati ◡̈
- Jane
ReplyDeleteWhenever I get stressed, I notice its due to taking on the weight of others’ trauma and stress. Theres also a factor engrained in the idea that my mind always needs to be doing something in order to make life worthwile. If I’m not working, I need to have an art project, if I don’t have than I need to pursue a study, if I can’t do that, I try to lesson plan multiple lessons at once. Because of this, I often feel guilty if I have downtime.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, my main form of self-care has been yoga and meditation. I stopped going to the gym when I hit a low with my depression this last year and picking up yoga to fill in the gap has been extremely helpful. I’d love to journal more as I currently use it only when theres big issues to document but often find myself in a loop of being insecure of my writing style. I would love to try going outside more for 15 minutes a day as I love going on walks and using what I see as inspiration for my artwork but maybe it would be nice to be able to just turn my mind off and walk with no other thoughts attached.
-Grace