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A GRACEful Way to Combat Teacher Burnout
November 15, 2016
When you succeed, don’t forget the responsibility of making somebody else succeed with you.
-Antonia Novello, Pediatrician and first Hispanic US Surgeon General
-Antonia Novello, Pediatrician and first Hispanic US Surgeon General
"The teaching profession has become more demanding over the past three decades. Increasing numbers of children are coming to school unprepared, many with serious behavior problems as early as preschool. Research indicates that teachers often face situations that provoke emotions that are difficult to manage... they may experience emotional exhaustion, provoking a 'burnout cascade,'" states Patricia Jennings in "A Happier Day At School" from the October 2015 edition of Mindful magazine.
Jennings offers a way of combating "stressful situations... with challenging students, demanding parents, or colleagues who have differing views" by following a practice called GRACE. Developed by Joan Halifax for nurses and adapted for teachers, Jennings describes the practice this way:
"G is for 'Gathering your attention.' Pause and focus your attention on your body, whether your breath or the sensation of your feet on the ground...
R is for 'Recall your intention,' that is, your reason for being a teacher. This will help you align your behavior with your values and reignite your motivation...
A is for 'Attune to yourself, your body, heart and mind before you attune to those around you'...
C is for 'Consider what will serve your student or colleagues'...
E is for 'Enacting and ending'... applying principled compassion in service of others. The final step is a conclusion... time to acknowledge inwardly... what transpired and move on, letting go of any lingering feelings that may keep you from being fully present for the next situation."
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsPennsylvania, United States
Francis, I agree with you --what are we expecting of preschoolers? This is a brand new experience for the children, we are introducing them to being in a room filled with peers, and adults who are not their parents/relatives---everything is new and it can be quite overwhelming. Are we surprised their behaviors may not always be pleasant? We need to care for the children and not be driven by unnecessary and unreasonable academic expectations. We need to slow down---play, talk, sing, dance, run. paint, create and just spend time with the children.
CSBC
Denver, CO, United States
This piece claims that many children are coming to school unprepared. Prepared for what? Isn't it time we design our early childhood and school programs to meet the needs of children, as opposed to expecting children to be prepared for some adults' idea of school?
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