Did anyone else wake up this morning and want to just roll back over and “forget” to go to school today? I know, me too! It’s almost May. The school year coming to a close, and you’re tired. Your students are done. The classroom teachers are exhausted as well, and everyone is ready for a break. Me too! But it’s not time yet. We still have some time left, and even though you’re tired, stuff still needs to happen in your classroom.
Today I’m going to show you 4 ways to make it until the end of the year when you’ve run out of gas. Teacher, it’s all about mindset. You probably know that your mindset can dramatically affect the outcome of your day. When you start out with positive thoughts, and you probably find yourself smiling at the end of the day. Start out in a bad mood, and it’s likely that you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed and defeated.
The idea of Growth Mindset has been at the forefront of educational conversations for awhile now. You’ve been discussing your student’s mindsets and how to help them grow and change. But mindset conversations are not just for your kiddos. Changing your mindset can have a huge impact on the lives of your students, your colleagues, and best of all, you!
Before we go into the deets, you’ll need to know a little more about the difference between a Fixed Mindset and a Growth Mindset. Let’s check it out.
A growth mindset means that you believe your intelligence and talents can be developed over time. A fixed mindset means that you believe intelligence is fixed—so if you’re not good at something, you might believe you’ll never be good at it.
Jennifer Smith, Mindset Health
Having a growth mindset can have amazing benefits. You can see some of them to your left, but let’s talk about a couple more that are specifically for your teacher mindset:
- Reduced burnout
- Less problems with anxiety and depression
- More ability to pivot
- More focus on the process and less on the result
All of this sounds good right? So how do you go about developing a growth mindset, especially if you’re struggling hard as a music teacher at the end of the year? Who has time to learn something new???
The 4 Steps:
- Realize that change is possible – You tell your students all the time that they just need more time to learn something new. The same is true for you. Just because your first two classes were cray cray doesn’t mean that the rest of the day HAS to be the same. Take a moment to think about what went wrong, re-think your lesson plan, and start again. If you’re having consistent issues with behavior or lesson flow, maybe it’s time to reach out to an expert. You know the old saying, “Your never too old to learn something new”.
- Start your day with a positive – The best time to reframe your thinking is first thing in the morning. When you wake up still feeling sleepy, or you just can’t get motivated, here are a few ways to begin with a positive mindset:
- Do a little exercise – Even 10 minutes of fast walking or jogging around your living room can help get your endorphins going and give you a boost.
- Practice gratitude – Experts say that if you’re busy being thankful for the people around you or the events happening in your life, it’s almost impossible to stay in a negative mindset. Open up your journal (or the note app in your phone), and write down 1-3 things you’re grateful for.
- Meditate – I’ve been preaching this one, because it’s made such a positive difference in my life. I use an app called Insight Timer. It’s got a free version and has tons of different types of meditation (something for everyone if you will). Meditation can help you stay calm and positive in stressful situations (yes, that includes your classroom!)
- Smile! – Even if you’re having a rotten day, smiling helps. Take a moment to smile at the crossing guard, every teacher and staff member you see, and especially at your students. When you’re smiling, endorphins are released automatically, even it you don’t yet feel happy. I know, mind blown!!
- Surround yourself with music – Ahem . . . I know that what your students create doesn’t always sound like music, but you can always play a couple of your favorite songs before they come in right? Or redesign today’s lesson into something that you KNOW will sound like music. You have permission to totally change up your day and do something you really love. It doesn’t always have to be a part of the unit you’re teaching, especially at the end of the year.
Being a teacher is hard. It can be thankless and lonely. You are in charge of how you react, and you are the only one who can change your mindset. If you find yourself wallowing in the negative (we’re all guilty of that sometimes), try reframing your mindset. You’ll find that nothing is as hard if you have a more positive mindset.
That being said, sometimes there’s more going on than just your mindset. If nothing you’re doing is working, maybe it’s time to reach out for help. Phone a friend, talk to a colleague, or make an appointment with a counselor. Either way, try to take good care of you.