Tips on Responding to Poetry:
Read (or listen to the audio link below) and allow the words to simply sit with you and sink in.
Maybe choose your favourite line or a few words that resonate.
Set a timer for 5 minutes, pick up a notebook and write anything that comes to mind.
How Exciting!
I know a teacher that no matter what I say,
responds with “how exciting!” as she goes about her day.
Here’s some new interventions to try with your class.
We need to dig into the test data of those that didn’t pass.
Mrs Smith’s on the phone about a problem with Jade
Ella’s been thumped in the mouth, can you administer first aid?
There’s a mandatory training day you must attend.
Here’s another form to fill in for a child with SEND.
Tomorrow is non-uniform so prepare for hyper kids.
Can you please make sure pens are put away with the correct lids?
We must use the right colours when marking the books.
Sami’s crying because someone gave a funny look.
The support staff are ill, you’ll have to cope by yourself.
The PTA have bought each class an Elf on the Shelf!
There’s a constant barrage of changes, suggestions, demands,
Disruptions to your plans that make it hard to stay calm.
But I know a teacher that will smile and say.
“How Exciting!” and it always brightens my day!
© Leona Marie, 2024
Journal Prompts:
· What do you want others to notice about you?
· Watch how each of your colleagues responds to challenging situations. Which one do you want to be like? Can you learn anything from others?
· Write your own mantra. Pick an uplifting phrase to help you respond positively to situations.
Reflection
Most of us are aware of the power of having a positive mindset but it isn’t always so easy to do this when we are busy, tired or stressed. A simple request or small change to what you had planned can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. We might logically know that the more positive we are, the easier it will be. However, when we are overwhelmed with difficult emotions, the logical part of our brain isn’t in control.
Having a pre-prepared mantra for moments like this can help. Actively practise using it so it becomes a habit rather than something you have to consciously bring to mind. Even if you don’t believe it in the moment, forcing yourself to say it out loud can be powerful.
And pull a particular face as you say your positive mantra and you will amplify the effect. Research has shown that smiling - even a fake smile - triggers a chemical reaction that releases feel good hormones and lowers stress. This is an example of the Facial Feedback Hypothesis, which suggests that facial expressions can influence our emotions - even when they are forced. In theory, what you pretend to be becomes what you feel!
Another way of reframing your thinking is
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