Voices in Your Head

We’ve all been there and will probably be there again, and if this doesn’t describe you, then I would sincerely like to know your secrets. I’m talking about that mean and defeated little voice inside your head that has the tendency to take any awesome accomplishment of another teacher or a perceived failing of yours and then start a non-ending dialog about it to make you feel bad.

I don’t know a long-term solution (if you do, PLEASE share), but I thought some guided meditations and humor might help alleviate some of the stress of the moment.

Situation: So-and-so had an awesome idea/task/accomplishment (again!) via school/twitter/blog.

Close your eyes and take a nice long deep breath and hold for a beat right before you exhale.

Picture that teacher being praised by everyone.

Take a deep breath.

Maybe it’s not too late to switch careers since you obviously are just taking up space.

Deep breath.

Your puppy likes you.

One last deep breath and open your eyes.

Situation: So-and-so got on your last nerve in class and you are now frazzled.

Close your eyes and take a nice long deep breath and hold for a beat right before you exhale.

The NERVE of that kid. I KNOW they got up this morning wondering, “How can I be most annoying today?”

Take a deep breath.

They succeeded. Kudos to them!

Take a deeper breath all the way down to your pinky toes.

At least you have no nerves left for anyone else to stomp on.

One last deep breath and open your eyes.

Situation: Your class just bombed and you may have to reteach later.

Close your eyes and take a nice long deep breath and hold for a beat right before you exhale.

Holy Cow! What were you thinking?

Take a deep deep deep breath.

On the plus side, you make other teachers look good. There is that!

Make sure your deep breaths reach all the way to the tips of your fingers.

And you are lining the pockets of future therapists of the traumatized children to rehash this experience.

One last deep breath and open your eyes.