Strengthening Our Skills for Resilience and Connection

Posted on

Heather Coulehan, AASB Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator

Does this meme feel familiar?  Educators across Alaska have shared that there are many continuing stressors building on top of each other in schools and communities.  The recent shortage of people to work and so many getting sick, highlighted the ongoing challenges for students, families, and ourselves.  Recently, a principal remarked, “We need time to cry.  Where is the time for emotion in school? There is so much emotion coming up for students and adults now.”

Wellness Starts with Resilience and Self-Care

This same principal explained, “Sometimes we are proactive with staff wellness, and sometimes it is not even on the radar. We are all over the place.”  In October 2021, the Chatham and Hoonah School Districts prioritized time for staff to focus on “Taking Care of Ourselves, Taking Care of Each Other.  Lisa Worl and Heather Coulehan hosted the workshop which explored the concept of resilience and identified strategies for self-regulation and self-care.

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, stress, or trauma.  It is coping with the ups and downs of life by fostering your own wellness and regulation. Self-regulation is the ability to monitor and manage your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in accordance with the demands of the situation. A few weeks ago, a teacher remarked,  “In the past year, I’ve not been able to separate my emotions from work and I find it “spilling over” more.  It has been rough.”

In this 2 minute video about the Self-Care Wheel, Maressa Jensen, Trauma Engaged SEL Specialist for the Juneau School District, reminds us that resilience is not a fixed personality trait, but a muscle we can strengthen with daily practice.  Self-care is that daily practice!  Self-care is taking deliberate and intentional actions which tend to the mind, body and spirit.  These are daily and bite-sized practices that build resilience and self-regulation.

What You Can Do for Yourself

  1. Inventory: Use the “Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care” resource from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders as a personal check-in on your own self-care practices.  The tool can be used as a self-assessment tool or as a brainstorming resource to spark additional self-care strategies.  The resource also includes a goal setting tool.
  1. Guided Practice Video Series: Watch the four part video series “Skills for Resilience and Connection” with Dr. Vanessa Meade, Associate Professor of Social Work at UAA.  Each video is only 10-15 minutes long.  In the first video, Dr. Meade introduces the research base for self-regulation and mindfulness. Videos 2-4 are focused on guided strategies. 
  • Part 1: Introduction to Skills for Resiliency and Connection
  • Part 2: Breath and Sound
  • Part 3: Body Sensation
  • Part 4: Thoughts and Emotions
  1. Goal Setting: Set an intention or goal for one small, bite-sized way that you can build self-care into your work day. Consider sharing your intention with your colleagues so they can look for ways to help and support you.

What You Can Do for Others

  1. Workshop:  Reach out to Lisa Worl or Heather Coulehan to find out more about how to bring the “Taking Care of Yourself, Taking Care of Each Other” workshop to your school or organization.  
  1. Staff Dialogue: Schedule time with colleagues or staff to explore the Educator Resilience self-assessment tool together.  Have small group conversations to share insights about how to support each other during the work day.  
  1. School-wide Self-Regulation: Watch Dr. Meade’s videos together as a staff.  Discuss how opportunities for self-regulation can be integrated into the school-wide daily schedule.

“I think taking time to nurture myself as the year progresses is important and doing that with others in a shared profession seems powerful. Encouraging balance helps me keep my sanity during this crazy time and creates space in my week.” – Alaska Educator

Transforming Schools Video Library Spotlight

What is Self-Care? –  In this 7 minute video, Deb Haynes, therapist and retired Mat-Su School District counselor, explores how self-care strengthens our ability to form relationships that allow for healing and resilience.

Self-Care in Rural Communities – In this 4 minute video, Assingaq Janet Johnson, Lower Yukon School District Yup’ik Language and Culture Director, urges educators feeling isolated to look towards community activities, such as subsistence, as a way to build community and to tend to body, mind and spirit.