Mental Health in the Midst of a Master's

At this point in our Master’s - roughly half way through - many of us are noticing the stress involved with juggling full-time careers, families, and course work at the same time. When we first applied to the program, we each had to highlight our support systems and show an awareness of how we would handle the workload to come. It was a helpful exercise at the time, but before embarking on an adventure like this it’s hard to imagine just how that stress will play out in our lives. Sometimes it’s in quite unexpected ways!

Work-life balance has become a daily struggle for many of us. I am fortunate that my son is fifteen and very independent; he is a strong student and keeps himself busy with creative pursuits. As a result, I don’t feel torn about the time I spend working in the evenings on assignments and readings. Many of my cohort members, however, are juggling the needs of small children in the evenings, creating a sense of guilt over what they are leaving unfinished. Do they work on the assignment due imminently, or spend quality time playing house with a toddler? The guilt over what we haven’t done can be exhausting at times. Added on top of it all is the work we all value in our schools. We are all in this program because we want to become strong educational leaders who have a positive influence on school culture and our students’ futures. But how can we find the time to do all of that, when we’re struggling to keep all the balls in the air?

It has helped tremendously to have a small, cohesive cohort (there are just ten of us) who feel that the rest of the group is a support system. I’m not sure how Master’s students go through this process without a comfortable group who can be honest about our challenges and admit our weaknesses. Each of us, over the past eleven months, has shown a way to be a source of strength for the entire group. What an amazing development! If nothing else, it provides us all with a sense of security: the others will be there for me when I feel like I’m dropping everything. It is a gift I was not expecting when I imagined my Master’s support system, and now it’s one I’m not sure I could do without!

The concept of mental health is one gaining traction both in the news and in schools these days. And well it should! The Canadian Mental Health Association tells us that 20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. Considering that this means one out of five people that we work and learn with could be affected, it has a tremendous impact on our ability to function as individuals and as a society. Certainly we see the same issues in our students, though that is a topic for another blog. What we are realizing in our cohort, is that mental health is a marathon, not a sprint. We might recognize that we are not in the calm, healthy, mindful spot we’d like to be; but also that we need to be okay with the fact that we won’t be able to change that all in one day. In our focus on counselling over the past two weeks, we have spent time not only looking at the ways we can support our students, but also how we can support our colleagues and ourselves during stressful times. A tremendous first step in this area is awareness; we have to know what calm feels like, what disrupts our calm, and what we can do to return to that state in order for healing to begin.

For me, calm feels like daily workouts early in the morning, healthy food, time for reflection at the end of a busy day, and lots of sleep. It’s not like it’s easy to fit all of those things into my day, but I have consciously made decisions in my world to make sure those things can happen...most of the time. Over this past year, there were times when despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to fit it all in. In May, with meetings and end of year paperwork and reports to be written, and assignment upon assignment for Master’s, I had to let some things drop. Workouts became less frequent as I used my early morning times to get school work done instead. Healthy food choices flagged a bit, because self-control takes energy which I didn’t have to spare. For a while I felt disappointed with myself and could tell the signs of exhaustion were setting in. What helped me tremendously as I was going through it was to see my cohort members and hear that they were all struggling in the same way; normalizing it helped me to give myself a break and realize that there is only so much time in a day. That realization - that I didn’t need to be perfect - was very freeing and allowed me to accept the fact that my well-being could handle disruption for a short period. When the busy time passed, I was able to get back in routine and feel like me again. I think what made that possible for me is that I know exactly what calm feels like in myself, and I have the supports in place to let me get back there quickly.

Going through this has made me more aware that to help my colleagues when they are stressed and worried, I can be a listening ear, can share encouragement during tough times, can bring snacks or treats to lighten a moment, and can remind them that this, too, shall pass. Knowing that we’re all in this together, that we’re not alone, is powerfully protective when we’re at our most vulnerable.

Nothing For Us, Without Us!

When I was reading through the BC Counsellor magazine, I came across a phrase I have seen quite a bit recently: Nothing for us, without us! It seems like such a simple idea, but is so profound at its core. Teachers and parents, not to mention governments and institutions, are universally guilty of designing practices that we think will help people, and then doing them...without really asking the people involved if that’s what they want! In the school system we are currently on a mission to engage students more actively in their education. Our new BC curriculum is focused on helping kids develop the skills to think creatively and critically, to problem solve, to communicate, and to have a well-developed sense of self. But we still run the risk of school being something done “to” them if we don’t actively talk to kids about why they are learning what they are learning! My son, in grade nine, was required to fill out a self-assessment at the end of this past year on the Core Competencies. At least, I knew that that is what he was doing; all he knew was they they were called into a room and asked to answer several questions about their skills in communication, thinking, and problem solving! He didn’t even know the purpose, so how could he use the self-assessment in any sort of meaningful way? Clearly we have a ways to go.

As someone who works with many students struggling to demonstrate safe and appropriate behaviours, I feel that this notion of including students’ voice in decisions should be paramount. In her book entitled ConnectZone.org: Building Connectedness in Schools, Bev Ogilvie encourages educators to look at the concept of crisis intervention and problem-solving approaches through a child’s eyes. Is there trust between student and adult? Has the adult taken the time to build a relationship before jumping to the “punishment”? Does the adult believe that kids will be good and do the right thing when they can, but sometimes their fear or anger or hurt gets in the way? With this lens, Bev encourages educators to think of the difference between a traditional Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) system and a more collaborative problem solving approach. Both, she says, address challenging behaviours as a real issue, but “PBS does not adequately emphasize collaboration between adult and child. PBS is primarily adult-driven and emphasis is placed on adult concerns.” We should instead be focusing on the child’s needs: Nothing for us, without us!

My earlier encounter with this phrase was regarding Aboriginal education. Again, so often policies are put in place to try to address the needs of a particular group; but if the policies aren’t created with the input of the group in question, how valuable can they really be? At their worst, they can cause real damage through misinformation and misrepresentation. Really, one could argue that the same caution applies to any diverse culture! The takeaway, as always, is to show respect to all people. Find out what they really need, and understand that with so many ways of knowing the world, we hardly have the right to dictate to anyone the best way for them to learn and grow.

Building Resilience in Our Kids

Over the past four years I have worked at an inner city school, where behaviours and learning challenges brought on by past trauma, hunger, lack of attachment, and current neglect are not uncommon. During my first year there, I felt very upset at what I saw these kids going through, and I wondered many times what possible difference I could make over the long term to counteract such negative forces.

It was at the beginning of my second year at the school when I came across some literature on the concept of resilience. As I read, I realized that while the term was relatively new to me, the concept was not. Steve Cairns, a former Burnaby school administrator, has described resilience as “the ability to survive and thrive in one’s environment.” This ability to meet hardship with strength, adversity with determination, and pain with love is one that I had been shown throughout my life by my mom. She came from much pain and neglect in her own childhood, but had triumphed to become a loving wife and mother, successful career woman, and generous friend despite it all. When I asked her, when I was older and aware of her past, how she had made it through and survived the most difficult parts, she said that it was her close relationship with her grandmother that was her sanctuary. The emotional protection that her grandma’s love and acceptance gave her helped to keep the core of her heart and mind safe.

This realization has changed my focus as a teacher and educational leader. Now, I approach every single day with the knowledge that I can be that ONE person who believes in that student; I can be the one adult who shows that a student is significant, that I really know them. I can take the time every day to find a student’s spark. Finding out what is important to vulnerable kids is an excellent way to start building relationships, and giving those kids the same emotional protection that my mom received from her grandmother.

Research on attachment theory shows us that kids need to feel loved, significant, known, and feel a sense of belonging in order to develop a sense of attachment with a close adult in their world. Then they will be able to reciprocate with the ability to love, know, belong to, and acknowledge the significance of others. The ideal is that these attachments are initially formed with parents. However, that’s not always possible in our world today, and that’s where we as educators can step in. Like the amazing Rita Pierson says, “every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be.” We can be that adult! What a powerful way to approach every conversation and every lesson and every impromptu meeting on the playground. It’s this inspiring idea that truly gets me up every morning, excited to engage with the students and to help build resilience in my kids, day by day.

Nurturing Mindfulness in Education

Today I had the pleasure of watching a lecture by Dr. Mark Greenberg on Nurturing Mindfulness in Education (the video can be found here, and is well worth the watch!). The concept of mindfulness is one that has recently come to the forefront for educators, as we are realizing more and more that our students cannot be successful in all the ways we would wish, if they cannot attend to their lessons. Greenberg suspects that it is the “desperation of modern life” that has led to both the increased awareness of mindfulness in many members of society, as well as an increase in scientific research to determine the  effectiveness of strategies to increase said mindfulness. Any of us who read the news know that every day we are bombarded with the latest “research” - often contradictory - explaining why we should or should not engage in any given activity. In fact, we are often able to pick and choose our research to support any stance we wish to take! (Caffeine will accelerate bone loss in women...oh, no, wait...caffeine will make you live longer and reduce the risk of dementia! Pick your position; there’s research to back you up). However, if we are to be putting our time, efforts, and educational resources - not to mention children’s futures - on the line, we should be pretty sure that what we are doing is actually helpful! Thankfully, researchers are now doing just that.

In the video, Greenberg talks about the research he and others are currently engaged in, to increase mindfulness in both teachers and their students. Now, to be clear, mindfulness in this sense is not simply the peaceful meditation of a person unconcerned with the world. Rather, it is being wholly present in the moment, and more than that, being the very best of yourself that you can be in that moment. If you are listening, listen with all your heart and mind; if you are working or teaching or learning or thinking, focus your energies on your task without allowing distractions to disrupt your best. What a difference such a focus could make in our classrooms! And not just with kids; teachers are by nature multi-taskers, and as a result are rarely fully present in a conversation or collaborative effort. We know it’s true! There are always so many things waiting for us, and having them percolating in the back of our minds continually bumps our stress levels up to the breaking point. Greenberg’s research, while new, suggests that purposefully teaching teachers how to be mindful and present has a dramatic ability to help them calm. What a blissful idea! Calm teachers would take that extra moment to look in a student’s eyes before judging or yelling; a calm teacher would recognize the fear or anxiety lurking beneath that “defiance”; calm teachers would smile more, and connect more, and have the patience to listen to myriad little stories about a child’s day. Calm teachers could teach their students to be calm kids, by modeling and sharing and working at it together. I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to effect this change in my own school, but I am certainly going to try!

It starts with hope. At the close of his lecture, Greenberg read a quote by Howard Zinn which is now going to be put on a poster and placed in a prominent spot in my classroom. His words fully encapsulate how I feel about the world and about teaching: What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we want good things to happen, let’s look for the good! Let’s celebrate the good that we see all around us! If we want our students and ourselves to be mindful and “our best selves”, then let’s celebrate all of the times that we are, and strive for more! There is always hope, and it is always in our hands.

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

Howard Zinn

We Are All Other

During this class we had as an assignment to examine our own schools with a critical lens to see just how well we are addressing the diverse needs of our populations. My partner and I agreed that our schools do a reasonable job of acknowledging - even celebrating - the various cultures to be found in our school communities. However, with my viewpoint as a learning support teacher, I feel that effectively addressing the diversity to be found in ability levels is a tremendous challenge. This is particularly the case with those disabilities that are “invisible”: FASD, PTSD, Learning Disabilities, and mental health disorders. It is with these that educators struggle the most to adapt, and to recognize that we don’t get to pick and choose which forms of diversity we celebrate.

Shelley Moore has become famous for advocating for the inclusion of all students with diverse needs. On her blog ( https://blogsomemoore.com/) and in her book (One Without the Other), she outlines a number of scenarios that have played out - or are playing out - in classrooms around the world. Her belief is that rather than seeing children with special needs as a different colour within the context of the normal classroom, we should be seeing all of ourselves as “other” - we all have things in common, no matter our race, ability, gender, or socioeconomic status; just as we all have differences, even if we share every one of those characteristics with another.

True inclusion: We are all "other"!

The school community is a place where everyone who enters the doors should feel a sense of belonging. Peter Block tells us this means that each child feels represented and welcomed by the behaviours and activities that occur in the classrooms, and that the community “takes its identity from the gifts, generosity, and accountability of its citizens.” But how do we ensure that every child feels welcomed? In our schools we see children from an array of racial backgrounds; we see children with both visible and hidden physical and learning disabilities; we see children representing both wealthy and poverty stricken families. The best leaders are those who can create a world within the walls of the school where every single child is viewed as unique and valuable; where every person working in the school feels that they are contributing to its well-being; that their voice is heard and appreciated.

While there are expectations from the Ministry for addressing ability needs, we have all seen that there is also variety based on the skills and passions of the teachers and administrators. It is here that the educational leader can make a pronounced impact. We can see that there is pushback from teachers in acknowledging the needs of those whose disabilities are less obvious. It is the leader’s job to provide discussion and professional development that will encourage all staff members to listen carefully to the needs of the children; to put the achievement of potential above the desire to make the workload easier.

“Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges; it should allow you to find values which will be your roadmap through life; it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important, how to live and how to die.”

John Taylor Gatto

There is nothing in this quote that says that only some parts of the population deserve this kind of education. It is on us, as teachers and educational leaders, to ensure that every member of our very diverse population is able to achieve this vision, to the best of their ability.

The Silent Language of Cultural Values

One of our discussions in class today was on the topic of cultural hegemony, a rather deep concept which means that any system (such as a society) is embedded with the values and beliefs of the people who designed the system. These values are often hidden beneath the surface - unspoken - though they are the foundation for how people act, interact, conduct business, decide school curriculum, and address “deviant” behaviour. This has meaning when one considers the educational values and social mores of the dominant Western culture in Canada. We are a predominantly individualistic society, focused on learning and acquisition for the betterment of ourselves and our families. This is not the case in many cultures around the world, and was not the case for the Aboriginal communities who first inhabited this land. According to Edward Hall, culture - based on our values - is the silent language we use to communicate with each other. But what if we have different values? How can we understand and learn from each other then?

Our instructor, Carolyn (herself an Aboriginal elder) opened our eyes today to some of the underlying values in Canada’s education system - and how they differ from the values inherent in the Aboriginal culture. She explained about Talking Circles, and how the needs of each person are paramount to the members of the group; the Circle will continue until all members feel healed and complete, no matter the time involved. How different from a culture driven by time: bell schedules, meetings, appointments, all dictating how much time we can spend listening and focusing on another person. It’s hard to have a meaningful Talking Circle in a classroom, knowing that the exploration of personal ideas must halt when the bell goes for the next period. She explained about Restorative Justice, and how the needs of both the victim and the aggressor are considered. The aggressor, given the chance to explain his actions; given the chance to find a way to repair the damage and express true remorse. This is so different from our society’s value on punishment; on ensuring that “justice is done.” Gradually schools are embracing this concept, as more and more we realize that punishment does not provide hope, but the opportunity to atone with sincerity opens the door to growth and possibilities.

As teachers, our responsibility is - as always - to encourage students to look deeply at what we truly value and believe. As learners, we can ask deep questions, seeking the motivation behind the cultural mores we tend to take for granted. This kind of critical analysis is essential not only for children, but for all of us who participate in the unspoken language that is our culture.

Lessons from the Medicine Wheel

Today was the start of our first summer course, on Leadership and Counselling Diverse Cultures in Education with Carolyn Kenny. While I know that all manner of diversity will be addressed throughout the course - and in our own research - today’s lesson was predominantly on some of the differences between the traditional Western education system and that of the Aboriginal groups found in BC. Alanaise Goodwill, a professor from Simon Fraser University, visited and explained about the concept of the Medicine Wheel.

This is one example of the Medicine Wheel's representations.

This was a new concept to me, although it seemed familiar to many of my classmates; just another example of how diverse is our personal knowledge of diverse cultures! Alanaise explained how the Medicine Wheel was initially a wayfinding system: a circle would be drawn on a field in the prairies, and the people would know to stand in certain places on the circle to navigate during different times of the year. Here in Southern BC finding one’s way via landmarks isn’t all that difficult; but I know from growing up on the prairies that standing in the middle of a field with the vast sky overhead and acres of grass around you can leave you directionless. In modern times, we might just pull out the GPS on our phone to guide us, but as Alanaise explains, the Medicine Wheel was from a time long gone, when the people weren’t confined to reserves but roamed the land freely. Therefore, while its uses as a physical wayfinder have gone, the symbol of the Medicine Wheel has come to represent the sharing of ancient beliefs and traditions to help the next generation find their way through life.

The Medicine Wheel found in Big Horn, Wyoming.

At the close of the class, Alanaise had us write down our ten most favourite activities (mine included reading, exercising, spending time with my family, gardening…). Then, we were to note for each whether it was spontaneous or planned, had a cost or was free, and was done alone or with others. Finally, we were to determine what sort of activity it was, as outlined on the quadrants of the Medicine Wheel: intellectual, spiritual, emotional, or physical. Looking at our lives, was there balance? Was each part of the Wheel represented? Alanaise emphasized for us how balance in life is crucial, and is a key element in Aboriginal teachings.

I feel fortunate to have been a part of this lesson today. While I am not Aboriginal myself, I too strive for balance in my life, and respect the ancient teachings that promote healing and connectedness among all people. The search for balance and well-being is ongoing, no matter your background or beliefs.