Sunshine and Stretches

Finally! Warm weather and sunshine has arrived! I'm sure everyone is as ready for pretty days as I am, but it does make me restless. Sitting in a classroom with the sunshine coming through my window makes me want to get outside! My kids are the same way. Even as juniors, they want to wiggle and move around constantly. It is such a struggle to get them to focus. Let's be real; it's a struggle for me to focus most days. 😉 

Next time you are having trouble getting your kids to settle down, or you just all need a brain break, try this 5 minute activity! Just 5 minutes and your brain is refreshed and ready to work again!

5 MOVES. 50 SECONDS EACH. 10 SECONDS REST between each.

🌸 Mountain Pose  Stand tall. Inhale as you lift arms above head. Relax shoulders down your back. Exhale into cactus arms and lean back slightly. Inhale, return to standing position with arms above head. Exhale, lowering arms down to side. Repeat with your breath for 50 seconds. 

🌸 Side Bend  Inhale, lifting arms above your head, palms together. Exhale as you stretch to the right. Breathe in, creating space between your ribs. Breathe out, deepening the bend. Hold right side for 25 seconds. Repeat on left side for 25 seconds.

🌸  Side Twist  Inhale, lifting arms above your head. Exhale as you rotate to the right, wrapping your arms around your waist, reaching for your back pocket with right hand. Inhale, stretching spine tall. Exhale, deepening the twist. After 25 seconds, repeat on the left side.

🌸  Downward Dog  Move to the back of your chair. Place hands flat on the back, step back so that your body is at a 90° angle. bringing your ears parallel to your arms. Inhale/Exhale. Inhale, elongate your spine, exhale, slightly bend your knees and deepen the stretch.

🌸  Seated Forward Fold  Return to a sitting position. Place feet flat on the floor with toes pointing forward. Inhale, raising arms above head. Exhale, slowly fold forward until chest is resting on thighs. Let arms dangle to the floor, relax shoulders, breathe slowly in and out. 

In like a Lion...

This weekend, I read an article at mindful.org about a journaling practice and overcoming things that are holding me back. As a teacher and coach, it is so easy for my nervous system to be completely overstimulated, and I have made a commitment to myself this year to work on staying present. When we become overstimulated, our minds literally go everywhere, so using strategies like intentional breathing, meditation, and journaling can help us focus on the present.

For those of us who have been here a while, we know that March is a rough one. The phrase "in like a lion, out like a lamb" can refer to so much more than the weather. As the weather ramps up, so do student behaviors. Some days, it is so overwhelming to manage, and over time, we develop "survival strategies" to just get us through the days. 

I think the PD quote that aggravates me more than any is: "Remember your 'why'." I literally roll my eyes out loud when a presenter says that to me. While that thought probably comes from a place of empathy, teachers have been beat over the head with it so much that it's lost effectiveness. I can remember my 'why' and want to scream at the same time, so I know that I need to do more. Journaling is a wonderful way to get your express our emotions and manage our mental health. Because just getting the words out of our head and on to paper can help us feel better, journaling is a proven method to manage anxiety, reduce stress, and prioritize issues. It also can help us track problems, so that we can see if there are recurring issues that we need to face, analyze, and problem-solve. 

So get a cute notebook, some fun pens, and set it on your desk. The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, take just a minute to write it down. Put your thoughts to paper and feel the pressure lighten up. 

For journaling prompts, check out the Peaceful Prompts page. I will be updating it regularly, so check back often for more ideas!

Take a Minute

Have you ever been sitting at your desk, working feverishly to get lesson plans or grades done, pause for a moment and feel so stiff and tense? I catch myself slumping over my keyboard or paperwork only to feel (and hear) all of the snap, crackle, and pops when I finally stand up. While our students are younger (in my case, MUCH younger), they suffer from the same muscle tightness and neck tension after a class period of typing, writing, or reading.

Honestly, no one is in a "learning" state of mind when their back is aching, their neck is tense, and their legs are falling asleep. Every minute of our day is precious time, so it is imperative that we help students be as open to learning as possible. Taking a Mindful Movement break every 30-45 minutes will end up saving you double that time in working (teachers and students). Moving oxygen to all the parts of your body helps energize the body, focus the mind, and enhance physical and mental well being. 

Try these 5 movements throughout the day and see what a difference it makes. When you are guiding students through these movements, remind them to focus on their breathing. Deep inhales through the nose and deep exhales through the mouth sends the oxygen to the movement. Elongate your spine on the inhale; deepen the stretch on the exhale. Complete each movement for at least 3 breath cycles, more as wanted/needed. The more you do it, the more you will feel comfortable moving with your breath to create a flow.

1. Shoulder Rolls: Inhale while pulling your shoulders up towards your ears. Exhale and roll them down your back. Repeat at least 3 times to release any tension you may be carrying in your shoulders. Whenever you feel ready, roll your shoulders in the opposite direction.

2. Neck Rolls: Gently circle your neck in one direction at whatever pace feels good for you. After a few rounds, roll your neck in the opposite direction to cultivate balance.

3. Side Bends: Inhale, reach your arms up. Exhale, bring your left hand down, and your right hand up and over your body, feeling the stretch along your right side. Inhale, elongate the spine. Exhale, create more space between your ribs. Switch sides.

4. Seated Twists: Find a comfortable seat. Inhale, reach your arms up. Exhale, twist to the right, placing your left hand on your right or left thigh, and your right hand on the chair or floor behind you. Twist from your ribcage to the top of your head. Take a few breaths here, imagining as though you are a sponge ringing out anything that may not be serving you. Come back to a neutral position facing forward, and then switch to the left side. *You may do these standing up as well. When twisting, reach for your 'back pockets'.*

5. Cat Cow: Find a comfortable seat, placing your palms on your knees. Inhale, open your heart, gaze up, cow pose. Exhale, round your back, and curl for cat pose. Inhale, drop your belly, look up, cow pose. Exhale, drop your chin and curl for cat pose. Inhale, open. Exhale, round. Do a few more of these cat cows on your own breath; one breath per movement.

For more Mindful Movements, don't forget to click on the pages linked to the right!

Tap Tap Tap

These cold days are tough! I get so restless because I can't go outside to do anything, nerves get short, and tensions get high. Just taking a few moments throughout the day to have some mindfulness can help us all. Studies show that purposeful mindful moments will improve attention, regulate emotions, and reduce stress. 

Consider creating some calming habits in your classroom to help students learn how to reset themselves. Building self-regulation strategies into our routines will help students (and us!) learn to manage their motions appropriately when situations arise. Pro-active planning can help head off discipline issues and foul moods.

One of my very favorite stress-relieving strategies is the Emotional Freedom Technique, commonly known as tapping. As an alternative to acupressure, tapping is using your fingertips to lightly tap meridian points on your body. Tapping these hot spots of energy can help control stress and anxiety, manage emotions, and reduce troublesome thoughts. Done regularly, tapping can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and reduce stress hormones.

There are 9 meridians most commonly used in tapping: top center of your head, between your eyebrows, beside your eye, under your eye, under your nose, on your chin, under your collar bones, under your arms, and on the side of your hand. To gain the most benefits of tapping, find a comfortable seat and soften your gaze or close your eyes. Focus on your breath for a minute, inhaling deeply through the nose and exhaling strongly through the mouth. Using your fingertips, start at the top and work your way down, repeating as needed. 

Try this with your students. Those who are ramped up, for whatever reason, could use this as a way to self-regulate their emotions. Visit the Quiet Stress Relievers page for other ideas to incorporate into your daily classroom practice. And don't forget to look at the Daily Classroom Poses page for those days when students are wiggly and need to just move for a minute!

Surviving the Dark Ages

 After 30 years in the classroom, I confidently say that the 3rd nine weeks is the most difficult time of the year for classroom management and student attention spans. On a good day, students are a little wiggly and talkative, but most days are crazy rowdy. This is due, in large part, to the weather. We can't get outside as much and there is little sunshine, which results in less endorphins and less natural vitamin D. All of that affects both mental and physical health.

At the Air Force Academy, they call these days the "Dark Ages". 😂 The long, cold, dark days seem endless, and it definitely affects our moods. Compassion for our students and ourselves is essential to survive these days in the classroom. Understanding feelings and behaviors during this time will help create a safe environment where those around us feel joy, peace, and health. Compassion can heal the body and mind (both in the giver and receiver). 

Using compassion as a frame of reference, consider what you can do to help those around you through these "dark ages". I know we are all concerned with utilizing class time effectively. Studies show that taking brain breaks that involve movement will actually increase valuable learning time. This is not only good for the students, but it is beneficial for teachers as well. Our brains and bodies are just like our students; we become restless and overstimulated because of the winter environment. Taking 3-5 minutes out of class time for mindful movement will result in more productive  learning time. 

It's looking as if we won't be able to go outside much over the next several days. Utilize the pages linked to the right to incorporate some mindful movement activity throughout your day. Schedule them into your daily lesson plans. I have added a new page: Quiet Stress Relievers. Check those out for some activities that will help settle students and create a calm environment.

In the immortal words of the sage Elle Wood, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't shoot their husbands. They just don't." So make mindful movement a priority for you and your students!

Creating Calm in the Chaos

 Whew! We made it to Christmas Break!! Those days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are a blur. I feel like I’m in fast forward speed the entire time, in a mad rush to get everything done and prepared. Between family responsibilities, finishing up units in the classroom, getting grades finalized, and preparing for Cheer State, it is so overwhelming. I have to constantly remind myself to stop for a minute and breathe. 

With any activity that you do, breath is the foundation. Our strength comes from our breath. This is true whether you are lifting weights, throwing a ball, taking a test, or calming your mind. Never underestimate the power of focusing on your breath for just a minute. It will improve not only your mental health, but also your physical health.

As we enjoy the time with family over our break, try this practice to help you reset.

• Find a comfortable seat. Use blankets or pillows to settle in comfortably.
• Place both hands over your heart or one on your heart and one on your abdomen
• Take a few moments to notice your breath. Let it become comfortable and natural.
• Then slowly do a body scan, starting with your toes and feet. As you think about parts of your body, breathe to that spot. In through your nose, sending the oxygen to that particular body part; out through your nose slowly.
• As you work your way up through your body, feel each part relax through the breathing. 
• After you have completed your body scan, take one deep breath and lift your arms high overhead. Relax your shoulders away from your ears, relax your jaw, elongate your spine.
• Exhale from your mouth and let your arms float down by your side. 
• Repeat your deep breathing stretch 2 more times (more if you want or need).

It is my prayer that we are all able to enjoy our break, make wonderful memories, and come back refreshed.  Merry Christmas to you all!

Ruts

Neuroplasticity, according to the National Institute of Health, is the ability of our nervous system to adapt structurally and functionally. We control this process by decisions we make every day. Have you ever arrived at work and think "how did I get here?" You don't remember the whole drive, but somehow your brain knew exactly what to do to get you there safely. That is because you have repeated that task every single day.

In sports, we practice over and over to develop muscle memory. With each repetition, athletes are creating "ruts" in their brains for how to perform the skill. Much like a back road that has ruts from tractors going back and forth all season, our brains create pathways from repetition. That's why we practice for our cheer competitions so much! Stress and nerves can wreak havoc on a routine. We create muscle memory so they don't have to think! Their bodies just do what they have been trained to do.

Just as repetitive movements create patterns, repetitive thoughts also create patterns in our mind. These physical changes in our brain matter are shown in how we look, how we speak, how we act, and how we feel. And just like when you slip into a deep rut on a gravel road, negative thought patterns can be difficult to get out of. As teachers, we are experts at building students up and filling their minds with positive, uplifting encouragement. But are we doing the same for ourselves? 

By deliberately choosing to set our hearts on joy, gratitude, and positivity, we can create new ruts, changing our thought patterns, impacting our mental health, and encouraging those around us. Attitudes are contagious and affect how those around us feel. That begins the moment we walk up and they see our faces. Proverbs tells us that "a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance...." Our hearts affect not only how we act, but how we look. And that, in turn, impacts those around us. 

As educators, our attitudes create the environment of our classrooms, our hallways, and our buildings. Just as our students get excited if we are excited, they become negative if we are negative. I think we can all agree that there are times when this is an incredibly difficult job that can really drag us down. Our students are a reflection of what we bring into the classroom. On those most difficult days, we want to be able to rely on the positive "ruts" that we have created in our brains to pull us through. That is so much easier said than done.

So how can we help create pathways of positivity in our brain? Making the decision every day to do these 4 things will help!

1. Let go of worry. Worry is a counterproductive thought pattern that actually interferes with problem-solving.
2. Stop comparing. Spending time looking at others keeps you from seeing the good in your life.
3. Break the habit of complaining. Use that energy to learn and grow through what you are going through.
4. Choose to smile and be grateful. We are truly blessed in so many ways.

At the end of the day, it's all a choice. After these negative brain patterns are formed, it takes a conscious effort to create new positive ones. However, the reward of living a life filled with joy and peace is the payoff.

Needing some daily movement? Check out these moves or these flows! Kids a little restless? Take a mindful minute!

Puderbaugh, M. (2023, May 1). Neuroplasticity. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557811/

Murfin, J. (2024). Choosing to be grateful : shifting mindsets. Christian Yoga Magazine, 4(20), 14–17.