Ten C’s for Teachers to stay well while staying at home for work 😊 Part 2

Continuing with our 10 C’s... 

Can-do-ness

This is about self-belief and self-efficacy; you are a competent teacher and this situation doesn’t change that. Teaching is likely going to be quite different, and there will certainly be challenges, but the heart of what you do hasn’t changed… you are still building and maintaining relationships.

Remember, you’ve got this!  

It helps to spend some time thinking about what your strengths are and how you can use those strengths in different ways. For the areas that you are uncomfortable with, this is a time to ask for help, there are a number of people out there ready and willing to help us.

Create

There is a myth out there that only some people are ‘creative’, and the rest of us just aren’t. Creativity isn’t just about being able to make masterpieces, it is something that is an innately human endeavour. We are creative when we play with ideas, when we whip up a meal, when we put together an outfit, when we plant a garden, when we make art, when we tell stories, when we plan a lesson… you get the idea. Even a small amount of creativity where we take risks and embrace our mistakes can be great for our brain and sense of self.

We have been given an opportunity to have time to really get creative in our work and play which could be a little bit exciting. It doesn’t have to be straight away, you might not be ready yet, but the opportunity is there. Perhaps start small and work your way up.  

Connect

This is huge. Connection with others is a physiological need; we can’t survive, let alone thrive, without other people from the time we are born. Consider how you are connecting with colleagues, students, your friends and family. As many are saying at the moment we may be physically isolated but we don’t have to be socially isolated.

Relationships are key for us in teaching, always have been, always will be.  How we relate to our learners is important- our communication channels might be different now but the need to form and maintain connection remains the same. One of the differences is that our communications may be more open, with more engagement with the family of our students and more personal as we are visiting each other’s homes (albeit virtually). This could be hugely positive in creating stronger links between families, learners and their teachers. 

This is a big question for us to consider and keep in mind as we plan ahead. What do we really want for the learners in our care?