Time Out! (for Coaches & Teachers)

 Football season is upon us, but it’s more than just athletes who need a Time Out! Teaching has never been a more stressful profession.  And ongoing stress has serious consequences, affecting the area of our brain responsible for memory and learning.
 
When stress is high and seems to be getting in the way of your coaching efforts, you might try some of the following to get both you and the teacher you are working with ready for a productive coaching session.
 
1) Take a deep breath.  You might even close your eyes while you do it. Don’t hide your attempt from the teacher you are working with. Our brains subconsciously mirror the emotions of others. As you relax, the teacher you are working with is likely to relax, too. You may even see the exhale.
 
2) Drop and relax your shoulders. We carry a lot of tension there! Rotate your shoulder blades and imagine the stress going down your arms and out of your fingertips.
 
3) Laugh out loud – it lowers stress hormones and boosts feel-good endorphins. You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian to bring out a chuckle!  Slip a comic strip in the front of your clear-view binder or share a story from the school-day that made you smile. Lightening the mood can increase the effectiveness of your coaching.
 
4) Add calming images, sounds, or scents. In your classroom or office, a photo or sound of waves washing up on the beach can foster relaxation. Bird song, music, lavender, the scent of pine trees, the sound of rain, or the image of a sunset are some other possibilities. Invite your senses to take you to a relaxing place. It will ease the way for an open conversation and make others feel good, too!
 
5) Chew gum.  A few minutes of chewing can actually reduce anxiety. So offer a minty stick when you sense tension.
 
6) Offer lotion. Our hands also carry a lot of stress, and applying lotion provides a mini hand-massage for instant relaxation.
 
7) Squeeze a stress ball. It’s a portable way to reduce tension.
 
8) Head outside. If it’s a sunny day, an outdoor walk-and-talk will lift your spirits and inspire new ideas.
 
9) Journal. Writing about what’s stressing you can make emotions less intimidating. In addition to reducing stress, taking a few minutes to write at the beginning of a coaching session builds in reflection time and can provide a springboard for discussion. Those two or three minutes for reflection feel like a luxury in our fast-paced days.
 
10) Food for thought: although complex carbs create a more lasting stream of serotonin, simple carbs, like sweets, produce a spike in the hormone that can get the brain in gear for productive conversation.  My favorite research about stress is that dark chocolate regulates the stress hormone, so now I have an excuse for my addiction!
 
Of course, you won’t try all of these at once. One or two will likely do the job, releasing helpful hormones that chase away some of the ill-effects of stress. Decide whether or not to explicitly mention the stress and what you are doing to relieve it based on the context, the people you are working with, and your relationship to them. 
 
The quick-fix stress-reducers mentioned above set the stage for the coaching conversation – which could be another stress reducer.  Talking about stressful situations to a calm listener relieves, relaxes, and creates opportunities for problem solving. 
 
Try a few of these suggestions yourself to get ready for the day. You’ve earned that time out!
 
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
An article about the value of reading for pleasure:
 
http://www.reading.org/reading-today/post/engage/2014/02/27/reading-pleasure-central-to-practice?utm_source=Inspire-1014&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Inspire

 
An article about using memorabilia as writing prompts:
 
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=348
 
An online app for Venn diagrams:
 
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/mobile-apps/venn-diagram-a-30994.html
 
A podcast with off-screen activities for remote learning:
 
http://www.nowsparkcreativity.com/2020/09/103-off-screen-activities-for-remote.html
 
 
Get convinced about the power of collaboration:
 
https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-08-09-say-yolo-to-studying-solo-the-power-of-collaborative-learning
 
 
That’s it for this week. Happy coaching!
 
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