Survivor!

Tamara Irving
“At first I was afraid I was petrified” is the first line of the famous song by Gloria Gaynor, I Will survive. Throughout the song Ms. Gaynor mentions how she grew strong and learned how to get along.

While the lyrics may have been taken out of context, they are still key parts to the song. As educators, we may have found moments during the past school year where we were simply surviving and hanging on by thread at times. Yet, imagine all the tools and tricks that we've managed to learn during this time.
We've learned that as teachers we are not superhuman and that we must take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our students. We've learned that we need to be reasonable with ourselves; that may mean scaling back workloads for ourselves and for our students when possible.

While we are experts on learning, we have been forced to experiment in real time which means learning new tools to help us navigate during these times on a whim.

It is extremely helpful to have resources that are created ‘by teachers for teachers’; workbooks, tools, and curriculum that are actually applicable to our profession and help us to indeed survive.

Here are three tools that may help you in your survival mode:

  1. Embrace a growth mindset, knowing that being an educator requires you to be a lifelong learner. If you are going to be great for your students, you have to be great for yourself while continuing to have an open mind.

  2. Take care of yourself so you can be there for your students. Practice self-care and embed it into your lifestyle.

  3. Use any tools you need to help you manage your school year, whether they be free or paid resources. Now may not be the time to reinvent the wheel, there are many valuable resources ready and waiting for you.

More Teacher Tools

To learn more about how to survive during an overwhelming school year, check out our SEL and You: Teacher's Tools workshop in the SEL Foundations bundle. This workshop is available in both an elementary school teacher version and a middle & high school teacher version. Find this bundle here.
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More SEL Teacher Workshops

Identity Workshops

Focus on teaching and supporting your students as they navigate their identity, explore their emotions and develop self-management skills

Equity Workshops

Learn more about how to create an equitable learning environment in your classroom and school from perspective-taking, racial equity, neurodiversity, and more. 

Well-Being Workshops

Learn how to teach students about their own well-being including trauma-informed teaching practices and decision-making skills. 

Community Workshops

Support your students as they navigate tough social situations and create healthy relationships.

Student SEL Curriculum

Find ready-to-use SEL curriculum for your Kindergarten through 12th grade students with the Seltrove student planners! Learn more about our curriculum here.
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