Latest / ✨️Aligned and Thriving: For Teachers🌿 / What 15 Years in the Classroom Taught Me (That No PD Ever Could)👩🏼‍🏫

Transcript

What 15 Years in the Classroom Taught Me (That No PD Ever Could)👩🏼‍🏫 · ✨️Aligned and Thriving: For Teachers🌿

0:05
Hey guys, and welcome back to another episode of Aligned and
0:08
Thriving for Teachers. The space where we keep it real
0:11
about the roller coaster that is teaching while also making space
0:15
for our mindset manifestation and the magic that just happens
0:19
when you actually put yourself first.
0:22
I want to start off today with I've drawn a bit of a
0:25
affirmation. I've got a couple of packs from
0:28
Gabrielle Bernstein. She's written some really
0:30
amazing books like Super Attractor, Self Help, and The
0:33
Universe Has Your Back. If you haven't read any of
0:35
those, look, just pick one. They're amazing.
0:38
The other one I've just started to read is Miracles Now by Her
0:41
and it is great, but this one really sits well with me today.
0:46
It's basically I can decide today to recalibrate my energy
0:50
and commit to love and joy. And that is just so true with
0:55
our lives. Like honestly, I've talked about
0:59
it many times before, but you have a choice into how you react
1:03
to situations. You have a choice of how you
1:06
choose to actually think. Lots of choice.
1:08
It's it's you, you control it. So you can choose to recalibrate
1:12
your energy and commit to love and joy.
1:13
And I just thought that was so beautiful to start today's
1:15
episode. So there you go.
1:16
There's your little nugget of wisdom from me.
1:19
Well, I have myself a hot coffee and a tiny little window to get
1:24
some recording done while my beautiful kids are off doing
1:27
other mini activities because as always, glorified Uber driver.
1:31
But reallocated that tonight to my wonderful husband so I can
1:34
get some recording done because this is just too good.
1:37
Today's episode is honestly a bit of a heart one.
1:41
I want to reflect on the 15 plus.
1:44
Let's just not go there. How long?
1:46
Now? That makes me feel old.
1:47
But however long I've actually been in the classroom, I've been
1:51
in all kinds of roles across all different types of schools and
1:55
honestly, I have learnt a lot. Some lessons came gently and
2:01
others pretty much came like a freight train at 3:15 on a
2:04
Friday and just then hit hard. OK, so this episode is for
2:09
anyone, whether you're a fresh grad or someone who's been in
2:12
the game longer than me, just to remind you that you are not
2:15
alone and you are doing enough and you are completely and
2:19
utterly allowed to evolve. And I would encourage you to
2:22
keep doing so as well. I'll be weaving in some of my
2:25
personal stories. And if something I say links
2:28
back to a previous episode, I'll let you know where to go back so
2:31
you can deep dive into that space as well.
2:33
So go grab yourself a cuppa or pop in your earbuds while you're
2:36
walking and let's just dive in. Lesson 1.
2:41
You don't have to be everything to everyone.
2:47
Boundaries actually make you a better teacher and a better
2:51
human being. I talk more about boundaries in
2:55
my episode about boundaries. So if you haven't listened to
2:57
that yet in the self Care series, make sure you go back
3:01
and check it out. But what I want to say here is
3:03
that boundaries aren't about shutting people out.
3:07
They're about protecting your energy so that you can show up
3:11
better for your students, for your family, and most
3:15
importantly, yourself. And that took me a while to
3:20
learn. When I first started out
3:22
teaching, I honestly thought that I had to say yes to
3:25
everything. Every time I was asked to go on
3:28
a committee, help with an event, do an extra duty, my automatic
3:31
response was just like, Yep, no worries.
3:34
I thought that's what good teachers did, and you'd get more
3:37
brownie points if you just did everything and said yes.
3:40
But guess what? No one was handing out medals
3:42
for the burnout that came with that.
3:45
You didn't really get that gratification like I thought you
3:47
would. One year I remember putting my
3:50
hand up to join the school association and it wasn't even
3:53
something I wanted to do. I just thought, oh, it's a new
3:55
school, I've just committed. I really should.
3:57
But I was so exhausted. My plate was already overflowing
4:01
and adding another commitment did not help anyone, and least
4:04
of all me. The next year I gave myself
4:07
permission to say no, politely and respectfully, but I was
4:11
clear. And guess what?
4:12
The world didn't fall apart, actually had more energy for the
4:15
things that mattered to me in that space.
4:18
So if you need a reminder that you don't need to answer parent
4:22
emails after hours, you don't have to volunteer for
4:25
everything. You don't have to be the go to
4:28
for everyone else's problems. Protecting your time and energy
4:32
does not make you selfish, it just makes you sustainable.
4:36
OK, listen to not every lesson will land and that is OK.
4:43
You're allowed to try fail and but most of all, you need to
4:47
learn and laugh about it later. So let me tell you, I have had
4:52
many lessons go sideways over the years, but the most recent
4:56
one was during a relief day with I think a grade five class.
4:59
I had a beautifully thought out lesson planned on coordinates.
5:02
You know, something engaging was like a do this coordinate and it
5:05
will make a picture. It was interactive.
5:07
It was linked to where they were in the just all of the things.
5:10
So in my head it was amazing. But the kids had no idea how to
5:14
follow coordinates. No matter how I explained it
5:17
visually, verbally drawing it out, they just weren't getting
5:21
it. And you know that feeling when
5:23
you can see it all just falling apart and it seems it was just
5:26
like all unravelling, but you're already so deep in that.
5:31
Yeah. Look.
5:32
So in true Friends fashion, I had to pivot.
5:38
You can all picture Ross now with the couch.
5:39
Pivot, pivot. I'm not doing it justice, but
5:43
that's all I see and hear in my head.
5:46
So thankfully I actually had some stuff planned up my sleeve
5:49
because again, organised human, I had a math cahoot already done
5:53
as a backup that they could do. And look, they absolutely loved
5:56
it. They thrived, they were engaged
5:58
and it ended up being a great lesson and but completely not
6:01
the one that I had planned. But I learned learnt from this
6:05
and I laughed about it later. That's the thing about teaching
6:08
like sometime, sometimes your plan completely flops and you
6:11
just have to stop, review and pivot.
6:14
You're not a failure because your lesson didn't work.
6:16
It just means that you needed to have a backup plan.
6:20
It doesn't mean that you're not a good teacher.
6:22
It means that you're human. And the best part, those lesson
6:25
fails often become your funniest staff room stories later.
6:29
It's that's just how it works. So if you're listening to this
6:32
after a day when nothing went to plan, just remember you're not
6:35
alone and it's totally OK. Lesson #3 The best classroom
6:41
tool is connection. Honestly, curriculum matters,
6:47
but relationships change lives. I dive deeper in this in an
6:51
episode called like they don't care what you know until they
6:55
know you care. So make sure you give that one a
6:58
listen if you haven't already. But honestly, if I had to pick
7:01
one non negotiable for every teacher, it is this connection
7:05
always comes first, always. No excuses.
7:09
Every school year, every class, every student, before the
7:14
curriculum, before the assessments, before you launch
7:17
into your content, there needs to be trust.
7:20
So start here. Think back to your favourite
7:22
teacher, the one who really left a mark on you.
7:25
We've all got them. Was it their lesson structure?
7:28
Their unit plans, Their perfect whiteboard handwriting?
7:32
Probably not. What you remember and what your
7:35
students will remember is how they made you feel.
7:39
So if I go back to mine, that's probably grade 4.
7:43
I'd love to say that my mom was my favourite teacher because I
7:46
did have my mom as a teacher for two years.
7:49
But I have to say they're probably moms are probably
7:51
really hard on their kids. True.
7:53
And I love my mom dearly. She was and is an amazing
7:56
teacher. But for me, mine was actually my
7:58
grade 4 teacher and his name was Mr Handy.
8:02
Not a great name now, obviously, but that was his name.
8:07
Nothing he can do about that. But he was very musical and
8:11
talented and he was just, he would like to make stuff fun and
8:15
engaging. And I can remember that I was
8:18
getting bullied a lot for the way I looked and I was look, I
8:22
was stocky and I, but I was strong and I still am very
8:25
strong. And we actually had to do like a
8:27
bit of an experiment to see if we could like leverage some
8:31
things. And then he had, he drove like a
8:32
Volkswagen Beetle and he did this challenge where to see how
8:36
many kids it would take to lift the car.
8:38
And I was like, oh, great, now these boys are going to bully me
8:40
even more because we've got to go out and lift this car and
8:43
none of the girls will want to do it.
8:44
And I'm like, but I could do it. And so of course I got in there
8:47
and I gave it a go. But he knew how I was feeling at
8:51
that time. And he just praised it up so
8:54
well, but did it in a way that didn't make me feel embarrassed
8:58
or like singled out. It was just amazing.
9:00
And we always had that connection.
9:02
And if you're like upset. And he'd sing a song to the
9:05
class like we sang the Purple People Eater I can remember.
9:09
And when the boys were being naughty, like he had a trombone
9:11
and he was playing the trombone, you had to have that spit valve.
9:14
He would empty the spit valve on the floor near the boys that
9:17
were probably being a bit cheeky.
9:19
So they sort of got the hint. So I can just remember lots of
9:22
those things. But his big thing was
9:23
connection. He had a connection with
9:24
everyone and he would greet you every morning at the door.
9:27
It's just one of the strongest classroom management tools.
9:31
And even as a leader now, my most effective behaviour
9:34
strategy is relationships, having relationships with those
9:38
kids because when I know them and I know what's triggering
9:40
them, I can go and support them. It's taking the time to get to
9:44
know your students, the families, like everyone,
9:47
listening to them, letting them feel seen, valuing their voice.
9:51
Yes, the curriculum matters, but it lands so much better when a
9:55
child feels safe and seen in your room, OK?
9:59
They want to be known, they want to be heard, they want to feel
10:01
safe. So if you're in a tough season
10:05
or starting on a new class, just take a breath, slow down, and
10:09
remember that connection is the foundation.
10:12
Always 100% start with that Lesson 4.
10:16
You don't need to prove your worth by being constantly busy,
10:20
you are already enough. Let me ask you something
10:23
honestly, do you think you have to be that teacher?
10:27
You know, the one who's first to arrive, last to leave, stays
10:31
back late, takes work home, answers emails on the weekend
10:34
and is back again before the sun rises?
10:36
Because I did. Honestly, I brought that belief
10:40
in that the busier that I was, the better I must be.
10:44
The more dedicated, the more committed, the more on top of it
10:47
looking teacher. But honestly, that just led me
10:50
straight to burnout. I thought by being busy it was
10:54
just a badge of honour, but really it just became a tool for
10:58
avoidance and exhaustion and I ended up creating more work for
11:02
myself, blurring my boundaries and just I started feeling
11:06
really resentful towards what I was doing.
11:08
And the kicker? No one was clapping for me.
11:11
No one was handing out awards for sacrificing my evenings, my
11:15
weekends, my life outside of school.
11:18
Like it's the truth. You don't need to work yourself
11:22
to the bone to be a good teacher.
11:24
You don't have to be everything to everyone, and you absolutely
11:28
do deserve a life beyond your job title.
11:32
I had to unlearn the teacher Mata mindset, the idea that our
11:37
worth is tied to how much we give, how long we stay or how
11:41
tired we are. Now I focus more on doing what
11:45
actually matters. I prioritise presence, not
11:49
perfection. And I remind myself that rest is
11:52
productive too. So if you've been feeling like
11:55
you're always behind or you're never doing enough, I promise
11:58
you, you are. And if you are not, I'm not
12:02
actually sure how to answer that.
12:04
If you're not doing what needs to be done, but you need to have
12:07
priorities. But you are just allowed to just
12:09
be. And if you want more on this,
12:12
like I've got the episode about resting without guilt and all
12:15
that type of thing, you need to go back and do some self care
12:19
and focus on your boundaries. Learning to say no and just
12:22
learning those processes that make you help you to understand
12:25
that it's OK and you don't have to do everything.
12:29
Lesson #5 teachers are allowed to have bad days too.
12:34
You are not a machine. Give yourself some grace.
12:37
I say this all the time and I will say it here again.
12:41
You are human first, teacher second.
12:44
You're allowed to make mistakes. You're allowed to feel things.
12:48
You can feel all of the things we need to feel these emotions.
12:51
You're allowed to not have it all together every single day.
12:55
Some days you'll show up and be full of energy and ideas and be
12:58
joyful and other days it's not so much and that's OK.
13:01
I'm the same. You think I'm this happy perky
13:04
person all the time? No no no no.
13:07
I have had my fair share of off days as someone who is a
13:11
diagnosed celiac, so I have celiac disease.
13:14
They've been quite a few times where I've accidentally been
13:16
gluten and honestly it's like being death warmed up.
13:20
I have. Unless you are a celiac and
13:22
you've actually experienced this, you don't know what it
13:25
feels like. So please don't try and compare.
13:27
And I'm not asking for empathy or sympathy.
13:30
Nothing. None of the things.
13:31
But on those days when I had been accidentally gluten, I
13:34
chose to be really honest with my class.
13:38
I explained how I was feeling and what had actually happened
13:41
and that it wasn't a normal sick day.
13:43
It's not contagious but I look like I was pregnant because my
13:46
belly gets so bloated and it's hard and it hurts and I just
13:51
feel constantly ill and I'm like a different colour so it's just
13:54
not pleasant. You really needed to know what
13:57
was going on. Like I have a 2 hour window with
14:01
my celiac, so if I ingest gluten, I've got about two hours
14:03
before I'm violently ill and then the flow on effect is like
14:06
24 hours after that. I'm just bloated and horrid and
14:09
it's just, it's no fun. It's no fun for anyone.
14:11
Most of the time it happens by accident.
14:13
Actually should say all of the time happens by accident because
14:15
I do not do that to myself on purpose.
14:18
But yeah, so I, I was really honest and I think I was
14:21
teaching music at the time, so I had lots of different classes
14:23
and I just said, look, this is how I look today.
14:26
This is why. And I don't feel amazing.
14:27
So I may not be up and jumping around, but I'm still going to
14:30
be, I'm still here because I didn't want you guys to miss
14:32
out. And I was just honest.
14:34
And they honestly, they were so kind and they all stepped up,
14:37
even those really tough ones. They showed patience and they
14:40
actually offered help. And the next day there were
14:43
actually a couple of those kids that said, oh, how are you
14:45
feeling today? Are you feeling better?
14:47
You look better. I was like, oh, thank you.
14:49
Thanks for checking in. And another time I went to work
14:53
on the day that I'd lost another grandparent.
14:56
And so I was grieving and it was hard.
14:58
I literally had had the phone call that morning and I still
15:01
had to go to work. I can remember exactly where I
15:04
was because I'd just gotten out of the shower.
15:06
I was at the tower rail and my phone just kept ringing.
15:09
It was my mum. And like, she never rings.
15:11
I knew that this was happening and so I answered and she just
15:14
said it's it's done. She's at peace.
15:17
I thought, great, OK, that's fantastic.
15:21
What am I supposed to do now? Like, that's, it's where your
15:23
mind goes. I'm like, do I go to work?
15:24
Do I call in sick? I don't know.
15:26
So I went because I rather than just pushing through with a fake
15:31
smile, I named it up with my class.
15:33
I told them how I was feeling. And yeah, I cried a little bit
15:36
in front of them. But do you know what happened?
15:39
They didn't judge me. They didn't fall apart.
15:41
They showed me empathy, like real, honest, human empathy, and
15:46
it was such a reminder that when you have that relationship and
15:49
when you are real with your students, they rise to meet us
15:53
with compassion and it actually builds trust, not weakness.
15:57
So this is your permission slip to feel all your feelings, Name
16:02
what's going on and let go of the pressure to be on all the
16:06
time. You are not a robot and you
16:08
don't have to wear a mask. You're a person and that's
16:11
exactly who your students need. Lesson #6 celebrate the small
16:16
wins. A child that has just tied their
16:20
shoe, who has not been able to tie their shoes on their own in
16:23
years. The quiet little thank you or
16:26
those little smiles that you get when you do something for them.
16:29
They're just honestly gold in the middle of the busy, the
16:32
pressure, the data, the emails, the planning.
16:35
Like, don't miss the little things because honestly, they
16:39
are often the most meaningful moments in a teacher's day.
16:43
So celebrate everything, even those tiny little moments.
16:47
A student who normally forgets everything remembers their hat.
16:50
Hooray. A child who struggles with
16:53
writing finally writes a full sentence and you're on duty and
16:57
that little one runs up to you with a crumpled flower that
16:59
they've picked for you. Those are the true wins when
17:02
they bring those because it's they've got all that effort.
17:05
So sometimes they're easy to overlook, but they're actually
17:09
everything. For me, it's those little
17:11
moments that just stay in your heart.
17:13
The random little oh, I love you from a kid who usually gives you
17:17
absolutely nothing. Or when someone's been too shy
17:20
to speak in class, finally puts their hand up and actually
17:23
answers a question. It just knocks you off your
17:24
chair. And even just getting through
17:27
the day when your energy is low and still making a child smile
17:30
like that counts. Showing gratitude for these
17:33
moments, It shifts everything. It reminds you why you started.
17:37
It helps you anchor into the joy.
17:39
And it keeps you from slipping into the belief that only big
17:42
achievements matter. So make sure you pause and
17:46
notice and smile when they smile.
17:49
Say thank you when they say thank you.
17:51
And recognise that being part of these tiny little moments, it's
17:54
a privilege. You have an amazing job.
17:57
And yeah, it's hard, but within the chaos, there's these little
18:01
sparks. So look for them, celebrate
18:04
them, and don't forget to feel thankful even on those hard
18:08
days. We want to build a habit of
18:10
gratitude into our teaching life.
18:13
And if you want help to do that, like go back and check out the
18:16
episode that I've done, a gratitude over Grind, the
18:20
mindset, mindset shift that will change everything.
18:23
Look for that episode just to remind you about that, because
18:25
honestly, gratitude does change everything.
18:29
Lesson #7 you can't pour from an empty cup and you can't refill
18:35
it once a term either. OK, Daily micro moments of self
18:39
care aren't optional, they're essential.
18:43
You want to reset? Scroll back to all of my self
18:46
care episodes and pick one that resonates with you.
18:48
I've shared heaps of practical ideas for teachers that go
18:50
beyond the idea of just a bubble bath, but I'll keep beating this
18:54
drum until you get the message. You can't show up for your class
18:58
if you're running on fumes. Self care is not a reward, it is
19:01
a requirement. And no, waiting until the
19:04
holidays does not cut it. If you can see me, I'm like
19:07
wagging my finger at you. No, no, no, you need to be
19:10
looking after you every single day.
19:14
Whether it's taking that deep breath between classes, having a
19:17
protein bar in peace, or 60 seconds of mindset work in the
19:21
car park, it all counts. Maybe I'm just talking about
19:24
what I did today, because that seems like exactly what I did
19:27
today. Plus I had a coffee.
19:30
Fill your own cup first, then you'll be full of overflow and
19:34
you can flow into this. OK lesson #8 stay curious.
19:40
Curiosity beats criticism every single time.
19:44
Whether it's students behaviour or your own emotional triggers
19:47
or a new teaching strategy that's pushing you out of your
19:49
comfort zone, curiosity is what leads to growth.
19:53
And I'll be honest, I've had to learn a lot from students,
19:55
especially when it comes to technology.
19:57
I have lived through many stages of it and I still don't know
20:01
everything, but I've learned to be OK with that.
20:04
During COVID, I think I accidentally mastered half of
20:06
the TikTok dances just trying to keep up with my students.
20:10
And while I may not recommend every dance move, what I do
20:14
remember is that I gained a lot from staying curious.
20:18
It helped me stay connected and relevant and just be human.
20:22
This mindset has honestly helped me reframe some tricky
20:25
situations and behaviours. Instead of reacting with
20:27
judgement, I ask like, what's really going on here?
20:30
It's not about having all the answers, it's about being open
20:33
to exploring them. So if you're feeling stuck or
20:36
frustrated in your classroom, try swapping judgement for
20:40
curiosity. Lesson #9 mentors matter.
20:44
Teaching is not meant to be done alone.
20:47
I used to think that I didn't need help.
20:49
Oh yeah, stubborn first year teacher vibes.
20:51
Maybe just a little. I'm still a little bit stubborn
20:53
now. That's that's the Dutch in me.
20:56
But the truth is, we all need people.
20:58
We need mentors, we need peers, we need encouragers, we need
21:00
truth tellers and those who just get it.
21:03
I have a whole podcast episode on these two because once I let
21:06
others in, everything shifted. It changed me.
21:10
So give a shout out to someone who's helped like shape your
21:14
teaching journey. And if you're a few years in,
21:16
maybe now you're that person for someone else.
21:19
Find your people. Be the person that you once
21:23
needed or that you need now. And go back and check out some
21:26
other episodes for a deeper dive on that too.
21:29
Lesson #10 Energy is contagious. This works both ways, for good
21:34
and bad. Your vibe often sets the tone.
21:38
Not your perfection, but your presence.
21:41
Just like we pass around colds and germs in a school, we also
21:44
pass around our energy. Have you ever noticed that?
21:47
How your happiness can spread like wildfire?
21:50
And like how you walk into the staff room and you smile and it
21:52
can spread. On the flip side, when you're
21:55
stressed out or flat, that energy ripples out of you too.
21:58
Like it's not about being perfect, it's about being
22:00
present and taking a moment to check in with yourself in the
22:03
morning. Centering your mindset or
22:05
grounding your energy can set the absolute, absolute tone for
22:09
your whole class. Some mornings I've walked in
22:12
flat and frazzled and felt the energy tank with me and just
22:16
gone. Oh no.
22:18
But when I walk in grounded and smiling, the whole room shifts
22:23
and you can feel it. Your energy is honestly
22:25
powerful. If you're a parent or you live
22:29
with other people, you'll actually notice this shift with
22:32
others as well because we sort of bounce off each other.
22:35
So if I'll talk to me, because that's my experience.
22:38
So being a mom, if my energy is really like I'm quick to react
22:43
and I'm sharp and I'm tired and I'm snappy, then that's pretty
22:48
much what comes back to me from the kids.
22:50
So sometimes I need to stop and have a deep breath and just go.
22:52
Don't let it get to you. Just breathe.
22:55
It's OK Give it a minute. It's going to happen.
22:57
We can do this like, otherwise we're going to end up with World
23:01
War 45678 and I don't know what we're up to now, but your energy
23:04
is powerful, so you need to protect it and share it wisely.
23:09
Now we're up to enough. 11, less than eleven.
23:13
No one's figured it all out the same as if you can hear through
23:17
this episode. I can't figure out how to get my
23:19
dog to stop barking. So if you do hear her barking,
23:23
it's because no one else is home and I've given her a chew.
23:26
She won't chew it on the floor near me, She just is barking at
23:29
her own reflection. To be honest, I took her for a
23:32
walk before recording and she actually got a bit skittish
23:35
because she's pretty much petrified of everything that's
23:38
bigger than her. She likes to think that she's
23:40
tough, but she's also scared. And she we're actually walking
23:44
down the road and the big dog from next door actually got out.
23:48
There's they're doing work and there's no fence.
23:50
And so he's actually quite friendly, but he's a big
23:52
Doberman. Like he's a big dog, like
23:54
dachshund versus Doberman. This is what you're now
23:57
betraying in your head, right? So he's like half the size of
24:00
me, but he's OK when he's outside because that's not his
24:04
domain. He's sort of only angry when
24:05
he's in the fence, if that makes sense, Protecting his land.
24:09
Anyway, so she obviously got really like, my dog got really
24:12
scared so I had to pick her up and she was like shaking like a
24:15
leaf. And he was just like sniffing
24:16
around and told him to go away and he went away.
24:18
But now we're home and she's just barking her head off.
24:21
So if you do hear that in the background, no one has it
24:24
figured all out. I like no.
24:27
Behind every together teacher is a barking dog, a stack of unread
24:31
emails and a mental To Do List that could rival Mount Everest.
24:35
Honestly, I've worked with a principal before that loves
24:39
sticky notes. Like the To Do List was just
24:41
sticky notes everywhere. But that works for that person.
24:45
Might not work for you, but if you ever found yourself
24:47
scrolling and thinking how does she do it all?
24:51
Pause and breathe and remember this.
24:54
No one actually does. Even those teachers who seem
24:58
really calm. Excuse me, cool and collected
25:02
and colour coded. They're probably still winging
25:05
it in at least one area of their life.
25:07
I used to think that if I just read the right books, followed
25:10
the right strategies and organised my planner just right
25:14
that I'd eventually crack the code.
25:16
But the truth is, even with all the personal growth in the
25:19
world, life still gets messy and throws your curveballs.
25:24
So if you're stuck living in comparison, I get it.
25:26
I've been there. I still go there, but that's why
25:30
I created the episodes based around the book Miracles now
25:33
that I've been reading. Not to give you more to do, but
25:35
to remind you that you're not behind.
25:37
You are simply human. You can be a miracle worker and
25:41
a mess all at the same time. So the next time that you are
25:45
doubting yourself, go re listen to those ones.
25:47
Not to learn more, but just to remember who you are underneath
25:51
the pressure lesson #12 I love this.
25:55
Mindset is everything how you see the day will often shape how
26:02
the day sees you It's not about pretending that everything's
26:05
perfect, but it's about choosing your lens.
26:08
One small little shift in your thought process can ripple into
26:13
everything. I talk about this often and I
26:16
talk about this mostly in the manifesting episodes and the
26:18
self care episodes, especially in the ones on your mindset
26:22
reframes and showing up as your future self, like acting as if.
26:25
But even when something is as simple as asking yourself like,
26:29
what is one thing I can control today?
26:33
Like that's where it all begins. You've got to think about what
26:36
you can actually control in that space to get you thinking about
26:40
that. I've got some journal prompts
26:42
for you because I like to give everyone homework because I'm a
26:44
teacher and that is life. Now, I'm only joking, but
26:47
journaling actually helps you to get those thoughts out of your
26:50
head and onto a page and refer back to them.
26:52
So use these anytime you feel stuck, heavy, or just want to
26:57
get back into your power. So number one, what energy do I
27:01
want to bring into today #2 What's something I've overcome
27:06
before that I can remind myself of now?
27:09
And that's a really good one. Because if you think about a day
27:11
where you had a hard day and you overcame it, you can refer back
27:14
to that and go, no, I can do this because I did that #3.
27:19
How would the most empowered version of me show up today #4
27:25
What do I need to let go of to feel lighter #5 What thought
27:31
isn't serving me right now, and what's a better one that I could
27:34
choose instead? That's that reframing it number
27:38
six. What am I grateful for?
27:41
Even in the chaos, it's finding those little wins #7.
27:45
What is 1 tiny action I can take today that supports my dream
27:49
life #8 If today turned out even better than expected, what would
27:55
that look like #9 What am I telling myself that isn't
28:00
actually true? Like get rid of it, write it
28:02
down and throw it away #10 What would I tell a friend if they
28:06
were feeling this way? And that's a really good one to
28:09
reflect upon that if someone else was in this situation, what
28:13
would you be telling them? What advice would you give those
28:18
questions? True, if you use something like
28:20
I do, like AI chat GTP and you have trained and talked to your
28:25
chat GP, GTP or your AIA lot, that can help guide you in how
28:29
to answer some of those questions.
28:30
If you think, oh, I've done this today, how could I reframe this?
28:33
Yeah, just another strategy. Listen #13 manifestation isn't
28:38
magic, it's alignment. You know what you want, so act
28:42
like it's already yours and show up for it.
28:44
You're already manifesting, whether you realise it or not.
28:47
Your thoughts, your energy and your actions are always creating
28:50
something. The real shift is getting
28:52
intentional about what you're creating.
28:56
In the podcast episode On Manifestation, Yep, the one
28:58
where I show you the UPS and the downs and the insurance and the
29:00
outs about doing that in the classroom and manifesting a
29:03
better term and all those things, I really breakdown how
29:05
you can start aligning with what you actually want.
29:08
I talk about Jordana's manifestation equation and go
29:12
into that in more detail. But it's not about like crystals
29:15
and hoping. It's about showing up as if you
29:17
already have it. You need more patience with your
29:20
class. We'll visualise it.
29:21
Speak it into being like be the calm your energy radiates.
29:25
Remember, if you want more time freedom, start noticing where
29:30
you already have choice. You have 24 hours in a day.
29:33
If anyone else wants to tell me that they don't have enough
29:36
time, then clearly you are not using your time wisely.
29:38
OK so maybe have a think about that.
29:41
You can apply this to any situation and it's an absolute
29:43
game changer when you realise you're not waiting on outside
29:46
circumstances, you're just aligning with the version of you
29:50
that already has it. Come and chat with me in my DMS
29:53
if you want to know how any of this works, or go back to that
29:57
episode if you need a reminder because it's one of my fives.
29:59
Lesson #14 Teaching is part of your life, but not your whole
30:04
identity. And I've told you this before.
30:07
You're allowed to grow, to shift, to change direction.
30:10
Teaching might not might light up your soul.
30:13
And still you're allowed to want more.
30:15
More time, more income, more creative outlets, more space to
30:20
just be you beyond your teacher hat.
30:23
We've touched on this before, but it's worth repeating that
30:25
you are so much more than your job.
30:28
I adore teaching. It's still a huge part of who I
30:31
am. But I've also learned that
30:33
giving myself permission to explore other paths like side
30:36
hustles, creative projects, podcasts, running a book has
30:41
brought more energy and presence back into my teaching too.
30:45
Maybe for you it's about building and in case things
30:48
don't work out, fund. Maybe it's about covering the
30:51
never ending cost of kids, sport and weekend activities like me.
30:55
Maybe it's simply about having options and the freedom to say
30:59
yes or no when the time comes. So just take this moment to
31:04
reflect again. But what other parts of yourself
31:07
are asking to be expressed? What are you making?
31:12
Where are you going to make space for some growth?
31:15
What does more look like for you right now?
31:18
Because you're not selfish for wanting more.
31:21
You're human and we're evolving and we're worthy of a life that
31:24
fits us, not just the role. OK, And lesson #15 kids will not
31:30
remember the perfect programme. They will remember how you made
31:34
them feel. That's true legacy.
31:38
You can plan the most beautiful lesson, you can colour code your
31:42
resources, you can tick all the boxes, hit the learning goals,
31:45
but in the end, it's the way you made those kids feel that stays
31:49
with them. The other day I went out with my
31:52
mom and one of her former students for many years ago.
31:55
He actually served us. He stopped and sort of came back
31:58
over after he served us and said, oh, do you Remember Me,
32:01
miss? And then they had a bit of a
32:03
chat and then he asked if he could hug her right there.
32:06
And then he told her, you were the teacher that cared about me.
32:10
I still remember that. So these coffees are on me.
32:13
And then he walked away. Mom told me later that she had
32:17
had that student sitting outside her office in trouble quite,
32:21
quite a bit, that had lots of conversations, lots of
32:24
reminders. And in those conversations, she
32:28
was talking to him about his potential and that she believed
32:31
in him and that he could make good choices.
32:33
And if he believed in himself, then he could start to learn to
32:36
make those choices. And you know what he did?
32:40
He changed and he turned it around.
32:43
And that's the legacy. That's the power you have.
32:47
And I promise that you'll have those moments too.
32:52
And if right now you're finding it hard, especially with those
32:55
tricky ones, I have a whole episode dedicated to learning
32:59
how to love the hard kids. So go and have a listen to that
33:02
one. It might just be what your heart
33:05
needs today, honestly. So there you go.
33:10
That is my Heart on the Table episode for today.
33:13
I could honestly just go on because I've probably got a
33:15
whole list of things that I've learned because teaching will
33:18
keep teaching me new things every year.
33:21
But if any of those lessons hit home for you, send me Adm, talk
33:25
to me, tag me in the story, share it with your friends.
33:27
Or even better, give this episode a review.
33:30
Give the podcast a review, give it five stars, whatever you want
33:33
to do. Because sharing and getting the
33:35
stuff out there, it will then lead more people to be able to
33:40
hear this message. And that's my aim.
33:43
It's not to be famous or popular, any of those things.
33:47
My aim is that I am sharing this type of information with other
33:52
teachers so that I can help others, especially in the chaos
33:57
that is teaching Aligned and Thriving isn't just a podcast
34:00
title, it's a way of being. You're allowed to thrive even in
34:05
the chaos. So Please remember that.
34:08
So until next time, make sure you're taking care of you while
34:12
I unstick my phone from the table because it was a bit
34:14
stuck. But take care of you and I will
34:19
talk to you again next time. So keep being aligned, keep
34:22
thriving. I'll talk soon.
34:24
Bye, guys.