HAPPY FRIDAY DANCE!

Are you doing the happy Friday dance today?  I did some happy dancing at two schools in Charleston this week.  (I really do like kids better than most adults I know!)

      

Even though I can't come to your school to dance, you can do this chair dance with me any day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIOSRvmYp94

Colleen Schmit is my guest blogger today and she wants to tell you about her new book.

Teacher burnout is real. It can encompass educators quickly and sometimes without warning. I am a victim of this fire and am not afraid to admit it. There are two tricky elements when dealing with burnout…the first is labeling the burn while you are up in flames. The second (and most important) element is dousing those flames so you can continue to be the best teacher you can be.

Teacher, let me help you…

I wrote The Burn Book to help teachers empower themselves with applicable strategies they can begin using immediately to help put out the fire. The book is short and sweet. That was very intentional. I want you to actually read it. Jargon and research filled books absolutely are valuable, but so are books you can easily read in 40 minutes. This quick read will delve into real topics and issues that teachers face daily: cliques, gossip, pressure to lose developmentally appropriate practices, a resistance to change, placing rigor over relationships, and a lack of self-care.

My very favorite colloquialism is: “If mama ain’t happy, nobody is happy”. The same goes for teacher! If teacher ain’t happy, nobody is happy. Nobody is having fun. Are you happy, Teacher? Are you having fun? Have you lost site of your mission? If so…you are the only one in charge of your choices. Take the reigns and guide your classroom back to engagement and enjoyment. Your job is to excite and light the way. You can’t do that if you’re on fire.

I never intended to be an author. My words are plain. Simple. You will find spelling and grammar errors. I ABSOLUTELY never intended to be a public speaker. You can place me in a room with thousands of five-year olds and I won’t flinch an inch. I can dance, sing, read, entertain with no worry. BUT you put me in a room with my peers and ask me to deliver a PD session and I freak out. Writing and speaking is scary, but guess what….I am learning to get over this fear because I believe so strongly in my mission. I know that if I can reach and help teachers to reclaim their joy in the classroom I can help thousands of kids by extension! My HOW has changed but my WHY is the same. I love teachers and am an advocate for our educators but above all else…I am an advocate for children. Let’s reclaim the joy back into our classrooms so we can make learning fun again for everyone! YOU can be the change. Learn how to douse the flames and get empowered.

“The Burn Book: 8 Key Strategies to Recognize and Extinguish Teacher Burnout” by Colleen Schmit can be found on Amazon.