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Monday / December 9

Be the wave this summer!

Summer is here and you have earned a break! We can all agree that teachers and school administrators have been working 24/7 this year and are exhausted from planning, online teaching, modifying lessons, writing, meeting virtually, and teaching in socially distanced classrooms. ENOUGH is enough!  

So now what? How can you shift from running at a thousand miles an hour from morning until night to a peaceful pace of moving through your day?  

Use the phrase “Be the wave”  to guide you. Practice one of these strategies to create that physical shift from the fast paced moving during your work day to a slower rhythm that soothes your body and mind.  

Here are three strategies to help you find your flow. 

  • Go to the beach. Plan a visit to a beach. Just zone out on the vibration of the wave energy and let the sound balance your emotions. If a trip to a beach is not possible, search for the sounds of waves and put your headphones on! Use this time to find that inner peace you have been looking for all year. 
  • Focus on fun. How many times during the year have you said, don’t have any free time? ” Schedule a “play-date” with yourself. Play integrates positive energy into your body and shifts your perspective. Choose some play that gets you moving and is fun! If you can’t think of anything fun to do, think about what you loved doing as a child and do that! 
  • LISTEN more, talk less. Teachers and administrators are talkers. We love to talk, direct, and help others. Talking takes energy and now that students are not in front of you every minute you actually don’t need to talk… as much. Plan a silent time where you intentionally listen to nature sounds around you. You may even notice your inner voice emerge to share some creative thoughts with you. 

To shift that 24/7 cycle of work, work, work use the flow of the wave to help you find your peaceful groove. Be the wave this summer and experience the fun in your life! 

Be the Wave is modified from Lesson 7 in the book Teaching With Light: Ten Lessons for Finding Wisdom, Balance, and Inspiration available from Corwin Press.  


Twitter: @MentorinAction 

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Written by

Carol Pelletier Radford is the founder of Mentoring in Action, an organization dedicated to the success of novice teachers and their mentors. Before she established her own organization to support mentors and new teachers, she was a veteran elementary school teacher and a teacher preparation leader. Carol is the author of Corwin’s bestselling books Mentoring in Action: Guiding, Sharing, and Reflecting With Novice Teachers and The First Years Matter: Becoming an Effective Teacher. 

Carol received her Education Doctorate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where she focused her studies on mentoring and teacher leadership. She is also a certified yoga teacher who practices meditation and shares mindfulness strategies with educators through her online courses and website. Her podcast Teaching With Light features the stories of teachers and inspirational leaders. Her next passion project is the creation of a Teacher Legacy Network, where retired teachers can share their wisdom with the next generation of teachers. 

You can learn more about Carol, find free resources, videos, meditations, courses, and all of her books at mentoringinaction.com/ 

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