The ABC Guide to Teacher Hygge
The Calm, Comfort, and Cozy of Teaching
I am always on a mission to find more comfort and joy in life. Naturally, I became more curious about how I could infuse my classroom and the act of teaching with more comfort and cozy as well. I stumbled upon the word “hygge” on Pinterest after posting a few photos of rainy days, coffee cups, and twinkle lights as backgrounds. I love all things cozy, but the idea of taking this idea of coziness and comfort into the classroom didn’t hit until I started to read more and post more about hygge. I really don’t envision my classroom at school being filled with candles and everyone sipping peppermint tea like we are at a cafe, but I do see how some of the mantras from the practice of hygge can transfer over into the classroom and create an atmosphere of happiness. I think it is also important to consider the importance of comfort and cozy in the role of online learning. While I know many of us can’t makeover entire corners of our homes and online learning classrooms, some of the ideas in this post can apply to make ourselves feel a little more at ease while teaching from home. Hygge is about comfort. I am hoping that some of the ideas with hygge in this post lead to more happiness in my classroom and home, and therefore, lead to better wellness for me and my students.
According to The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (The Happiness Institute Series) by Meik Wiking, “The word hygge originates from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being.” For almost five hundred years, Denmark and Norway were one kingdom, until Denmark lost Norway in 1814. Hygge appeared in written Danish for the first time in the early 1800s, and the link between hygge and well-being or happiness may be no coincidence” (ix). Let’s start with how you pronounce hygge. To sound it out, you would say “hue-guh.” Like the hues of the sun and guh rhyming with duh. Hygge is “about an atmosphere and experience, rather than about things” (vi). In short, hygge creates an atmosphere of calm and comfort in everyday things and experiences we all identify with naturally, and then these feelings create a sense of happiness.
The best way I can explain it is to give some examples. I love bookshops because of how they make me feel. Hygge. I love rainy mornings tucked away under warm blankets because of the comfort. Hygge. I am pulled back to journaling when I am stressed because of the calm. Hygge. The things that we are called to that also make us find comfort and joy (cue Holiday music) are all items that would count as hygge. We all have our own hygge; I just want to provide a lens into how this idea can transfer to education to better our classrooms and our mindset.
My #teacherhygge spread in my bullet journal.
The ABCS
Here are some ideas of how the concepts of hygge can lend themselves to classrooms and into a teacher’s personal life. Perhaps you are already doing some of these things regularly. Perhaps you can be reminded about some of the ideas or haven’t done them in awhile. My goal this school year is to instill some comfort and joy into the physical space of my classroom and into the zeal behind my lessons. I have always found there is a power behind naming the exact thing I am doing. I want to do happiness on purpose in my classroom.
A
Acts of kindness. Drop a note in another teacher’s mailbox, send an email, or commit to writing notes to kids. I have done notes at an open house where parents or guardians write encouraging notes to their students, and I have a teacher in my building who faithfully has kids write notes to other teachers on the team. Find ways to share kindness.
B
Blanket scarves or oversized sweaters. Whatever you need to get through colder months in comfort. Here in Michigan, winter doesn’t really set in until January. I am tucking away a few scarves for days when I wish I was carrying around a blanket.
C
Coffee. Tea. Hot drinks. Anything that gives you personal calm while teaching or while doing your own learning. I can’t explain the number of days where taking a few seconds to sip something warm has given me a sense of peace when everything feels like chaos. Small gestures to yourself matter.
D
Draw or do sketch notes. The science being adult coloring is clear, and our kids love to draw and color. One of my most challenging classes begs to draw on days when they are done with an assignment or want me to print a picture out for them to use as a point of reference. I also like to draw in my bullet journal to show myself that I am constantly still learning.
E
Exercise. Some people may have just said to themselves, “Exercise does not bring me comfort or joy. It is the opposite.” I hear you. However, since taking up yoga, I am calmer and find myself breathing deeper throughout the day. Find the method of exercise you identify with, and then don’t beat yourself up about it not fitting in with what you think exercise should be. I often think I should be running more, or lifting weights, but yoga gives me time to sweat with a workout and peace. Hygge.
F
Food. The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living suggests all things hearty and sweet. Go for the treat or the delicious stew. If that isn’t what you want, pack a snack you enjoy for plan time. Get serious about meal planning in a way that you feel good about what you are putting into your body. Take the time to eat during your lunch or on plan. I know you may need to run copies or tackle a to-do list, but try to eat to take a moment to eat food that serves you.
G
Gamify your class. Kahoot. Nearpod. Flipgrid. Quizizz. There are tons of technology resources that can make learning fun with games. You can also embrace that kids love computer games or have them create games for the lessons. I once had a class take the information they learned from our MLA research unit and create board games to play. The element of play is huge in the concept of happiness for both kids and adults.
H
Hobbies. Try out a cooking class or crochet or knit a scarf. Journal or bullet journal or read outside of your usual genre. Teachers need to have hobbies that fuel the people they are outside of the classroom because our students do as well. Maybe you would like to draw, do photography, play video games, or attempt interior decorating.
I
Images and photography. With the majority of us being visual learners, I try to use pictures as much as I can in my lessons and in writing prompts. I also like to incorporate images of my own life behind my desk. If I am able to use video clips or images to help empower a lesson further, I like to add it to the lesson plan. I came upon hygge because I was pinning some images to my “happy board” on Pinterest. I liked the lighting and the atmosphere. Images envoke powerful emotion and connection.
J
Journaling. I am a huge advocate for my own journal and bullet journal set up to act as a planner. However, I also use journaling to respond to a read-aloud or when we are talking about tough issues. If something comes up in class that is a hot debate or rather controversial, I always have students do journaling first. We write to know ourselves after all.
K
Kit. Make a self-care kit. While the buzzword “self-care” now sounds cliche, making a self-care kit is not overly done. The kit can contain even just a few items. Here are some ideas:
Favorite lip balm or gloss
Lotion that brings back a scent memory
A favorite book or poem
Cozy blanket or socks
Old student notes of thanks or old student drawings
Movie tickets or photos
L
Lighting. I am not suggesting that you put candles all around your room and turn off the lights. However, fluorescent lighting has been linked to headaches. Get a lamp for your desk. Dim the lights if you can. I also use lighting as a cue for activities when possible. My students know that the lights will get dimmed during reading time, and they go back brighter during the whole group lesson. I like twinkle lights, especially if I am doing a poetry slam event.
M
Music. I have music with words and without words that I will often play during student work time. I also play music during transitions. Kids get to listen to music when they do freewriting on Fridays. Music has a solid place in my life, and it can be a powerful tool in the classroom with engagement and comfort.
N
Nature. Bring natural elements into the classroom as best as you can. I like to listen to nature sounds if other music is not available. I have managed to kill most of the green plants that have entered my classroom, but I have a couple of fake ones that are nice. I have also set up a fake plant by my desk at home while learning online. Some students are allergic to flowers, but decorations and signs can make a space feel more like home as well.
O
Outdoors. Get outside on your own or with your students. Perhaps do a nature sensory writing walk. We rejuvenate when we connect to the natural world and feel the fresh air. Kids get so excited about going outside. As soon as it is warm, we head outside to read. When it is snowing, I make sure the blinds are open so kids can see the snowfall outdoors.
P
Party. Whenever my team at school seems to be in a funk, we ask ourselves, “When is the last time we celebrated something or partied?” We can hold class movie parties or give celebration notes to students. We try to make it so all students have a chance to be celebrated. I feel like this is an area that all schools can work on in terms of positive behavior supports and school improvement because schools are lacking togetherness. Some of my happiest memories are celebrations. Spread the love.
Q
Quilt. I love projects where everyone contributes to something. It does not have to be a sewing project, but maybe students all color a piece of something to make a bigger image to display. Maybe your class creates a classroom poem together, or they do group projects or presentations. The words “join together” are literally in the definition of quilting. Build a classroom community by bringing people together through ideas, classwork, or the lessons in class.
R
Read in all ways. Read aloud, independent reading, whole-class novels, poetry, short stories, and more. Hold a Flashlight Fridays where kids read with flashlights or create projects where kids can get books in raffles. The aspect of current and relevant, diverse texts in our classrooms-no matter the subject area-affirms our students’ identities and creates calm and comfort.
S
Snow days. We may not be there yet when it comes to back-to-school, but kids are already thinking of snow days. Get fancy with snow day traditions. Hang snowflakes, put pajamas on backward, flush ice cubes down the toilet-whatever makes you happy. I don’t pretend to not like snow days because everyone loves snow days. Snow days seem like the definition of hygge if I am having a hard time understanding the concept.
T
Traditions. Traditions build community in families, and they build the unit that is the classroom makeup of students and the teacher. This expands beyond the elements of the classroom routines. This may mean call and response activities, means of celebration, shared phrases or handshakes, or even shared jokes. Traditions build feelings of happiness and belonging.
U
Use your time. Take the sick days. Schedule to go to a teaching conference. Get grading under control. Do anything you can to get your time back on your side. So often, we as teachers, feel like we cannot use the time outside of teaching as our own time. However, the time that we aren’t teaching is time to work on hobbies, feed into mental and physical wellness, and be with friends and family. This investment of time will pay off during our teaching lessons and hours at school because we are present and happy.
V
Vent. Teaching is about the community. Vent about some issues or struggles going in your classroom to get new perspectives and fresh ideas. I cannot tell you the number of times I have struggled with a lesson and asked for feedback on how it could go better. If others are not available to you, do a brain dump in a journal. Reach out on social media and find ways to connect with other teachers.
W
Write in all ways. Write letters. Find another classroom to do a penpal project to build writing connections. Journal. Write thank-you notes. Do freewriting as a way to engage in narrative storytelling. Share stories. Writing is a method of expression, but it is also a way to access wellness.
X
Xerox. Get cozy with your copies. Enjoy the warm feeling as they come off the printer, but also get some color copy paper to print on for different lessons or routines. This feeds the power of routine, but it also is fun to see the different colors of copy paper in the room. I did a great joy writing activity where all the different genres had their own colors. The kids could identify with the genre, but they also understood what to do with the project due to the colors.
Y
YouTube fireplace. Like music, I like to play the youtube fireplace during reading time. Kids say sometimes that it actually feels like the classroom is warmer (that may just be the actual heater I have in my room because I hate to be cold). The fireplace creates an atmosphere of cozy almost immediately. I also like to use this scene on my Calm app in the morning when I am working on morning pages.
Z
Zen out. Focus on mindfulness and mindset in your own life and in your classroom. We have to move to a place where we are publicly dealing with mental health within ourselves and in our students. Be brave and embrace the awkwardness of a “mindful minute.” Try out meditating. Use journaling about tough issues. Try out different activities that help with a growth mindset, stress, and anxiety. Social-emotional learning is not just for kids; adults need to focus on these lessons as well.