Want to Shift Your Mindset When You Hate Remote Learning? Here's How.
Mindset Shifts to Make When All You Feel is Negativity and Doubt
“Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.” -Maya Angelou
The move to online and distance learning has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, feelings, and actions. I have simultaneously felt like I am not doing enough, and then in another moment, I am trying to tackle all of the things to make myself feel better, more productive. I am asking myself,
“Are you reading enough?”
“Are you writing enough?”
“Are you thinking enough about what matters? The work that has to be done when we go back?”
“Are you sleeping?”
All of these are check-ins with normal routines and behavior. However, we aren’t in a normal routine or behavior mode. This is something different. I have noticed that many of my first reactions to emails, news feeds, blog posts, and videos about distance learning come with “knee-jerk” reactions that make me feel well,...like a jerk. I started last week working purposefully to get myself out of negative reactions immediately, and then focus on the positive aspects of all situations.
During the course of the past month, I have watched other teachers and people in education take on distance learning with full force. What teachers are doing is powerful. The expectations and protocols to move online and the variances from district-to-district are also stifling. Some are being asked to do too much, other teachers not as much. The moral compass of all of this begs the question, what is right in all of this? My answer would be whatever is best for children and creates a positive response in both you and your online classroom. This blog post outlines how to use your journal to shift to positivity, and it uses many negative reactions as writing prompts to get you thinking about your own mindset.
Sometimes we need to make our own positivity.
Mindset Shifts with Your Journal
Get a notebook or a piece of paper. Make three columns. Label each column with the following prompts. I am going to do the same. Here is a great feeling list from The Hoffman Institute in case you need to find the right words to match how you feel.
I feel…
I want…
So,...
Each time this week (and the week’s coming) I am faced with something negative that causes me to pause or feel distraught or down, I am going to focus on using the three prompts at hand. I already have put some of these into play as many things about online distance learning just don’t feel right or natural.
Common Fixed or Static Mindset Statements
All of the following are “feeling” statements that I have heard in the past few days. I have even said some of them as reactions to emails, shared Google Docs, or plans shared from my district. Please do not be too hard on yourself if you find that you are in a funk, feel down or negative, or just want to be mad. I think this is more than fine. It is actually needed. It is part of this process. I would argue that as long as you make the shift or the change to positivity, it is healthy to walk through the process of feeling first, digesting, and then deciding how you feel. The goal of this post is to remind all of us that we are in charge of deciding how we feel. Therefore, our feelings can mindfully determine actions and our actions have the power to change the way we do business.
The target each day is to make the shift to positivity.
“It seems like nobody is thinking clearly about a plan.”
This reaction comes from a place of wanting control. This expresses a need to want to have a clear plan that everyone understands. Often, this is coming from a place where things seem impossible. How are we supposed to reach all of our students with disabilities, special needs, or lack of devices or connectivity? How are we supposed to replace real learning with online learning? We have to remind ourselves (sometimes daily) that nobody has made this type of online learning distance plan before. We are all learning together.
I feel a lack of control…
I want control…
So, the parts of this situation that I can control are…
“I am already fearful about the pandemic. I cannot possibly teach during this time, and I don’t think my kids can learn.”
This statement comes out for those that are scared or panicked or fearful. As many of us are worried about our families, relatives, students, and those people we hold dear in our hearts and lives, it makes sense to result in the frozen state of not being able to move. The first step is trying to get to a place of courage.
I feel scared...
I want to be brave…
So, I can find courage by...
“I am just so overwhelmed with all of this” or “I just don’t want to do this anymore.”
This one is self-explanatory. You can’t go to the store like usual, you can’t hug your students or family, you can’t go shopping, no Starbucks lattes, no going to school, no routine or schedule. Everything is different. Many of us are overwhelmed by the difference in routine or the change in pace. Often we don’t like change anyway, now we are forced into change and into new places of routine. I am readjusting my focus off of curriculum, standards, meetings, and paperwork to a place of highlighting my own personal learning in what we value as an education community, trauma-informed teaching, and how we build connections despite overwhelming obstacles. Let your own personal curiosity help you out of feeling overwhelmed. One inquiry at a time.
I feel overwhelmed…
I want to feel comfortable…
So, I can embrace change by...
“I can’t get in contact with all of my students.”
Teachers are the best when they are doing what they do. One of the biggest things I am going to be grateful for moving back into face-to-face learning is the automaticity of being able to check-in with all of my students no matter their socioeconomic status, background, or ability to connect online. I get to see them. I get to make sure they are okay. Now? The ability to check-in has changed. We won’t be able to get in touch with all of our students. However, maybe we can try different methods of getting in touch. Calling, texting, emails, writing letters or mail, etc. We may not get through. This is a circumstance where we do get points just for trying. Is it enough? No. Can it be enough just for now? Absolutely.
I feel disconnected…
I want to feel connected…
So, I will try different ways to connect by...
“I am NOT giving out my personal cell phone number” or “I don’t want kids to see inside of my house.”
I have heard this one a couple of times this past week. If you aren’t comfortable with this, you shouldn’t. However, be open to other ways to reach students. You don’t have to give out personal information. Don’t want anyone to see inside your house? Make a makeshift background with a sheet. Don’t want anyone to have your number? Research and look up ways to mask your cell phone number, use technology like a laptop or chromebook, and get creative with how you get in contact with families. Don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
I feel unsafe or exposed…
I want to feel safe and private…
So, I will find a strategy that works for me by...
“If the kids aren’t required to do the work, why am I required to do the work?” or “If grades aren’t attached to my work, the kids will refuse to do it.”
This is also a resistance to change. I love this reaction because it opens up conversations that are on a systems level. What if grades didn’t matter? What if none of the work was required and we had to just learn for the sake of learning? How does learning work when we are engaged in curiosity and inquiry rather than mandates and standards? It could open up learning on a whole new level. Kids may not be required to do the work or participate in distance learning where you are; however, as teachers, we are given the opportunity to figure out how to inspire from a distance. Notice your resistance and explore the reasons behind it.
I feel forced…
I want freedom…
So, I will adjust by...
“Technology is NOT a substitute for my own teaching.”
Technology will never be a substitute for our own classrooms. However, we can look at technology as a tool that we used when we were able to meet in our classrooms, and now as a way to reach some of our students. We must remember that technology is not ever meant to replace us, it is meant to help us. Distance learning is not classroom learning. We shouldn’t pretend that it would be an adequate replacement. The stance on technology is to always center around a place of learning. Technology and different platforms are avenues in which we can become learners again, and thereby helping our students to try to continue on the paths of their own learning. I love a quote from Tricia Ebarvia’s (@triciaebarvia) recent tweet, “Students didn’t just lose a teacher standing in the room. They lost the teacherS sitting next to them, the Ts [teachers] they had in each other. Recreating and rebuilding those learning relationships is everything right now.” Technology provides one way to try to build some sort of a classroom community.
I feel skeptical about...
I want to feel confident…
So, I will address issues of doubt by...
“My internet is not reliable. What if it goes out while I’m teaching?” or “I can’t teach from my home with so many distractions.”
At some point, the internet probably will not function in the correct manner. During the first week of distance learning, I accidentally shut off the wi-fi connection in our house while my husband was on a sales call. We are going to make mistakes and life circumstances are going to happen during the regularly scheduled synchronous learning sessions we hold. Log back on when you can, document it, and continue on your plan. Teachers are by far the best at adapting to new situations.
Another great statement is from teachers out there coming from multiple-teacher households or have multiple children that need access to devices. I think the default response to all of these feelings and issues is to remind ourselves to be human first. It doesn’t make sense to follow a set schedule if my children are expected to be on the devices at the same time I am. We continue to do what we can. Voice your concern. Brainstorm solutions that are within the realm of possibility. The key to all chaotic situations is a positive reaction. A tween from Kareem Farah (@Kareemfarah23) stated, “These two realities can be true at the same time: 1.) Some parents won’t have the time or resources to facilitate distance learning. 2.) Educators will work hard to offer high-quality distance learning experiences. This will not work for everyone. Empathy is critical.”
I feel concerned…
I want to feel reassured…
So, I will remember during unexpected times...
“There are too many options for online learning. Kids will be confused.”
I know that sometimes my kids are confused in the real class learning environment (This is an understatement). I am expecting confusion and chaos. I am expecting multiple questions to the same email or document I am sending out. I am also taking precautions to be proactive. For example, I made a running doc where my students and families can post commonly asked questions, and I have a doc with email responses I have given to questions already. These are just a couple of ways to streamline the process of doubt. Use each instance of confusion as a learning tool to help clarify your actions and reactions for the future.
I am feeling hesitant…
I want to feel comforted...
So, I will encourage myself by...
“I don’t have time to learn all of this new technology” or “I don’t have all of the materials I need to teach in my home.”
One thing I dislike about online learning (out of many) is that teachers feel the need to learn everything all at once. Start slow. Start with what you know. We often tell young writers to do this when they are starting out early in the writing process. Choose one platform or technology to become familiar with and use that. Choose one way to reach families and use that. If you are being asked to do multiple platforms and feel overwhelmed, voice that concern. There is no greater power than advocating for your right to be a learner at this time.
I feel inadequate…
I want to feel like what I am doing is enough…
So, I know I am capable of…
“I can’t possibly reach my students with disabilities, special needs, or my English Language Learners” or “I am not going to be able to differentiate assignments for my students.”
This was one of the statements I made early on in this process. How do I reach my students who are struggling when they struggle with normal school circumstances and instruction? The answer is quite simple. They will continue to struggle. However, I can be open to learning new ways to deliver lessons, engage with content, and provide information available. We must not grow satisfied with dysfunction. The systems were already broken; online learning has simply highlighted these inequities. I want to upload some videos of me simply reading books to kids. There won’t be any lessons attached or any mandatory assignment. My goal during this time of distance learning is to connect and engage in some way and somehow. I don’t expect to demand the rigor until I know that connection is established.
I feel defeated…
I want to feel empowered…
So, I will continue to...
“The lessons provided by my district are terrible.”
I am going to echo a response from above. Nobody can replace the work you are doing in classrooms. Ever. But, I may take a lesson or a set of lessons and try to add my own “Hampton-flair” to it. For example, if I am told to teach a story during a week of distance learning, I may ask discussion questions that I know are interesting to my students, I may read my favorite section out loud, or maybe I can make connections to other types of learning like current events or informational articles or videos. Use the opportunity to try to take the lessons you don’t like and make them come alive with the personal style you use to engage kids on a regular basis.