Part 2: (10:00-24:10)

I have spent twenty years in a district with high poverty levels and worked mainly with students from refugee communities.  I suffered greatly from compassion fatigue after hearing stories of pain and suffering from the students.  The resilience practice of connecting with colleagues started for me before I even knew I needed it.  I have come to the realization that teachers in difficult situations often are closer than those teachers in "easier" settings".  The teachers at the school I started with (with a high percentage of refugee and troubled students) all ate lunch together and shared stories giving each other advice or simply an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on.  Though we are not all together at this school anymore, we all keep in touch and can be counted on for help.  This kept me from becoming fatigued and has allowed me to remain happy in my job.  I hope younger teachers see the importance of community in schools and take the time to get to know their colleagues.  I also think it is important to understand our role and limitations.  When I started teaching, I spent so much money helping all the students, going so far as to pay for one young woman's cell phone bill.  I found myself going too far and helping too much.  I better understood my role as a teacher when I had my own children.  I am there to educate and provide a role model, not to be a parent.  This realization has helped me maintain my compassion without becoming fatigued. 

I find that connecting with colleagues and self-care really helps me be a better and more resilient teacher.  Knowing that you are not alone in your struggles prevents me from "checking out" of my job.  I often feel isolated, thinking "what am I doing wrong?  why am I feeling this way about teaching?".  But talking it out with fellow teachers allows me to work through a lot of the daily struggles and find solutions.  Self-care has always been the most important practice to me, especially since COVID.  I go home from wok and run....everyday.  This clears my head of any frustrations of teaching and allow me to start the next day fresh.

For me the couple keys that speak to me the most are self-care and knowing your role along with students’ limitation and strengths. To me self-care is very important because you have to be in a good mindset and have a positive attitude every day when you walk in your school. If not the students are going to be able to see that and they will think that you don’t care enough about them or what you are presenting to them so in turn they will start to not care. If you are in a good head space and you feel good day in and day out, the instruction you are providing is that much better and meaningful. Knowing what your students can and cannot do is important because that helps you teach to them in a way that works for them. It also provides you with the info on how to help them to become more well-rounded

I think connecting with colleagues is a very important way to increase our resilience to Compassion Fatigue. Over the course of my career, I have tended to withdrawal in stressful situations, however sharing situations with others that have an understanding can help build connection and hopefully build self confidence and positive feelings.  

In order to get out of this "fixing" mode where educators feel as though they need to 'fix' every single student that walks through their door, educators must show resilience. To be resilient, you must stay present and keep true to your intentions rather than reacting to student disruptions. When you stay in the moment and give the lesson or task at hand ALL of your attention it provides opportunity for educators to recognize the influence we have every single day. When you stay present during the time with your students it can allow educators to practice selfcare and be reflective when they are not with students. In addition to developing solid relationships with students, educators should foster authentic relationships with their colleagues. Once this connection is established it can offer a support network for educators when they may be struggling, can give them a sense of purpose and can help get them out of a rut. 

After watching the video, there are two keys to compassion resilience that resonate with me. The first key to compassion resilience that resonates with me is the idea of exposing ourselves to the resilience of others. In the video, one of the speakers describes this particular key as having the ability to listen to students and educators so that we have an idea of what their resilience look(ed)s like. The simple act of listening to others is valuable because it gives us the opportunity to empathize, relate, and learn. In the video, one of the speakers states that teachers, "found their way back through supports from other teachers." I do think that educators can get weighed down by the minutiae of the daily grind and that it is helpful to reach out and learn from others so that we can become more compassion resilience. 

The second key to compassion that resonates with me is the idea of self-care and centering ourselves. One of the speakers in the video mentions that it is important to take a step back in a beautiful place so that we can reconnect with our sense of self. Whether we take some time in the summer or even during a tough week in the school year, it is pivotal that educators (and students) take the time to recharge their batteries. As stated earlier in my response, we often get weighed down by the grind of our routine. I think that stepping out of that routine, even if it is just briefly, is essential and allows us to take a step back, prioritize our mental health, and distance ourselves from the grind of daily life. 

I am still new to my building and “connecting with colleagues” is crucial to my resilience. There are so many ways each build differs in ways to help students and asking for help from the professionals in my building is not a sign of weakness but rather building a team to support students. It also helps to hear what others have gone through. Connecting with colleagues is not only speaking but listening.

I also think self-care is part of my building resilience to compassion fatigue. I know that I will just keep going and use less effective self-care instead of taking the time to really personally listen and reflect to myself. It is important to find time to help yourself. 

At this point, given where I am with compassion fatigue, I most resonated with connecting with colleagues and self-care.  I think that those steps resonated with me because I do feel as though I’m entering into more of a withdrawal phase.  Given that’s the case, I believe that I need a chance to recharge myself so that I can be the best educator possible for the students with whom I work.  Knowing that there’s other colleagues there—and ones who are not themselves being sucked into the negative and who can be a positive sounding board—can help me get through.  Then following up with my own self-care is crucial. 

Even after twenty-plus years in education I still feel like I need to push through. I need to get things done. I take on more and more because others don't. So, I am always going in different directions. Therefore, this helped me realize that self-care is important. If I step back and stay home when I am not well. Also, just stop and be present in the moment during class, I think I will be better for them and myself.

The second thing is connecting with colleagues. I tend to step back in my fatigue. I don't want to put myself out there. But, I think it would be helpful to maybe take your lunchtime to walk with someone for 20 minutes. It would be good to take yourself out of the school and connect with someone who understands your position. I like the idea of having someone who understands and will encourage you. It is important to have someone who can give us constructive criticism and be able to lift each other up. Not to complain but to help cope and find solutions.

The resounding tool that stuck with me was to not only be present but to be completely present. Being in the moment with your students, in your classroom, prevents you from displacing emotions from other things that may be going on in your life. Even when you have to stop instruction to take a phone call or to deal with an issue in the hallway, grounding yourself before continuing instruction compartmentalizes those tasks and emotions. 

Speaking with colleagues is certainly another useful, everyday tool. The best benefit that I get from speaking with colleagues is to just remember that we share students, situations, and the burden of their well-being and education. Sometimes it's good to vent but other times it's great to naturally fall into a conversation unrelated to work to break up some of the stress of the day. 

Dealing with compassion fatigue has really hit home with me.  I think I'm experiencing it to a greater level this year and just kept labeling it as burnout.  Self  Care is definitely a  way to help.  Actually taking your personal time to unwind and sick days when you aren't feeling instead of always pushing through is extremely important.
Staying connected and talking with your colleagues is also helpful.  My department is very close and we share material experiences ect.  It is very helpful to be able to get someone else's insight on something.  It is also beneficial to be able to just talk and know the person understands.  Talking with others who are not in teaching isn't always helpful because after your day it's hard to "turn off" your feelings or worries about the day or students. 

The two resilience practices that stuck with me are being present, totally present and self- care balance.  

Being present, totally present in a classroom setting is sometimes hard. We all have things going on in the school building, personal lives and so on. This part of the video has really helped me realize the importance of making sure I am fully present during the school day to provide students with the support they need. Whether it be to fully listen to them, provide stronger intervention, or to provide a solution to a problem they may be facing, it is very important to make sure that students know I care about them and that they can share anything they need to with me. Being present for my students is so important!  

This idea of self-care balance is also very important. As an educator, like I mentioned above we have a lot going on as well, that sometimes when we hear about the things our students are going through, or realize how far behind we are with grades, or lesson plans we often become overwhelmed. When I first started teaching I went to school early, stayed late, and brought tons of work home to make sure I stayed on top of everything I possibly could. Now however, I have set boundaries in place and either go in early or stay late once or twice a week, I bring very limited amount of work home and do my best to complete everything I need to at work during planning time. This part of the video reminded me of the importance of taking care of myself, so I can be present and take care of my students each and every day.