Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1208082
Yoga therapist Trevor Hawkins to Oceanside teachers: Take time to breathe. of pressure. "We're worried about putting food on the table for these kids, and then you've got admin telling you to get the test scores up. It's a constant need. We're constantly drowning." A 1 5 - y e a r e d u c a t o r, D 'A n t o n i i s taking her experience and using it to i n f o r m a n d p o w e r h e r w o rk t o h e l p her fellow AE A educators make space for themselves and find some balance in th eir h e ctic lives. A s a m emb er of CTA's Instructional Leader- ship Cor ps (a par tn ership w i t h t h e S t a n f o rd C e n t e r f or O pp or tu nity Po li c y i n Education and the National B o a r d R e s o u r c e C e n t e r a t S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y) , D'Antoni lead s w ork shops on self-care for educators, including lessons on tim e management, mindfulness a n d g ra t i t u d e j o u r n a l i n g (a nightly practice of writing a journal entry about three things that happened that day to be thankful for). " That changes your mind set about w hat happ en ed in th e d ay," sh e say s. "It's important to get some balance in your life." During the two-part self-care work- shop, hosted by AEA, D'Antoni discusses b e i n g t h a n k f u l , t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f p hy si c a l a n d m e nt al h e a lth , f i n di n g work-life balance, and helpful meditation techniques. She also assigns homework to her teachers — they need to practice gratitude daily, do personal work in a self- care area, and make the commitment to being better to themselves. D'Antoni says her workshop isn't like an unused gym membership. "e teachers report to me on their self-care progress, so there's an accountability piece," she says. "Self-care is about helping each other. You should have somebody with you in your journey to make sure you're getting it done." Middle school counselor Nel li e Finn h a s m a d e it a personal mission to provide O ceanside educators with tools and practices to give themselves space and care for themselves. She says that education attracts p eople with certain characteristics, li ke a l t r u i sm , a ge n e r o u s nature and selflessness, which can be a double-edged sword. "Selfless means not taking care of your- self," says Finn, a member of Oceanside Teachers Association. "How do you take care of yourself without feeling selfish?" Along with her school counselor col- leagues, Finn organized a recent staff development day focused on self-care. All staff were invited to the event, which fea- tured a chef who showed attendees how to make quick, healthy food "Self-care is about helping each other. You should have somebody with you in your journey to make sure you're getting it done." —Jennifer D'Antoni, Alvord Educators Association Negotiating Wellness T H E N E A - J U R U P A C H A P T E R is taking steps to collaborate with district managers to address edu- cator wellness. Chapter President Wendy Eccles says she and her fellow officers are working with an assistant superintendent to figure out the makeup of a committee that will focus on the issue. "We are very excited to embark on this journey," Eccles says. "After many conversations, our district is beginning to under- stand the importance of wellness." Eccles expects the outcome will include alleviating or avoiding working conditions that create and increase toxic stress. "In addition, it would be great to allocate resources for teacher wellness, [such as] meditation resources, self-care conferences and retreats, and staff profes- sional development on self-care." Upcoming coverage will explore other ways chapters can help make educator wellness an integral part of the job, from bargaining it into contracts to incorporating it in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). 28 cta.org Jennifer D'Antoni feature