Self-Compassion for Educators (Lisa Baylis)

 

 

I didn't read this book entirely, but skipped around here and there. I got it from the library but this is one I will buy to read again. It would be a good book to read as part of a PGP or with other teachers. I also think it'd be a good thing to read in August when preparing for the year. It is really thorough and has lots of ideas for questions to ask yourself, check lists and self-analysis.

Good things I found:

The Mind Needs an Anchor

Intro (p. xxix) In his book, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion Chris Germer shares that most of our mental suffering arises when our mind jumps around from one subject to another. When we notice our mind is behaving this way, we give it an anchor - a place to go that's neutral and unwavingering - by focusing on our breath, our body, or the sounds around us.

Relationships

p. 5 Therefore, the single biggest thing we can do right now in our classrooms is to increase the positive interactions we have with our students and build relationships with them. If we are present, aware and well, then we can build these relationships from an authentic and positive place.

Mindfulness

Practicing self-compassion in this situation allowed me to be more mindful - or more aware - of my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. At its core, mindfulness is a means of nonjudgmentally paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment (Kabat-Zimm, 1994).

Interesting scales to check out:

If you have ever wondered how your job is affecting you, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) is the most commonly used measure to assess the effects (both positive and negative) or working in a helping profession. The ProQOL has subscale for compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue. I invite you to try this scale for yourself and see where you fit in regard to work-life satisfaction and compassion fatigue: https://proqol.org/ProQol_Test.html

p. 74 https://self-compassion.org/test-how-sef-compassionate-you-are

p. 75 re: Self-compassion: Self-compassion helps us stay healthy. Self-compassion can lead to better immune functioning because it helps people stay motivated to exercise, quit smoking, and maintain healthy diets.

p. 103 Many ways of well-being:

• physical 
• intellectual 
• emotional
• social
• financial
• environmental
• spiritual