In education you are constantly bombarded with new initiatives and best practices.  As you engage in conversations with your professional learning network and take part in professional development, it is easy to think that you would love to make changes. You start making a mental list of of strategies and curriculum you want to adopt and become overwhelmed.  The district or school has a core set of ideas that they want you to focus on. You have read about new strategies in math, reading, and social and emotional learning in the classroom and want to incorporate all you have learned. You get to know your students and realize they have very specific needs and wants that will require you to adjust to a new way of instructing, organizing, communicating, etc. to get them to engage.  The struggle is real.

I wish I had the magic solution for you. The problem of too many things to do, and not enough time to do them in is a timeless struggle that I don’t believe any solid solution exists for.  There are always going to be items to add to our lists. As a teacher, our lists can seem never ending. It is easy to say students are our number one priority on our list but “students” encompass a lot of complex tasks and ideas.  How are we meeting our students academic needs? How are we meeting their social and emotional needs? Are we giving them the feedback that they need? Are we creating the environment that is best for them to learn? If we create that environment for one student, does that fulfill the needs of the student next to them?  How can we be everything for everyone? I could continue going in a downward spiral writing these questions and building my anxiety….and then I take a step back.

As teachers we see students become overwhelmed with activities, information, or difficult tasks.  What do you do? Do you ask the student to take some deep breaths? Go ahead and do that yourself.  

Do you ask the student why they are so frustrated or upset?  What is making them act out? Reflect on your own stresses. What is driving your stress or anxiety? Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Do you want to do everything on your list and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time?

What are your next step with this student?  What are your next steps as a teacher feeling the pressure? Here are some things that may help:

1. Remember you are a professionally trained teacher. You were hired for a specific reason by a school district.  They wanted you! You had (and hopefully still have) a passion for education and training that was appropriate for the job.  You didn’t get the job because you said you said you could change the world overnight. You said in your interview you were going to teach your students.  Go back to those students. You know what they need. You see them every day, you know their stories, their quirks, their strengths. Advocate for them as their teacher.  Have confidence in yourself. Trust your training, and your continued growth as a professional.
2. Create a focus.  You have had some time to dabble this school year.  Now pick your focus. Don’t try and change everything.  Small changes make big movements in the long run. You can decide to take a few different routes when picking a focus.
   1. You may want to look at where are you going to get the most “bang for your buck.” Is there a management strategy that you want to implement that will help you throughout the entire day? This focus is normally going to take a while to accomplish, but the payoff is well worth the time.
   2. Where can you make a little tweak to get what you want? This focus allows you to have a quick win.  We all need to be able to check something off of our list and sometimes it is best to start with those we can check off easily to gain momentum.   
3. Set a goal.  Take your focus and write down what will it look and feel like when you accomplish it (think about a SMART goal structure). WRITE IT.  Writing it helps keep you calibrated. You want your goal to make you feel success when you accomplish it. When goals are vague we tend to end with a “good enough” feeling and that is not what you need or want when checking an item off your list.
4. Make a plan. What are the steps you are going to take to get you to your goal?  Take out your calendar, planner, etc. and put your plan in it. What are your actions going to be?  What results are you expecting at certain points? Thinking and implementing new ideas is messy. Cling on to the fact that the start may look chaotic but if you have a plan you know where you are heading and can deal with the craziness for a little while.  
5. Keep perspective.  This suggestion is one that I know may be easier said than done but it can be the most powerful tool you have. Try not to compare yourself to everyone around you.  You will see and hear the highlight reel of classrooms on social media but what you miss is the toil and struggle of what it took for the teacher to get there. You don’t see all their failed attempts or planning sessions. You don’t see how they had to make small adjustment by small adjustment over time to get to where they are today.  We talk about personalizing learning for students, but teachers need to give themselves the ability to stand back and realize one teacher’s pace is not always another’s and at the end of the day we are all heading in the same direction. I believe that you are doing your best, because that is why you got into education. You believe in change. You believe in students.  And you need to believe in yourself. You will find a way to accomplish what you want but give yourself the grace to realize change takes time.

As a coach I am continuously blown away by the knowledge and ability of teachers. I have the unique opportunity to see and talk to teachers at a variety of levels and buildings.  I can honestly say I have never walked into a classroom where I didn’t see a strength in a teacher. Start looking for your strengths. Acknowledge them. Own them. And then continue to work, because that is what teachers do. Change is difficult but by creating a personal focus and taking things step by step you will have the ability to move mountains.  Give yourself the understanding that you give your students and we will all reach new heights.