Counselor Messages to Staff

June 4, 2020 (Educators as Activists)

Good Afternoon,

When I started writing weekly emails 12 weeks ago it was in response to the acute crisis our country was managing during the pandemic. Today, I am writing to you in response to the pervasive crisis in our country that has come to the forefront over the last two weeks, but has always existed: racism and it's foundation in white supremacy. While it has come to the forefront for some, it has always been in the forefront of the lives of our citizens of color.

Please know that I'm writing today not because I think that I am an expert on racial inequality as I will not even pretend to know half of what I need to know to be the anti-racist I strive to be. Rather, I'm writing today because it's not enough for me to just care. It's not enough for me to support protestors. It's not enough for me to just listen. It's not enough for me to support my students and families. It's not enough for me to see Liz, one of our few staff members of color, be the one to challenge and educate us during this time. And, even after I send this email, it will not be enough.

I watched Anguish and Action last night. All of the speakers were brown and black activists from agencies such as Color of Change and Campaign Zero. Two of them, Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Phillipe Cunningham, are former teachers turned activists. One area they focused on was on the power and idealism of our youth as a tool for change. As I sat with their words, I thought about our job as educators and how we can be activists within the classroom.

All too often, we, as educators, take neutral poses on important matters. When we take neutral positions on racism, we unconsciously or implicitly support the status quo. When we don't challenge dominant interests, beliefs, and practices, we help to sustain unjust power. I don't have all of the answers, but I know that if we expect and hope that our youth will be a tool for change, we need to be the activists who provide them with the time, space, and opportunities to make that change.

Every week, I've posed a question to get us thinking or to develop a plan. This week, I'm doing both. How can we use our time away this summer to evaluate which interests, beliefs, and practices we use that perpetuate the status quo of racism? What will we do to be activists in our classrooms? What is your plan to take the necessary steps to ensure that you are not perpetuating the unjust in your classrooms? I know that I have a lot of thinking and planning to do!

Below are some additional resources that may help us on our journeys to continue to be anti-racist humans and educators.

With a loving and purposeful heart,

Fergie

Yes, Good Teachers Can Be Activists

Moments like now are why we teach’: Educators tackle tough conversations about race and violence — this time virtually

Dear White People: Here are 10 Actions You Can Take to Promote Racial Justice in the Workplace

Preparing to Discuss Race and Police Violence in the Classroom

May 21, 2020 (Focus)

Good Afternoon,

Distraction has been inevitable during the pandemic. Working from home has created a new set of distractions for all of us. The constant use of technology creates a distracted brain. The thoughts ruminating in our heads...what if this...what if that...all create distractions. With all of the talk about the summer, the next school year, and what our new normal will look like, it's easy to get distracted about what might be. And, with all of these distractions comes a certain level of stress (and maybe anxiety) that puts many of us in a constant state of distress.

My challenge for everyone at this time is to find ways to focus. Focus on today. Focus on now. Focus on nature. Focus on gratitude. If we are able to focus on those things we have control over (our thoughts, our feelings, and our behaviors), we are able to reduce the distractions and the stress that come with them. Here are a few ways you might increase your focus:

• When you wake up, before you even touch your cell phone, set an intention for the day, identify something you are grateful for, or just notice how your body feels.

• When you're out for a walk, leave your cell phone at home. Notice the flowers, the birds, or the architecture. Focus on what is around you instead of the thoughts in your head.

• When you notice your mind ruminating on things you can't control, stop, tell yourself that you can't control those things, and remind yourself of the things you can control.

I hope that everyone has a lovely long weekend!

Yours in focus,

Fergie

May 7, 2020 (Treasures Remain)

Hey All,

When I first started working as a therapist, I had a sign in my office that said, "TREASURES REMAIN AFTER THE STORM". While the picture was of a beautiful beach with starfish and shells that had washed up on shore, the sentiment, of course, was that good things can often come after unexpected or unwanted events. I was thinking about that this week and started to wonder about the good things that have come to me with this pandemic, which ones I hope to hold onto after the "storm", and which ones I will allow to go to the wayside.

For instance, my immediate family includes 21 people...my mom, dad, sisters, brothers, their partners, and their kids. While we communicate regularly when not in quarantine, we've started a new tradition of eating family dinner together every Sunday night via Zoom. From Scottsdale, AZ to Columbus, OH and Syracuse, NY to Boston, MA, we all share similar food (last Sunday was lasagna) and chit chat. We fall into our family roles and it's comforting. This is a treasure that I hope remains after the storm and I plan to work hard to make it so.

While there are many other treasures I hope will remain (the amazing kindness I'm seeing from stranger to stranger, the families who pass Denise and me at the Morse everyday on their walks together, the low price of gas!?!), I know that some will disappear. My hope is that, as the country begins preparation to reopen, we make a concerted effort to hold onto those treasures that have brought us joy, kept us connected, and rekindled kindness.

So, which of your treasures will remain after the storm?

Stay healthy,

Fergie

April 16, 2020 (Compassion Fatigue)

Good Afternoon,

As we approach our April vacation, I think it's important to talk about compassion fatigue and how we can cope with it. Many of you are aware that compassion fatigue is the experience of feeling like you're giving everything you have to care about someone or something and you don't have any more to give. We become mentally and physically exhausted by caring for others and feel helpless while doing so. Educators are prone to this on a good day, and are even more so during an unprecedented pandemic.

I've heard from so many of you that the fact that we have even less control over who is accessing our classrooms, our supports, and all we have to give has just magnified the stress and fatigue. Folks feel like they're working harder than ever and doing their best, but not feeling successful in reaching all of their students. All of this contributes to compassion fatigue.

This is when I say...if you need to delete this email now, you have my permission.

If you're still reading, there are ways to combat compassion fatigue. FIrst, if this is what you're feeling, name it to claim it. Just identifying what might be going on for you can be a relief. Second, in an uncertain world where we don't have all the answers, give yourself permission to not fix everything. Instead, remind yourself that you can care about, empathize with, and listen to problems, but you don't have to fix them all. Next, take pride in those things you are accomplishing and that you do have control over. Finally, make a plan to defeat compassion fatigue. It's all well and good to want to defeat it, but as I tell my students, a goal without a plan is but a dream.

So, for those of you who want to plan for either preventing or staving off compassion fatigue, I challenge you to take some time this vacation week to make a plan. Attached is a worksheet that might help you think about the different areas of your life you can focus on and plan for change. There are many things in our lives that we still have a lot of control over, so plan for and savor those things.

May you enjoy your respite,

Fergie

April 2, 2020 (Resilience)

Hey team,

As week 3 continues, I wanted to remind all of us about the concept of resilience, or our ability to adapt well to adversity. So many of our students demonstrate resilience on a daily basis, sometimes by even just showing up to school. We, also, have lived through many unknowns in our longer lives (wars, 9/11, personal battles, etc.) and have also been able to adapt well to adversity.

Being resilient doesn't mean not having difficulty. It means understanding that we have the ability to control our thoughts, feelings, and actions when things get difficult. We all have the power within us to be resilient. It's not always easy (believe you me!), but it's possible.

If I've already lost you, no worries. By now you should know that my philosophy is to do what you need to do to take care of you.

If you're still with me, here's a great article on resiliency. More specifically, it's about building resiliency in yourself.

If you want to take it a step further, here's a link to registration for a webinar by Aperture (the folks whose SEL screener we're piloting) on "Promoting Teacher Resilience". It's scheduled for Friday at 3pm.

Resiliently Yours,

Fergie