provides many restaurants to choose from, and real Florence natives know to top off your dinner with a treat from Fillmore’s. Florence was originally called Crossroads, as it was a place where many important roads came together. It began to flourish when the Covington to Lexington Turnpike was finished in 1836, and it was the first stagecoach stop out of Covington (“History,” 2022).
When Patrick Ryan became principal of Ockerman Middle School for the 2021-2022 school year, one of the first things he sought to do was make sure he focused on the teachers supporting their own mental health. Mr. Ryan is one of many educators in Northern Kentucky who have increased the awareness of the need for educators to focus on their own mental health. “Coming into the 21-22 school year there were still a lot of questions in regards to the pandemic. Teachers had just been on a rollercoaster year navigating the 20-21 school year. I wanted staff to know that I valued each one of them as individuals first, I also wanted them to be able to have coping strategies as we didn’t know how this school year would unfold. Letting staff know that I cared and valued about their emotional and mental well-being was a good starting point coming into my new role,” he said.
Background
Encouraging adults to improve their competency and practices in SEL and take care of their own mental health is certainly not a new idea. However, it has been gaining momentum in recent years - and in the wake of the global pandemic - has taken center stage as one of the most discussed topics in education in our region. While experts have consistently agreed that educators should focus on educating and valuing the whole child, educators are often viewed one dimensionally. Each educator has unique experiences, perspectives and lives outside of the school building that impact who they are and how they work their way through the world each day.
What it looks like in schools
Adult SEL can go in a lot of different directions. You can begin working on different practices you do with your students, or you can build in a few minutes on your planning to practice mindfulness or something else that supports your mental health. But those two are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Lyndsey Mayberry, SEL Specialist. “One really important piece of adult SEL is understanding and responding to your own emotions in an appropriate way,” she said. School leaders can intentionally dedicate time, space and support for staff around personal growth in the CASEL competencies of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision- making, relationship skills and social awareness.
Getting Started
As part of a training the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services provided for Ockerman staff, participants were encouraged to develop a plan to support their own SEL. First, they were encouraged to choose a mental health strategy that makes them feel relaxed and calm and takes their mind off stressors. They committed to incorporating this strategy into a planned daily routine in order to strengthen their mental health. Next, they chose a mental health strategy for when they were in a situation where they were responding or reacting to a stressful feeling. These strategies should lower your heart rate and change your vibe. Finally, they chose a new mental health strategy they would like to try to help them grow in their Social Emotional Learning. Now, educators had a plan for strengthening, responding and growing in their mental health journey! Mr. Ryan said the focus on adult SEL has had an impact this year. “I think it has been beneficial. In some cases teachers have been open to being more vulnerable with colleagues. I hope they continue to recognize that we are a team that we need to lean on one another. Individually, we do not need to do everything on our own, and if/when we try to, it certainly does not improve our mental health.”
As you move into one of the most stressful and joyous times of the school year, please take some time to support yourself socially and emotionally. Whether you subscribe to SELunder1 or try mindfulness it is our team’s goal that this month’s focus of the teachNKY Collaborative connects you with other educators, ideas and practices that will allow you to try something new to improve student outcomes and elevate your classroom culture.
Until next time…keep growing the Bluegrass.
Jess
Resources
History. (2022) City of Florence Kentucky.
