If I hadn't decided to be a teacher, I would have become a counselor or a psychologist. Though I can enjoy a nice cynical conversation as much as the next guy, deep down I am a touchy-feely person. I'm positive and sunshiny and not afraid of emotion. In fact, I am fascinated by human emotion and love hearing people's stories and analyzing them, as well as analyzing my own.
Since I am a "coach" right now, I attend coaching trainings a few times a year. I really like our trainer immensely. She comes at the coaching from a counseling perspective and is quite touchy-feely. Transferring this method over to my job as an instructional coach is difficult because I am coaching teachers in becoming better at their jobs. At times this can focus on emotional aspects, but for the most part it is meant to stay professional.
However, many of the approaches our coaching trainer has illuminated are practices I already use in my own life, even though I didn't realize I was using them; it's always been unconcious. One of those approaches is visualizing the future you want. When first put out as a theory, it sounds cheesy. But I realized that when I make changes that help me grow and bring me joy, I usually start by visualizing what I want. It really works. Weight loss experts always talk about using this strategy. When you feel like giving up, visualize how you want to look and feel, what you want to be able to do, and it will inspire you to continue. I'm not saying it works 100% of the time; change is hard, but it's a good start.
Earlier in the year I was going through a really hard time. I am doing much better now. I think the first step was starting this blog. Counselor's often recommend journaling; it's a good strategy. By writing about my thoughts and feelings I've been able to:
1. Allow myself to feel them and voice them
2. Process them
3. Purge them
This allowed me to move forward in "becoming the change I want to see." Yes, cheesy but true. I began to visualize what I wanted my life to look like. I didn't do this on purpose, I just did it naturally. I focused on the summer. I know that I don't love my job and that the rest of the school year isn't going to be ideal. In some ways I don't have a lot of control over the rest of this school year. However, summer is my time and I have, to an extent, total control over what I do. So I began to visualize a summer in which I look and feel healthier. A summer filled with hiking and biking and outdoor activities. A summer in which I spend ample time with my children, fostering the same love of the outdoors and nature that I have. I imagine being a good role model for my children, not telling them how I want them to be, but showing them. I imagine doing a lot of reading and setting aside time to work with my children on reading, writing, math, but in fun ways. I see my son having lots of experiences to cultivate his love and talents for the arts. I see money being budgeted carefully and spent wisely. I picture a household that has a little more structure and organization so that we have more time for joy.
Once I really saw these things in my head I was motivated; I was motivated to not just desire it, but to make it happen. However, over the years and based on the experiences I've had I realize that change comes from small steps. In psychology the evidence based model for permanent, sustainable, quality change is baby step, feel success, motivation, another baby step, more success, motivation, etc. So, I've slowly started implementing baby steps over the last month and I am feeling success and some of the changes I desire. Part of this means work, work I don't always want to do. But the more I make these minor changes, the better I feel and the easier it is to do the work and take new steps. It makes me happy. I also see how it affects others. I'm seeing how my family is better for the changes I am making. If I am a better person it will also make life better for them.
I'm also seeing the positive effects of visualizing in my profession. Of course, part of my visualization for next year is that I will be back in the classroom. I'm crossing my fingers that this will happen on its own, but I'm also starting to realize that I'm willing to fight for it if it doesn't happen naturally. I'm seeing all the things I can add to my own classroom and teaching as well as how I can take what I've learned as a coach to other teams I work with in the building to make our school better for the students all around.
I've also been working one-on-one with a student who reads at about a Kindergarten levl. I'm not supposed to be doing that in my role as a coach, but I don't give a damn. It is SO rewarding. Now that I am actually doing it and seeing how it can really make a difference in this kid's life, I am visualizing taking this into the future. I want to give him resources for the summer so he can continue to practice. And this kid will, he is so inspired to learn to read. I see myself finding a way to keep tutoring him all next year, no matter what. And I can truly picture him going into high school with enough reading ability to have a fighting chance. I really, really, think we can do this. Seeing that future in my mind inspires me to follow through and not give up.
So, yeah, visualization. Maybe it sounds stupid, but it's not; I really think it works. I don't know that we always completely fulfill our visualizations, but it's a start. Picturing the future we want motivates us to take steps toward it. No matter if we fully realize the vision, or even if somewhere along the way what we want changes, we end up the better for it.
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