3 Resources to Help You Avoid Asking "Why can't you cope?" - Discussing emotions for everyone's sanity.

I hope we all haven't had this moment. The moment when you see the first twinge of rage  on a child's face and your mentally review your rules and consequences; when you notice the mood shift and watch those tiny muscles flex and you brace to dodge a chair. Consistency slipped, a comment triggered, and he shoved glue in...literally IN my EYE! I hope there is a teacher out there can say she has never questioned her sanity at entering this life path. But I am pretty sure we all have.

Children more often than not come into our lives and classrooms without some essential tools. They cannot express or cope or explain. Small obstacles that we gloss over become mountains. Insurmountable in their unfamiliarity. Our kid becomes lost. A filter is missing. A lens is cracked. It is beyond them to understand the world as we present it. And we loose control. And often, we pick up yet another torch to juggle. We settle in to teach skill streaming, teach empathy, use higher order questions on top of the other things ( you know those 1567942 standards we are recovered to cover).

So here are the three things that have helped me cope. Resources that gave me a tool to pass on or a smile to share in those tense moments. I could not have retained the small bits of my sanity were it not for these touchstones.

1. Brene Brown on Empathy 

This video is magnificent. Simple and clear, it really hits the heart of the issue with differentiating between sympathy and empathy. While the subject is a little abstract for primary, intermediate elementary and middle schoolers would benefit greatly from a discussion based around this video. 

2. Teaching Empathy: Are We Teaching Content or Students?

This article by Terry Heick is a great primer on incorporating an awareness of empathy into your teaching practice. The subtitles of discussing and promoting emotional care in your classroom are vast and this road map really helps navigating all the potholes and bumps along the way. 

Check those links! Teaching Tolerance (referenced in article) is a great resource! 

3. A Pep Talk from Kid President to You by SoulPancake

If you haven't encountered this gem, WATCH IT NOW! It may be the sweetest and most entertaining video I have ever watched. I still quote it constantly to my kids and to my partner. Not only does it connect to your kids on their level, it is a great way to discuss empathy through analysis. I have had many great conversations about "Why does kid president makes these videos?" and "How do you feel after watching it? Was that what Kid President expected to happen?". Empathy through modeling and high expectations is a delicate thing to create in your classroom culture but there is help out there!