Systems Transformation - conditioned to healed.

Jade Chessman (Med Ed Psych & Neuromodulation Coach)

Every single life journey endures cycles of learning and healing and this is a good thing because the alternative would leave us stagnant and eventually desperate for more. Unfortunately, learning in our mainstream education systems has become stagnant and desperate pointing to the fact that our education systems are not changing and meeting our new needs. The reality is that education has not changed since the beginning of the industrial revolution when systems were established and implemented for the learning of basic arithmetic and language acquisition. Now, obviously, that has changed A LOT because we have a much broader curriculum inclusive of a range of subjects and activities. What has not changed is the fact that teachers experience undue pressure and stress because of this ‘improvement in the curriculum’.

An example of this can be found in my own experience. At an interview for the position of a high school teacher, I was told that I would be supported in my endeavor to integrate mindfulness practices with my students because the school aims to support the emotional and social learning of students first before academic learning. The mindfulness practice I decided to do was about 10-15 minutes, and a student from another class joined us on this particular day. While in session, another student came to the door and was trying to get my attention and began pointing to the student from the other class. I had to disturb the silence and notify the student who was lying on the floor ready to receive a moment of calm that she was being called out. I later went to the other class and informed them that when I am in a mindfulness session, it is of utmost importance to respect the silence and that disturbances are not okay. The teacher, and deputy head, of this class told me that the reason she pulled her out of the session was that she had work to finish and had to finish it right then and there. Firstly, this was in complete contradiction to the support I received in the interview, secondly, the student began crying which would then further contribute to the stress she was clearly already experiencing, and thirdly, this example speaks to the disadvantage teachers find themselves in due to the conditioning of the system.

We have been conditioned to believe that the way we are taught to do things is the only way to do them. The sad reality is that the way we are doing them is not working and this is clearly indicated in the research and data on mental health concerns and burnout experienced by both teachers and learners. In order to catalyze the beginning of a de-conditioning process, and one towards healing is the very thing that teachers say they don’t have time for or resources to support. But we have to start taking our health seriously because the students we take care of deserve that, and of course, teachers deserve to feel well. A better reality is one in which we are taking care of ourselves in order to take care of others, and the only way to do that is to courageously step into the healing process where hope, support, and a way forward to a more enjoyable future will be discovered.

https://jadechessman.mailchimpsites.com/