Our personal views of kindness and self-care are intricately linked to the ways in which our families demonstrate caregiving.
In addition to professional models of what great teaching is, our personal and familial subconscious beliefs about caring show up in our classrooms.
If our parents or guardians showed love through over-giving and sacrifice, that pattern is likely to be present and active in our mindset.
If anyone in your family had a caring-oriented career like nursing, counseling or social work, the patterns of self-care supported by those professional beliefs were ingrained in you at an early age.
Personal and professional mentors can also deeply influence how we view caring in teaching and self-care. Think about your student teaching mentor (or anyone you admire for their professionalism) and recall if any of your conversations relate to how you could help students and families be more responsible. Or maybe you discussed creating ways of being in the classroom which honor your own needs. Probably not, right?
Another risk factor for over-working and under-self care can include a religious upbringing.
I was raised in a positive church environment and I still deeply value my spirituality. Yet, folks who believe teaching is their calling can sometimes feel guilty about self-care. If you believe your teaching is a calling from God or a Higher Power, how does your own self-care fit in this personal belief?
Reflection Questions:
- In what ways did your family demonstrate healthy boundaries? How were you shown what caring and self-care is? Within your family, who is the strongest influence on your self-care beliefs?
- Which personal mentors have most affected your beliefs about caring and self-care?
- How has your spirituality or faith influenced your belief about self-care? Positively and negatively?
- Which beliefs (learned from your family, mentors or spirituality) no longer serve you? What positive empowering beliefs can replace those?
