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Take time for self-care

By Jim Knight
October 2020
Vol. 41, No. 5
We are experiencing at least five major disruptions simultaneously: a global pandemic, fears about the economy, a national reckoning about racism, divisive rhetoric from Washington, and, if we work in schools, a deep uncertainly about what it is that is we actually do as professionals and how, as schools navigate between remote, hybrid, and face-to-face instruction. All of these changes, whether they have potential for good or not, involve the stress inherent to change. That is why now, more than at any time in our lives, educators must do something that doesn’t come naturally to us: We must take the time needed to take care of ourselves. Three simple things can help us to have better self-care: purpose, healthy habits, and compassion (for others and,

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References

Fogg, B.J. (2020). Tiny habits: The small changes that change everything. Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt.

García, H. & Miralles, F. (2016). Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Penguin Books.

Leider, J. (1997). The power of purpose: Creating meaning in your life and work. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Neff, K. (2011). Self-compassion. The power of being kind to yourself. HarperCollins Publishers.

Stevenson, S. (2016). Sleep smarter: 21 essential strategies to sleep your way to a better body, better health, and bigger success. Rodale Books.

Wood, W. (2019).
Good habits, bad habits: The science of making positive changes that stick. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Jim Knight
Senior Partner at Instructional Coaching Group | + posts

Jim Knight, senior partner of Instructional Coaching Group, is a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying instructional coaching, writing several books on the topic. Knight also leads the Intensive Instructional Coaching Institutes and the Teaching Learning Coaching annual conference. Knight has presented and consulted in more than 40 states, most Canadian provinces, and around the world. He has also won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards.


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