The paramount theme of this discourse centers on the profound notion of prioritizing grace over guilt in the realm of education. I elucidate how the burdens of guilt, stemming from minor missteps—such as overlooked communications or inadequate lesson execution—can swiftly encroach upon the joy inherent in teaching. It is imperative that we consciously opt for grace, a decision that fosters growth and sustains our well-being as educators. Through this episode, I advocate for the relinquishment of perfectionism, emphasizing the necessity of self-compassion as a means of combating teacher burnout and enhancing our pedagogical practices. Ultimately, I encourage fellow educators to model this grace, thereby cultivating an environment where both students and teachers can thrive through forgiveness and understanding.

The concept of grace over guilt serves as a foundational pillar in our exploration of the educator's journey. Throughout this episode, we engage in a candid analysis of the guilt that frequently accompanies the responsibilities of teaching—guilt that can stem from a myriad of sources, including unreturned emails, disrupted lesson plans, and personal expectations of perfection. While a modicum of guilt may foster a reflective practice, excessive guilt can become a significant barrier to emotional well-being and professional satisfaction.

In response, we champion the practice of grace, advocating for a mindset shift that allows educators to release the burdens of self-criticism and embrace a more forgiving perspective. This approach not only nurtures the educator's own mental health but also sets a potent example for students, illustrating the importance of resilience in the face of imperfection. By sharing personal anecdotes and practical strategies, we empower listeners to cultivate a culture of grace in their classrooms and beyond. Ultimately, the episode reinforces the belief that choosing grace is not merely an act of self-kindness; it is a transformative practice that enhances the educational experience for educators and students alike.

Takeaways:

• Teachers often struggle with guilt stemming from missed opportunities and perceived failures, yet it is essential to prioritize grace in our practice.
• The act of extending grace to oneself fosters a more compassionate environment, enabling educators to model forgiveness for their students.
• Choosing grace over guilt allows teachers to release the burden of perfectionism, promoting personal growth and mental well-being.
• Self-compassion is crucial for educators; acknowledging our humanity helps us to navigate the challenges of teaching effectively and with kindness.
• Modeling grace in front of students creates a culture of acceptance and resilience, demonstrating that mistakes are part of the learning process.
• Ultimately, embracing grace over guilt empowers teachers to reset and approach each day as a new opportunity for growth and connection.

Links referenced in this episode:

• beafunkyteacher.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Be a Funky Teacher

Yeah, he's Mr. Funky he's Mr. Funky Teacher.

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Yeah, he's Mr. Funky Teacher.

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This is Mr. Funky Teacher with Be a Funky Teacher dot com.

I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome back everyone.

Today's episode is grace over guilt, Letting go and leading with compassion.

That's what we are going to be focusing on.

But before we get into it, I want to talk about three things that I'm thankful for.

First thing I'm thankful for is a hug from my wife.

She just came up, knew I needed one, and just gave me such a nice hug when I was standing in my living room.

I'm thankful for a simple hug that is, is just a, it's one of those quiet moments of connection that reminds me that really support doesn't always come through words.

Sometimes it's just through presence.

Sometimes it's just through a hug.

So that hug meant a whole lot to me.

Second thing, saying a prayer with my son before bed.

I'm grateful for those minutes at the end of the day to pause and pray with my son.

It was a prayer that I've said with all three of my children.

My wife has said with them some.

It seems like we've been busy as of late with just the chaos of life and it, we kind of stopped saying it and I brought it back into the mix last night because I, I thought it was really important and that was, it was a way to center both my, my son and me and a reminder of faith, love and gratitude for rest.

So I'm glad, I'm glad I brought that back in with my son.

Third thing, getting lesson plan and pacing guide issue that I was having straightened out.

There was an, there's an issue with, in my, in my pacing guide that I had set up and with my lesson planning for October, for the month that I had to get it straightened out.

It was bugging me.

It just, it was an issue I had to go in.

And it took some time.

It took some hours to kind of straighten it out and fix, but I was able to get it done.

I. I did some work on it at school, I did some work on it at home and finally got it straightened out.

It just kind of was kind of a.

A pain, kind of a hassle, but I got it straightened out.

I feel good getting that, getting it taken care of now.

It just something that I, I needed that to get sorted out, and I'm thankful that that's done now.

All right, so let's get into.

Let's get into it now.

The, the topic at hand here is, is grace over guilt, Letting go and leading with compassion.

That's what we're going to be focusing on.

So first and foremost, we need to recognize the weight of teacher guilt.

Teachers care deeply, so guilt can sneak in quickly.

It can.

Sometimes we as teachers can be very hard on ourselves if maybe there's a tone that we took that came out wrong, or if there's an unfinished email or a missed moment with students.

A little guilt can guide reflection.

But let's be real.

If we're dealing with too much guilt, teacher guilt, it can really still our joy as educators.

It robs us of that joy that we can experience as educators impacting young people.

I think of it like if you have something.

If you have something small eat at you, or all day, sometimes you just have to pause, breathe, and choose grace and let it go.

There's something eating at you or something.

I. I've done it before where I think about, hey, did I handle a behavior correctly with students?

Or why did I let a.

Why did I let myself get frustrated or be a sort of, kind of a little bit more abrasive when talking to a student?

And so I. I am my own worst critic sometimes.

And I can be pretty hard on myself.

And that's where I'm talking about grace over guilt.

Because I can sit and I can just dwell on things if I let myself.

And I've really had to learn to let go of some things because the weight of teaching will crush us, if not.

So it's so important for us to focus on choosing grace intentionally.

See, grace isn't ignoring mistakes.

It is leading and releasing those mistakes.

It is replacing self criticism with compassion.

I did my best with what I knew.

Y' all ever say that to yourself?

Sometimes I did my best with what I knew.

So here's some practical strategies that I want to encourage you to think about to bring in some.

Sometimes you just gotta take A pause.

Just take a pause and name what's true.

And I would encourage you to offer yourself the same kindness you would give a student.

We as educators, we as funky teachers, bring a lot of kindness to students, A lot of kindness.

And yet we don't extend that same kindness to ourselves.

Sometimes I'm guilty of that.

And so we have to offer ourselves the same kindness as we would give students and take, take, take a restorative action if needed.

You know, like, if you're in a situation where maybe you didn't like, like how you handled a situation, maybe apologize, adjust, and move on.

But don't sit there and beat yourself up mentally because you handle things in a certain way, you know, or.

Or apologize to yourself.

Even say, hey, you know what?

I should have handled that better.

Apologize to yourself and move on.

So be restorative to your own self or others, whatever the case may be.

If.

If you think that.

That if the situation warran it.

Now, I think about that pacing guide and lesson plan issue that I was dealing with over the last couple of days here.

And at first I was getting frustrated with it, but instead, I. I kind of did some reframing of my thinking, and I. I knew I just had to stay calm and relaxed and say, you know what?

Think to myself.

It.

This.

This took some time, but I got it right.

I got it straightened out.

I got it right.

And I'm not gonna.

I'm not gonna be hard on myself because I made a mistake the.

The initial time looking at the facing guide for.

For the month and the lesson plan wording that.

That I got set up that didn't align properly.

I'm not gonna sit here and.

And I'm gonna give myself grace on that situation with a pacing and lesson plan issue I had to straighten out.

So that's choosing grace intentionally right there, y'.

All.

It is.

And I think we also.

We have to model.

We have to be very much into modeling grace for students and staff because kids watch how we handle our own mistakes.

Showing humility and forgiveness teaches them that imperfection is truly part of growth.

You know, when teachers give themselves grace, it ripples through the classroom and through the staff culture.

It does.

So it's so important that we, as funky teachers, model race with those around us.

When you share moments of vulnerability or humor after, let's say, a rough lesson, you say you have a lesson that goes horribly wrong.

It gives permission for others to do the same.

Right.

Maybe it's, you know, you admit the students, whoa, that boy.

That was a rough lesson for me.

I didn't do a very good job there.

Or you might.

You tell.

Tell your fellow colleagues about it.

You don't, like, beat yourself down, but you.

You maybe incorporate some humor on it, some light, deprecating humor, and then you say, you know what?

Tomorrow I'll do better, and you move on.

That's modeling grace for students, right?

And for staff.

So the ultimate takeaways here.

I really believe so strongly in grace over guilt.

And ultimately, the key takeaway reflections here is that grace over guilt keeps teachers human, keeps us grounded and growing.

See, you don't have to carry every misstep.

Grace lets you start again.

So give yourself the same grace as you give your students.

Every day is a fresh start.

When you make a mistake, learn from it and move on.

Give yourself grace.

Grace over guilt.

It's one of the most powerful things we can do as teachers when we're as funky teachers.

I know we're hard on ourselves, so I hope that this episode brought value to value to you.

If you found something valuable in this episode, jump on over to Apple Podcasts and give it a review.

Give it five stars.

Let me know if you liked it.

And I want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a funky teacher.

Bye now.

He's Mr.

Bulky Teacher, yeah he's Mr.

Bulky Teacher, yeah, yeah, yeah.