A Bad Case of the "Sunday Scaries": Adapting and Teamwork - Beth Thomas

I’m about to go deep here, so if you’re looking for a bit of light “fluff” in a fast-scroll “how-to” blog, this is not gonna be that for you.

Mostly because I’m not much of a “fluff” kind of teacher, but also because it’s spring and I have a bad case of the “Sunday Scaries.” Like, not just today – so far, it has been the entire month of April, and will (if history repeats itself) last through May.

Let me say right up front that it isn’t my students or their behaviors that I’m “scared” about every spring. I love my class and care deeply about each of my students (probably too much). That is not the source of my worries. The big concern here is that “I” have not done enough … not enough to make a difference this year in their learning, education, social-emotional development, ALL the things.

As I age through my “teaching era”, the landscape of teaching keeps changing on me. Since the pandemic, never before have I had so many students with so many high-level needs … and I’m not complaining, so hold the door. This isn’t THAT kind of conversation.

I’m talking about 75% of my students with one or more of those high-level needs I have never been trained to support … autism … dyslexia … ADHD/ADD (they are different, ask any teacher) … multi-lingual newcomers and refugees from around the world … emotional regulation IEPs … trauma-induced coping mechanisms … and the highest level of absentee-ism I’ve ever seen.

Are you feeling any of this?!?! The struggle is REAL. Has our training improved? Has admin changed their level of support? Has the district-created curriculum pacing guide been adjusted to meet the needs of all of these diverse learners? We both know the answer to that question. Nope and NOPE.

So … these are my “Sunday Scaries” … what can “I” do without burning myself out? Because I refuse to burn out. I refuse to stay stagnant in this changing classroom reality. This is my passion, and I refuse to let all of those outside factors tear it out of me. And I am a DAMN fine teacher. And SO. ARE. YOU.

As I’m adapting my teaching, my strongest ally in all of this is my trained Special Education teacher bestie, fresh out of college. I swear she is the smartest “12-year-old” I’ve ever met – just kidding, because when you get to be a certain age in teacher years (like dog years, but times 11.5), everyone just out of college seems so fresh and new that they seem young (if you know, you know – and if you’re the new teacher in this situation, keep reading. I’m about to appreciate the socks off of you!)

This teacher saves me every week. She has been educated on neurodiversity. She has reframing language that I secretly memorize and practice when she isn’t around so I can sound as patient and as fluent in “using the force” as she is. What do we do in those rare moments between IEP meetings, testing, and instruction?

We brainstorm. We plan. We put ourselves in the shoes of our shared students and consider what they need to be successful for our upcoming unit/week/day. And then when we try it and it works, we do THAT SAME THING over and over and over again … because if it really, really works, why would we do anything different?!? If it doesn’t work, we tweak it.

This process is ongoing and takes TIME. It also takes a willing partner and a strong partnership based on respect. If that isn’t something you have available to you, let me help you with that.

This process is transforming my classroom and bringing a sense of confidence. I may not have the training for all of the diverse needs in my class. But I have co-created tools, and the drive and willingness to try new things.

I want to share them with you – not to make a buck, though bucks are nice – but because I don’t want you to feel so overwhelmed that YOU also feel like quitting. I don’t want those “Sunday Scaries” to become your everyday reality.

So every resource in my TPT store will be 20% off on Sundays from now through May 26th (2024), to support you in your classroom. If a TPT sale hits within that time, I will adjust it so you can get the full 25% off during that sale – cause let’s face it, 5% can add up to a few new books for your kids … your own or your students! Or for YOU this summer. Even better.

❤️ Happy Teaching!

~Beth