Resilience

Troubles are inevitable and necessary in schools. Yet when we are in the midst of them, we can feel hopeless and chroni­cally agitated. Key here is our resilience: how quickly and easily do we bounce back from turmoil? A basketball can provide a rich metaphor for bouncing back. Compression is key to a basketball functioning properly. An underinflated basketball has little resilience, does not bounce well, and may not behave or look like a basketball. The same is true for teachers. Very likely we will get sick, have our feelings hurt, not measure up to expectations. Very likely. So the key is not to dodge these silent missiles that come our way. The key is to learn how to be resilient, to bounce back, to regain our composure. Like a basketball, those within schools can expect to have times of inflation and deflation. A total absence of conflict and disagreement is not an option. Both are natural and necessary. Do you know what deflates or causes you to be underin­flated? Fatigue, conflict, discord, confusion, loss of trust, fear, disincentive, sense of failure. Do you know what inflates you, what restores your compres­sion? Nutrition, hydration, exercise, conversation with a friend, inspiring ideas, change of routine, listening to music, laughing, feeling powerful and vibrant. Adversity is not what depletes us. Absence of resilience does. If we were able to view major or minor difficulties as natu­ral, normal, and valuable events, would our responses to them change? Would we be able to accept rather than resent them? Being hostile toward any of life’s difficulties only amplifies our discomfort, and we end up at war with ourselves, argu­ing with our lives rather than living them.