Teaching Stress --> Crafting Relief

This past year I have realized something about myself, something that has always been there and always been a ‘thing’ but was never recognized for being as beneficial as it is to me. Crafting.

When I am stressed, my creative side is switched on and I hit the ground running. Some people use breathing exercises to activate their parasympathetic system, to control their rest state and engage their sympathetic nervous system, to regulate their fight-or-flight response. (sorry I went a little science there) But me? My fight-or-flight response has always seemed to be create-and-procrastinate. I know most wouldn’t agree that procrastination isn’t the best option, because in the end the task is still going to be there but now just paired with a shorter timeline. I don’t really consider this procrastination, because while I am mindlessly crafting I am also processing my “to do” list and prioritizing the tasks I need to complete. Crafting helps me calm down, it clears my mind, it makes me happy and when I am done it inspires others and seems to minimize the fog of stress that was once making it hard to breath. PLUS! At least now I have something beautiful to look at while robotically completing my professional requirements.

I have always been creative and absolutely love completing DIY challenges/projects. But this year, as a teacher, brought on numerous, everyday, never ending, new and, what seemed to be, impossible stressors. As my list of tasks grew, I found myself crafting more, creating colorful and captivating visuals and trying to keep inspiration alive in my classroom. I would chunk out my tasks and interrupt them with cutting letters, drawing enlarged wall decorations, gluing flowers, coloring a 4 foot brain... you name it. It was like 40% teacher stuff, 60% crafting relief. My thought process? Well, if I can’t grasp all of them with hybrid science content, then I will with creativity, inspiration and joy! As we are winding down to the end of the school year, I can with 100% confidence say that I totally did this. I have 89 students and I truly believe that they all enjoy being in my classhome (see what I did there? :) ) They smile, are active, share stories, laugh and deep down appreciate the energy and love I have continuously poured into them and their learning space.

Within the 6 years I have been in a school building, I have noticed that as the year progresses, the creativity, bulletin boards, teacher created items are produced at a slower pace (as to be expected!) Because as the year goes on, more and more is added to an educators list of requirements. Crafting has been the sole reason I still have the same energy I did on day one. (Well, maybe a tad less because after all, I am human) There are 9 school days left for us and I still enjoy going into my classroom. I am continuing to craft, change my classroom decor and create little things to show my students how much I love them; but in all honesty, I do these things for my sanity and to keep my spirit in a positive state.

During a pandemic, crafting saved my sanity and ultimately my life (story coming soon) while also pushing me to harness my creative side and use it to keep the inspiration and joy in my students alive! When all else is said and done and I am attending their high school promotion ceremony on the 16th, I will be able to sit there with a pure smile on my face and my heart filled to its brim because I know I made an impact. Sure, they might not remember how to complete a Punnet Square or be able to recite Newton's 3 Laws of Motion, but they will definitely feel cared about, noticed and adored by me; so for this year, I award myself an A++++++.