6: Tips on Implementing Resiliency Strategies in the Classroom with 25-Year Teaching Veteran, Dawn Glassburn
If you are a teacher looking for tips on how to incorporate resiliency strategies in your classroom. Or a parent with a child that rolls their eyes when you encourage them to practice techniques to strengthen their mental health - our guest today, 25-year teaching veteran Dawn Glassburn, has some great ideas for you!
Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast where we provide parents, teachers and coaches with ideas and strategies to help kids and teens build their resilience and achieve their potential in a healthy, fulfilling way.
It takes a village to raise a healthy, resilient child and this podcast gives you, as members of your village, tools to do exactly this.
For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at - https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.
A special thanks to our sponsors:
The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@sohappyyouarehere
and
The Resilient Youth Teach-the-Teacher Program - https://www.smarthwp.com/RY4teachers
Episode Transcript
Tom: In the past, we started off the podcast with a question from a kid, yet recently we've been getting a lot of questions from parents, teachers, and coaches. So we're going to change things around a little bit we actually are going to start with a question from a teacher, and actually this is a question that I've received from many teachers over the years. How do I get a student who has little motivation, be open to trying these resiliency techniques? And I think that's a question that probably parents can, relate with as well, if they have trouble, getting, getting kids to getting, especially kids with little motivation to, to try them out.
So to answer this question, I am thrilled to have Dawn Glassburn here. She's been teaching high school for over 25 years.
She's a PE health teacher in Byron, Illinois. She actually implemented the resilient youth curriculum that Dr. Aude Henin talked about a couple or two or three, , sessions ago, two or three podcasts ago.
So. Dawn, welcome to the podcast. Thanks so much for
being
Dawn: here. Oh, thank you so much for having me. I just [00:01:00] feel so honored and blessed to be part of such a great program in effort to support everyone in their mental health. So thank you. Well, we
Tom: appreciate all the work that you've done over the past 25 years.
I would assume you've probably, taught thousands, probably tens of thousands of kids over those years. So thank you for all the efforts you've
Dawn: been doing. Part of my passion
Tom: for sure. That's awesome. That's awesome. Well, Dawn, what do you think? Do you have any tips, any tricks for getting kids who have that little motivation to try these techniques
Dawn: out?
I can only share what has worked for me and I feel that everyone has to embrace their own personality and what works best for them. But for myself, I find being vulnerable helps kids see me as a real person. So I share some of my mental health history. And part of that history is a really dark time in my life where the voice that is not very nice in my head was dominating and telling me how unworthy [00:02:00] and I wasn't enough and all that.
I had to really mindfully find a better way. For me to function in a healthier way for my family, for my job.. And I talk a little bit about that voice and how it can be so mean and that I have used skills like what we're going to be sharing to quiet that voice. Acknowledging that voice is always going to be a part of our life, but it doesn't have to be the driver.
And by completing these lessons, we can be more aware of when that voice is present versus our authentic, true higher self. And I just say, if you can relate to what I'm saying tune in, because I'm really going to try to support you, and I'm always here for you.
Jeannie: I love that, Dawn, because as a student.
We see teachers sort of as these, like, not real humans, but not real people. And And the reality is that we all have a voice like [00:03:00] that in our head, maybe some more powerful than others. But to hear that authority figure standing right in front of us maybe feels that way too, even if I'm not totally going to lean into this, it's certainly going to open up my ears a little bit.
And I'm going to want to hear what you have to say. So how awesome for you to be so vulnerable with your students and to connect with them in a way like that
Dawn: thank you. Well, you know, Brene Brown is a founder of that vulnerability and I'm a big fan of hers.
Tom: Excellent. Well, Dawn, maybe, can you tell us a little bit about maybe a couple of techniques you use then to, to handle that voice?
Dawn: Well, mindfulness and just being aware of my thoughts is a big part of that.
So when I get in that negative kind of emotion, it's just a taking notice. Where are my thoughts? Where is my energy right now? And then using those meditations and breathing techniques, some visualization, , and counting my [00:04:00] blessings. You know, focusing on the good things and not the negative, , it's, it's been powerful.
Tom: Can you, can you walk us through a little bit of how you have implemented the program? How often you teach it? Any, any details you have on, on you implementing , these techniques in your classroom?
Dawn: Sure. When I first took the training, I was just so excited to have a tool post COVID to support these students. So that year, I did it every couple weeks. to finish the semester with. But since then, I do one lesson per month and it works out nice that we can reference the previous lesson of, you know, are you using your breathing?
I have a lot of kids in performance type of activities. I have the speech team members, the theater kids, the band. And we talk a lot about the visualization of success along with [00:05:00] breathing to help with those nerves and get that relaxation response going. I mean, heck I was practicing the relaxation response before getting on this today.
So, you know, it's just such a powerful thing to reference and the students are buying in, they'll bring it up. Before I do, ,
Tom: That is so important because I think a lot of people just think, hey, it's the athletes, but no, everybody, the musicians, the speech, you know, speech team. I think that's a great one.
I never thought of that one as well. Everybody can benefit from that you're teaching a lot of different techniques. Are there certain ones that you found really seem to connect with
Dawn: kids? It really varies on the group of kids. A lot of them like the meditation, but it makes it really uncomfortable for some of those high anxiety students. . At the end of all the lessons, I have a reflection piece for kids of what was your takeaway?
What tool do you think would be beneficial for you? Some kids have written some long paragraphs on is that [00:06:00] mindfulness because they do have some trauma and some post experiences that are just hard to overcome. And of course, this is not a cure all, but at least it's a tool to give them some support.
Tom: Yes. Yes. , as you were implementing the curriculum, were there any issues, any struggles you had, any obstacles you had to overcome?
Dawn: Well, for some of the higher anxiety students, it's very uncomfortable during meditation time. That's probably the biggest obstacle. I am at, I don't know if I want to say advantage, but I'm at a point in my career that The students are pretty manageable as far as behavior, and I can just talk to them one on one and say, Are you able to just sit quietly and let the others, , get out of this, whatever they can and be respectful, and they can do that, but I observe it.[00:07:00]
for the shaking legs, the tapping that type of thing. And I try to quietly rotate around the room and just remind them to take a breath and let it go.
Jeannie: One thing that I've been so enlightened by and almost every conversation that we've had, and you are reiterating it too, is, is knowing your students.
Knowing your kids, having those conversation and learning who they are so that you can better help them to grow, to become resilient, to, to be whoever they're supposed to be. And the fact that you are taking the time to really look at your students and figure out how can I best help you those are the adults that we need teaching,
Dawn: well, I appreciate those words and I have to share that this is my retirement year. And so I am trying to share with younger teachers that message that every student. is being their best. . Their behavior is a [00:08:00] reaction to their experiences, what they have learned. And even if it's not most favorable behavior, they just want to be loved and accepted.
So try to meet them instead of control them is my message to any of the younger teachers because cooperate. when you find some common ground. And it may not be the strict guidelines that you would prefer, but there's happy mediums for everyone.
Jeannie: Meet them instead of control them. Yeah. You know, gosh, so what, what words of wisdom and happy almost retirement.
Dawn: Thank you. I appreciate
Tom: that. Don't have any success stories you could share from, from your students over the past years that you've been, you've been teaching this stuff.
Dawn: Oh, it's it's not a matter of do I it's focusing to figure out which one to share.
I'm thinking of a student right now who's a foster student [00:09:00] and was new to our district from a different. Large school and they had a very difficult time settling into our school because they, they were like, I hate this school. They know what I'm doing and they hold me accountable.
All I had to do with the last school is keep quiet and they would pass me through. This student was, , resistant in the beginning, but through checking in with them daily, even if it was just, how are you today, and through these techniques, they overcame some difficult . traumas enough to try out for our school play and when I went to see them perform, it was like a whole different kId. So I'm not saying this was [00:10:00] the only thing because they were also going to a therapist and getting lots of support from our counselors, but they really changed their body language as we progress through these lessons to be accepting and open.
Tom: , any, any tips you'd have for other than teachers, maybe for coaches or for parents, if they're, you know, looking to introduce this to their, their kids or their athletes,
Dawn: well, I am a parent of three girls, and I survived their teenage years.
So, for those parents that have teenagers, they will come back and love you. I promise. It's
Tom: so
Dawn: true. It's such a It's a challenge to have your own children hear your intentions of love and help because they're in that growth time where they are trying to figure out who they are. So I don't know as a parent, if I would have introduced to my [00:11:00] kids this type of thing, they would have rolled their eyes.
Yeah, but if I could suggest maybe getting them on an online, , platform that they could do it on their own, that would be a way for parents as far as coaches, Tom, your weekly videos are so great. , I've implemented those into my lessons also. I just feel that any time you can expose these kids to these techniques of the mindfulness, the breaths, the visualization, they're going to eventually find that as their foundation and not.
Wander as long in the darkness and the trials that they go
Tom: through. Donna, I'd agree with you on the, you know, as far as the parent side, it was, it was actually somewhat rewarding. We had, my daughter was one of our, our first guests, you know, who's now no longer a teenager.
Um, and it was kind of [00:12:00] fun to hear that. Yes, she did listen to me, even though she did roll her eyes when she was a teenager and she still does. Let's be real. And she still does. Yeah, that's true. But she actually was paying attention and does, you know, go back to the things that, that I taught her when she needs them.
So I agree with you.
Jeannie: Yeah.
Dawn: If you want your, your child to have good mental health, then you need to be that role model and take the time to work on your own mental health is just a really good message.
Tom: Don, these are three questions that we ask every guest to end the podcast. , we always try to teach kids that a certain level of stress and anxiety is, is inevitable.
It's actually good for us. It helps us to grow and things like that. Um, could you talk to us a little bit about maybe something that caused or even maybe still causes you stress and what you do to kind of handle that stress?
Dawn: Well, I did talk a little bit because that. Negative voice in my head was probably the [00:13:00] focus of my poor mental health.
Of course, you know, just being a mom of three daughters has its own stress level plus coaching, teaching. , I was, , Youth group leader at the time, you know, very, very busy. If we are people pleasers as I am, always relying on others approval to feel good about ourselves, that is the stress that I have let go of.
The mindfulness is a big part of that instead of trying to make others like me, or to feel like if I do all this, then I'm worthy. I focus on being my best authentic self, I've let go of how I'm received, and I try to focus on being authentic in my intentions. That has been the best mental health tool for myself.
Tom: I love that. I love that. Uh, second question then is another thing that we try to tell [00:14:00] kids is that, hey, failure is a part of life. If you're, you know, if you're, you're, if you're growing, you're going to fail. If you're going to achieve, you know, your potential and, and live a healthy, authentic life, you're, you're going to fail here and there.
, can you talk to us maybe about one of your failures that you've encountered in your life and either, you know, what it taught you, what you learned from it,
Dawn: sure. The topic itself used to really bring sadness to me, but now I actually can smile talking about this failure because of the gift of hindsight.
When I was going through a divorce, I felt that I needed a higher pay raise and I did get my endorsement to be an administrator. There was a position that happened to open in our district right at the time that I finished my administrative certification. So I'm thinking, Hey, this is meant to be. Well, there were two internal candidates, myself and my coworker who worked in my department.
And it was [00:15:00] my opinion, of course, that I was the stronger candidate because I was more organized, a little more tactful in talking with parents, and he got the job. I was still in the mindset of needing approval through outside things, so I was crushed. , it was hard to come back that fall and feel that I failed.
But, you know, the power of that hindsight, um, Now I, I try to send blessings to that administrator because they've, , had some difficult times with the climate of our administrators at that time, he ended up leaving our district, his mental and physical health have been compromised. And so I look back at.
The universe was really in my favor by saying no. And I try to embrace that belief that the universe is always in my favor. I just need to [00:16:00] accept and find the blessings moving forward.
Tom: Yes. That's a great point. One quote I've always heard from many people, you know, assume the universe is conspiring for you that when those failures happen, they're actually in your, if you worked hard and you did your best, it's actually probably in your best interest
and like you said, it's, it's only probably years later that you can look back and realize, Oh yeah, this, this was the best thing for me.
, last question we've got for you is, let's say you've, you know, there's a parent, they've only got a couple of minutes, they're tucking their kid into bed at night, or maybe it's a teacher or coach, and they've only got a couple of minutes left of, of practice can you leave us with one message, maybe something we already talked about or something that we haven't gotten a chance to mention yet that you think is kind of the main message that you want to leave everyone with?
Dawn: Yeah, I, I've hit on it, but just to remind parents that your child is being their best self and to love them as their best self, even as they're evolving and changing and [00:17:00] figuring out who they are and reminding them of your unconditional love.
Tom: That is perfect. A perfect way to end this podcast. Dawn. Thank you so much for being with us. Good luck with retirement. I feel bad. There's going to be a lot of kids out there that I'm sure are going to miss you because you know, you are just a wonderful teacher and we appreciate all you've done for, for students and for kids in this world.
so thank you for being here. Thank you for being on the
Dawn: podcast. Thank you, Dawn. Thank you for asking me to be a guest. It was such a good time