Hard Things

I recently read about a book called Let’s Talk About Hard Things.

I haven’t read the book, just a blurb about the book. But the blurb included some examples of advice the author, Anna Sale, gave to people who wrote to her with questions about hard things, like

• telling your parents you’re polyamorous and bisexual

• preparing your children for your nearing death

• talking to your sister about her racist boyfriend

• managing a cut-off relationship

I love this! I applaud Anna Sale and her gentle encouragement to talk about hard things!

And I bring that encouragement to teachers.

Let’s talk about hard things, teachers! Like

• that super irritating student

• that boring class

• that demanding parent

• that unresponsive administrator

• that undermining colleague

• that self-doubt

• that anxiety

• that anger

The kind of talking I (and Anna Sale) am talking about is not

kvetching.

It is describing. Validating. Wondering. Analyzing. Formulating. Planning. Experimenting. Reflecting.

HARD THINGS. GOOD TALKS.

Let’s not conflate the two. That is, just because you’ve got a hard thing to talk about doesn’t mean the talk needs to be hard. Au contraire. The talk can be easy and relieving and miraculous. Because it rests on emotional bedrock. And it fosters connection, which is what we all need. Every single one of us.

But, as Anna Sale knows, getting to the point where you can have a good talk can feel impossible.

Teachers!

That is what psycho-coaching is all about! It gets you to the point where you can have a good talk about a hard thing.

Please, teachers. Let’s talk about hard things.

For your sake:

So you can prevent burnout. So you can feel joy. So you can bring your best self to your job every day.

For your students’ sakes:

So they can be safe. So they can grow and develop healthily. So they can learn academically and socially and emotionally.

Mantra: I’m gonna get me some psycho-coaching this year. Here’s how.