The “Resilience for Teachers” Series of our Artful Teaching Podcast is a recap of the bi-monthly workshop, “Learning to Thrive Instead of Survive” workshops Cally Flox held for classroom teachers in the Fall of 2020. This online class came as a response to teacher challenges, burnout, and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the content and ideas are really timeless and applicable to educators, parents, and administrators alike.

"Breath" - Episode 8

In Episode 8, “Breath,” Cally walks listeners through mindful, artful practices. Whether you are walking, driving, or listening from home you can participate physically or by using your imagination. You can also repeat the various movements and breathing exercises in different places or situations. 

Episode Links: Breathe by James Nestor

"Inside, Outside, Upside Down" - Episode 9

In Episode 9, “Inside, Outside, Upside Down” Cally sends marbles around your body to massage you from the inside out. Then, she and Heather Francis discuss how stress can be better managed when we self-assess and self-regulate on the inside while consciously projecting something different on the outside: we can put on a persona of confidence to instil confidence in those around us. They also discuss the role of creativity and finding an “upside down” perspective when going through a difficult situation as a means for strengthening resiliency.

"Benefits of Touch" - Episode 10

Our skin is the largest organ in the body and is important to our physical and emotional health. In Episode 10, “Benefits of Touch,” Cally Flox explains how our skin helps keep us safe by regulating our body temperature, alerting us of surroundings, decreasing cortisol, and keeping germs out. She describes two different kinds of touch: moderate-firm, which has a calming effect and light touch, which increases attentiveness. When a teacher kindly and gently touches children, children are three times more likely to raise their hand in class. Touch is the language of compassion and it is critical that we find ways to increase physical touch in our society and in our classrooms.

"Humor" - Episode 11

Sometimes people see humor as a trivial distraction, but in Episode 11, “Humor,” Cally Flox and Heather Francis discuss how humor might actually make us smarter and healthier. Humor is a window into a person’s intellect. It shows how they think and what kind of connections they make. In this episode, Cally walks listeners through a guided, physical meditation that imitates the shaking motion of laughter, releasing emotions, stress, and tension in the muscles and joints. Heather and Cally also introduce the concept of a “laughter diary” which keeps track of when and why you giggle, training you to see and look for humor. Humor is an important part of our evolution and bonding and actually helps the human species survive. Finding the humor in life is practicing resilience. 

"Yes and No" - Episode 12

Episode 12, “Yes and No.” One of the ways to practice finding and using our voice is to know what we want to say “yes” to and what we want to say “no” to. We can’t really say “yes” unless we have full permission to say “no: ”a “yes” offered out of obligation or to meet external expectations does not have the authentic reality of a “yes” that comes from our soul. That kind of a “yes” comes only when we have found ownership and power over our “no.” Knowing why we say “yes” or why we say “no” helps us be and live more authentically. In this episode, listeners are guided through an activity to practice saying “yes” and “no”with different kinds of energies and qualities using Laban effort qualities. If you know what you want on the inside, you get to choose how to express it. 

Episode 13: "Resilience for Teachers Series Recap"

Episode 13, “Resilience for Teachers Series Recap.” Cally Flox and Heather Francis reflect on the lessons learned and resilience developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Although the pandemic introduced  new and unfamiliar challenges, it also initiated changes that helped us declutter our spaces and lessen our mental load. During a time of isolation, we found new ways to turn towards one another. This podcast was created to help teachers move away from isolation into conversation while increasing personal resiliency at home and in the classroom. Resilience is a huge part of living artfully, teaching artfully, and creating an artful journey for everyone. If you’d like to participate in Cally’s workshop, “Resilience for Teachers: Learning to Thrive Instead of Survive,” please email artspartnership@byu.edu.