Teachers supporting teachers: Series 2, Episode 1 - teacher resilience and BRITE modules
Series 2 Episode 1
Teacher resilience and BRITE modules
Welcome to series 2, episode 1 of Teachers Supporting Teachers.
Wow what a journey. So self-isolation and quarantine hit us all, and I set out to use my strengths of creativity and curiosity to support the final year pre-service teachers (PSTs) I was teaching with support on applying for jobs, undertaking interviews and hearing from teachers and experts in the profession. I initially thought this would be a video series on YouTube but, hey I like to talk, and so my ideas needed to be extended. So hello podcast series and extending out to hear from many different voices. In series 1 we addressed COVID-19 shut down and shifts of schooling to flexible and remote learning. We heard from a variety of different voices - principals, assistant principals, teachers, pre-service teachers and coaches. Now for series 2 we are back in schools exploring hybrid models of schooling. So in this series we hear from a variety of people celebrating lived experiences, different perspectives and ideas about how to be the best teachers we can be...and of course I highlight wellbeing throughout - something very close to my heart. As I keep being curious, I invite you to be as well. Enjoy series 2 as we hear from Australian and international guests exploring ideas to extend your thinking and who introduce you to different concepts.
In this episode Professor Caroline Mansfield joins me. I am so excited to introduce you to Caroline as she introduces us to her journey of being an educator. I was first introduced to Caroline a few years ago and have been a huge fan of her work and approach to teacher resilience ever since. In this episode we talk about the BRITE modules which stands for Building Resilience in Teacher Education. This project focuses on embedding resilience skills and strategies in teacher education programs and developing contextually responsive curriculum and resources. The program contains 5 online interactive learning modules focused on Building resilience, Relationships, Wellbeing, Taking initiative and Emotions. And there is a bonus module about to be released, which I have had the privilege of reviewing, focusing on one of my favourite topics - mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about what the BRITE modules:
* look like
* what impact they have had on pre-service teachers
And we discuss:
* what resilience is
* the place of resilience for teachers
* the need to value our wellbeing as educators
* the place of attitude as our secret superpower
* top tips for your wellbeing
One of my favourite parts of this episode is the discussion Caroline and I have about how can we can shift the dialogue about wellbeing for educators as “something we should do” or “something that we must do” to “something we just do”. Hello new hashtag #wejustdo in regard to our wellbeing.
Enjoy this episode.
You can access via www.exploreandcreateco.com, Apple, Spotify or iHeart Radio.
Share you insights on social media via #teacherssupportingteachers
Be curious and find out more:
The latest publication talking about the impact of BRITE modules on pre-service teachers before completing their final professional experience [PDF download]
Citation:
Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., & Weatherby-Fell, N. L. (2020). “I Actually Felt More Confident”: An Online Resource for Enhancing Pre-service Teacher Resilience During Professional Experience. Australia Journal of Teacher Education, 45(4), 30-48.