As special education teachers and support staff we spend our work hours (and, many times, our free hours) meeting the individual needs of students. Often we have little time to meet as a group to plan or brainstorm for the upcoming day's unique challenges, let alone debrief the current day's challenges.
In such an environment, maintaining a positive mindset towards each other and our students is crucial overall success of our team and our students. We all want to work in a positive, supportive atmosphere where students can thrive, and staff can find fulfillment in their work. Everyone can do their part to make this "team" (ancillary staff, teacher, aide, paraprofessional, principal, etc.) function well.
Use +VENT To Help Deal With The Day-To-Day
Positive venting provides a healthier alternative to constant venting. It allows special education staff (aides, teachers, paraprofessional, speech therapists, etc.) to express their frustrations and negative emotions in a constructive manner, enabling them to release tension and gain perspective. Positive venting focuses on finding solutions, seeking support, and maintaining a positive mindset. +VENT is just what you and your coworkers need to become and stay a high-functioning team.
Start With This Basic Agreement: Be A Supportive and Uplifting Work Environment
In a school setting, it is unlikely that everyone on the special education team chose each other. It is also unlikely that there was time for team-bonding at the beginning of the year.
(You know as well as I do, that sitting at a table with each other during beginning-of-the-year professional development is sometimes the closest thing to group bonding we have time for during contractual hours.)
So... Staff must each CHOOSE to:
1. Think the best of each other.
2. Work toward being a team.
3. Communicate when a real problem arises.
What Is "Plus Vent" (+ VENT)
Work Toward A Positive (+) Outcome
When problems, disagreements, or stresses arise in a school or classroom setting, we must choose to deal with them in a manner that does not harm the classroom unit. When the need to vent or talk through a frustration arises, we must choose to move toward a positive place or resolution.
(V) Choose 1-2 People
When needing to talk out frustrations, a staff member should choose only 1-2 people with whom to talk. It's important to resist the urge to talk to "everyone" about the issue and, of course, if the frustration is over a student or parent, FERPA laws will need to be considered before talking to anyone.
E Emotional to Solution-Minded When talking about a concern or issue, it's not unusual to have some emotion attached (annoyance, exasperation, anger, sadness, etc.), but staff should be talking with the common goal of finding a way to move forward. Furthermore, staff should avoid making the conversation a snowball of every frustration or incident in the history of working with the involved co-worker(s), student, or parent.
N Notice If The Issue Or Problem Is Reoccurring
Once the "venting" or conversation is done, staff should note whether this is just something to brush off and move past or if this is a problem that may need a resolution. Maybe a behavior plan needs to be altered or a conversation needs to be revisited with a co-worker, student, or parent. Sometimes personalities clash due only to the stress of life outside of the classroom. These issues may resolve themselves. Other times, though, the frustration is indicative of an underlying issue needing attention.
T Choose Proper Time and Place To Discuss
Conversing about problems, annoyances, or situations often involve other people. The last thing staff should be doing is talking in front of students about each other or other students.
Amy's Conclusion
Special education staff need to, not just present a united front, but they need to be a united front. The stressors in our jobs are real and they are big. Rolling eyes, burying emotions, or snickering behind each other's backs just cannot be the solution. We need to have empathy for each other, we need to communicate, and we need to support each other. This will be the real impact of our careers; fostering positive relationships with each other and modeling this for our students.
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