Bouncing Forward: Taking Inspiration from The Bounce Back Book

As educators, we have to roll our eyes at the perceived notion that some hold about our leisure summers off, which are often filled with professional development, meetings, working a second job (I adjunct at two local community colleges and do some side professional development work), prepping for next year, and squeezing in some time to recover from working overtime and attempting to balance family life.

I absolutely love my job. I find joy in walking into a school building, knowing that I will inevitably learn something new every day, make a great connection with another person, and have the opportunity to make an impact. Still, we need to recharge. Our summers are a time to recharge, rest, and prepare for another year of learning. We are bouncing back.

Every few months, the local library has a book sale, and my family excitedly scours the shelves to find new books. This past sale, a little read book entitled The Bounce Back Book by Karen Salmansohn. This book contains 75 tips for recovering from setbacks and adversity, and as I transition into a new role next school year, its premise resonated with me.

Challenges and obstacles are always in our paths and sometimes appear so quickly we become blindsided by their impact. COVID has shifted our perspectives, and the social effects of that period of our lives are still coming to us in waves. We can become debilitated by those waves, or we can bounce back. Whether we are educators in a classroom, administrators supporting teachers, or just people in the world, we can all learn to reframe the narrative and bounce back. So what does that bounce back look like? Here are the tips that resonated with me:

Tip #15: Find your bounceable people.

"Resilient people identify those who are available, trustworthy, and helpful. Then they go toward this light," is a quote cited in the book from Dr. Dina Carbonell of Simmons College. As teachers, we need to find people who will shine a light when we are struggling and seek out the light when they need it. We all need people willing to be present for us when our ball bounces out of bounds. We need people who will push back on the court and help us move forward in the right direction.

As teachers and as humans, we have tough days. Finding the people that will reflect the light back to us when we need it most and always sit in our cheering section regardless of the wins and losses helps us move forward and grow. Who we spend time with will shift our energy and perspective. Being aware of and seeking out the people that will help us become better versions of ourselves is a powerful strategy and makes life more joyful.

Tip #4: Feeling means you're dealing, means you're healing.

In my 20s and throughout my life, I have been told that my emotions are a weakness. I believed that they would hold me back and make me less of a leader. In the last few years, I have actively worked to unlearn that misconception. As an instructional coach, speech coach, and mom, I have used my vulnerability and empathy to lift others up. I now realize that my emotions are a strength that I leverage to help people see the best in themselves and to feel comfortable taking risks. My softness creates an environment that empowers others to grow. Feeling my feelings, especially since my children were born, has allowed me to evolve and find my footing in ways I never thought possible.

So as we all recover and move forward from the last few years, let's all find ways to be more authentic and share our emotions in productive ways to move forward. In the classroom, sharing our feelings with our students demonstrates that we can cope with struggles. We should not hide our imperfections because we would not grow without them.

Tip #19: Walk yourself out of that bad mood.

I struggle with stillness and am happiest on the move. The best part of summer is warm weather and more flexibility to get out for a long walk. My cousin and dear friend find ourselves sneaking in walks all summer. Being able to move, reflect, and be a sounding board for another person is a blessing and can create a space to shift one's mindset. Walking is good for the body but also so restorative for the soul. Even in winter, walking indoors solves most of my problems and allows me time and space to recover from hard times.

Tip #35: Don't just write a "To Do" list. Write a "To Be" list.

This tip struck me. I always carry a notebook in my hand. At school, I am notorious for leaving said notebook, which usually consists of a list of names of people, in random classrooms, the office, and the copy room. When people find it, they return it to me because it's my compass. It guides me to the people and projects that need me. Instead of simply considering it as my to-do list of items I must attend to, shifting the language and creating a to-be list feels more empowering. Life is not about getting through events and meetings but about being present in every moment. This shift in mindset and language gives purpose to a given day and sets an intentionality that fosters growth and relationships with others.

Tip #60: See awful as awe-ful.

Like the shift in language from a to-do list to a to-be list, seeing the best in even the worst situations can help us cope and redirect our trajectory. COVID was awful. During that time, I helped my district learn a new learning management system and was actively creating solutions for teaching and learning remotely. My son's health was a significant weight on my heart that prevented my family from moving past COVID restrictions long after most people returned to a more normal life. Those times were incredibly hard, but I shared incredible memories with my children. We learned to create fun in everyday tasks and find ways to serve others in our community, even from afar.

I am in awe of what we can do when we change the narrative. As educators, our impact is much more significant than we realize, but our actions don't have to be monumental. Sometimes, the smallest gesture or the simplest activity can be incredibly fun and life-giving. We merely have to choose our words wisely and shift our perspectives.

Tip #67: Perform your own research studies on happiness.

Finally, we have to keep learning. What happiness looks like to me is different from others. We need to learn to define happiness in the context of our lives. Happiness can be found in the smallest gesture or simply by expressing gratitude. It's also about letting go and learning to heal from the past. I find happiness is about learning and growing, which I strive to instill in my children and students.

Gretchen Rubin states in The Happiness Project, "It's about living in the moment and appreciating the smallest things. Surrounding yourself with the things that inspire you and letting go of the obsessions that want to take over your mind. It is a daily struggle sometimes and hard work, but happiness begins with your own attitude and how you look at the world." The slightest shifts can help us all bounce back from setbacks, but they can also help us bounce forward with great energy, momentum, and joy.

I highly recommend this quick read. I loved the ideas it sparked and the layout of the text. It's definitely full of ideas that can spark reflection in any person. Let me know if any of my local friends want to borrow it! Sometimes we simply need a little spark to get the flames roaring again.


References:

Rubin, Gretchen. The Happiness Project. New York City, HarperCollins, 2009.

Salmansohn, Karen. The Bounce Back Book. New York City, Workman, 2008.