Any individual that works with children, teenagers, young adults, etc… oftentimes

find themselves becoming exhausted with behaviors and continuously redirecting those
negative behaviors. Educating individuals brings to light many attitudes from a person.
Getting overwhelmed at the smallest situation, feeling irritated, or even just exhaustion
hitting, sometimes can get the best of us. My cooperating teacher reminds me daily of
strategies that will help me conserve my energy throughout the day. A couple of these
strategies are to 1. Disengage. If a conversation is going south, or comments are being
made that are unnecessary; I have to ask myself; “Is this worth going into a deeper
conversation?” If it is not, I disengage and change the topic. Another strategy is to use
nonverbals. About 95% of the time, if a situation occurs that might upset us, or isn’t
appropriate behavior for the classroom, we use non verbals, such as eye contact, hand
gestures, and body movements that let the learners know that behavior needs to be
redirected. These strategies save so much energy, save us from feeling angry, while
also creating a safe environment for students to know that their behaviors do not define
them, and we will not call them out in front of the class. The “RRR” Technique is a great
way for educators to save their energy, have a chance to look at the situation, relax
themselves, and then go about resolving the situation. Recognize, Reorient, and
Respond is a great reminder for all educators to approach situations and our feelings. I
think this is a great technique to incorporate into the classroom. On page 73, it states,
“Anger is a feeling - reactivity is a choice.” Working with sixth graders can be difficult, as
they are finding their way, and it is a new environment for them transitioning from
elementary school to middle school. Students will try anything to ‘test’ the teachers and
their expectations. Using the “RRR” Technique will help me take a breath before
approaching any situation. If I start to feel angry, I know I can attack that anger and turn
it into something else. It is important to conserve our energy as educators, engage with
necessary situations; but will find that some do not need our attention, and recognize
our feelings. The strategies I use in the classroom are really helpful for me to know
when I am angry and understand why I am angry. A lot of times; these situations bring
up a time to practice the expectations with the students as well, using the strategies I
implement now and incorporating the “RRR” Technique for some situations, will really
benefit myself as an individual and as a future educator.

Smith, R., & Dearborn, G. (2016). Chapter 6 "Holding Our Ground" . In

Conscious classroom management: Unlocking the secrets of great

teaching (2nd Edition). essay, Conscious Teaching Publications.