Dawn Arseneau

This was supposed to be the year it changed. For my entire career, I’ve taught “difficult” classes – classes with learning and behaviour issues that sometimes felt insurmountable.

I’ve been lucky the last few years to have mindfulness and yoga added to my teaching schedule, providing a reprieve in otherwise challenging days. But I’ve been ready for a change, and the plan was I’d teach both of those courses along with resource.

Like most of the country, we are short on qualified teachers, and come September, it couldn’t be done. I had to teach the challenging classes again.

My first reaction was – I’ll be honest – tears. I just could not get my head around having to do it yet again. After a few too many years trying to teach disruptive classes, topped by the Covid years, I just didn’t think I had it in me to do it again. (And who knows, the semester could still go south from here, but…)

Here’s what is helping:

staying present

A surefire way to succumb to overwhelm? Let your brain run away with all the hundreds of scenarios, all the ways a class can go wrong.

For me, presence has been the first big shift. When I remind myself to actually be here – not replaying yesterday’s chaos or bracing for what might go wrong tomorrow – I feel more grounded. My students can sense when I’m really paying attention, and it changes the energy. Instead of reacting on autopilot, I can pause and respond with more calm. This means the classes are calmer, too. Win, win.

breathing

A few deep breaths before I start the day helps pull me into the space of my classroom – and into my body (which means out of my head!).

Sometimes the only tool I have is my breath. When a class feels like it’s about to spiral, taking even a couple of slow breaths helps me reset. It steadies my body, softens my voice, and gives me the space to choose how I want to show up instead of snapping out of stress.

non-judgement

This one works both ways: not judging students for their moods or behaviours (staying curious instead of critical), and giving myself some grace for feeling out of sorts sometimes.

When I practice noticing behaviour without immediately judging it, I don’t carry as much frustration with me. It’s not about ignoring what’s happening; it’s about meeting it with a clearer head so I can respond more effectively.

Practicing non-judgment toward myself helps me reset instead of staying stuck in guilt. It gives me the space to learn and try again, which is exactly what I ask of my students.

beginner’s mind

Having a mindset of approaching each new day as a new day doesn’t just help me reset and let go – it helps me accept what and who is in front of me at that moment.

It helps me keep perspective. Instead of walking into class already bracing for disaster, I remind myself to approach each day like a fresh start. It’s a much lighter way to walk into the room than the dread that can creep in if left untended. And, it keeps me curious, which softens the weight of old patterns.

gratitude

On my desk I keep a journal for noting those little moments of appreciation throughout the day. I don’t date it or organize it in any particular way – I just list one thing after another after another. (And I use coloured pens to make it pretty and fun!)

It’s a well-known practice for good reason: Noticing those little bright spots helps me balance out the challenges and remember why I keep showing up.

This toolkit, shall we call it, is my saving grace day after day. It’s a handful of practices I reach for when classes feel overwhelming. It helps me stay steady, show up for my students, and keep going even on the hardest days.

And I’ll keep holding onto hope that change is near. 🙂