Caring for yourself and your relationships

Feeling uncertain is normal. Think about what has helped you in the past to ease stress or anxiety. Find moments to do those things and listen to your body. This could be drinking water, going for a walk and getting enough sleep. Take breaks from social media or news outlets if it becomes too much. Think about different activities that bring you joy or peace. Take the time and space you need to feel your feelings. 

As you care for yourself, it’s important to share and seek support from friends and family you are comfortable with. They may be able to offer comfort and reassurance, but they can also be accountability partners with you to keep doing the things you need to do to take care of yourself—and you can do the same for them. 

It might be more challenging to navigate conversations with those who feel differently than you. It could be necessary to take a break or set boundaries around the types of conversations you will be around or participate in. You might want to reach out and have these challenging conversations, express why you feel a certain way, and why it matters to you. It’s important to keep in mind that conversations work best when both sides want to listen and better understand one another. Have clear expectations and remain open to your own biases and what they might be. Expand your sense of empathy and attempt to listen without judgment and be careful to ensure your body language is open and receptive. 

Find support for caring for yourself and your relationships through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Caring for your students and community 

As each of us feels impacted by the situations we will face this week, our students and their families may be facing the same challenges. We can expect this to impact our classrooms and we want to be prepared to support each staff member and student where they are at while also continuing to prioritize education and growth. We can do this in several ways: 

• Stay grounded in our mission of Every Learner Thrives. Take time to revisit this mission in the morning and throughout the coming days. Each student is our responsibility. How does that connect to our mindset?

• Set clear expectations and guidelines. Reference our policy on professionalism in the Employment Practice Manual and seek support or help if situations arise that don’t meet our high standards.

• Foster respectful and inclusive environments as a foundation for exploring challenging topics. Reinforce norms for productive conversations and use them as learning opportunities. Teach students and remind ourselves that disagreement is natural and widens our perspective. This expands our learning opportunities and fosters growth in students and ourselves. 

• Think about how to create space in your classroom to center conversations around what strategic and safe civic engagement can look like during this time. Remind our students of the crucial roles that pause, reflection and intentional planning play before leaning into action. Feel free to reference this resource. 

• Consider daily check-ins with staff before students arrive. Focus on the basics such as breathing, taking care of our bodies and creating space for team members to listen or share their experiences. 

• Rely on the structures we have in place. There may be increased worries about bullying, harmful behaviors or inappropriate comments. Use the structures our schools and central teams have in place to reinforce and correct inappropriate words and behaviors as necessary. Do not ignore painful or discriminatory actions, remember our legal guidelines and be present throughout the school day. 

We are strongest when each of our team members feels supported and valued in their individual experiences. As we face this week as One Team DPS, let us stay connected and empowered by the diversity of our staff, our students, and our community.

Sincerely,

Edwin Hudson
Chief of Talent