Compassion Fatigue: The Cost of Caring for Teachers with Special Guest Ayesis Clay (Ep. 29)

Dec 06, 2022

Did you know that teacher burnout and compassion fatigue are very different experiences? Teachers in the field are dealing with a lot, yes, but how can we tell which it is? Compassion fatigue refers the outcome that teachers experience when they absorb the trauma or the emotions of others while helping and supporting them.

Most teachers are empathic, which is really a key component of connecting and developing relationships with our students and colleagues. However, there is a downside if you are not protecting yourself and that results in compassion fatigue. That's why I had to bring Ayesis Clay on the show to chat more about compassion fatigue and her spectacular, innovative way of supporting educators with recognizing this detrimental and common condition.

Ayesis Clay, a distinguished theatre educator and professional theatre artist, is best known for her solo show “Sculpting Clay or How I Became Mother of Unicorns”, a fantastical look at one teacher’s epic journey through education battling compassion fatigue and burnout while finding hope on the other side. She has also written and developed curricula for school districts and many local and regional theatre companies.

Combining her extensive background in theatre and education, Ayesis founded Sculpted Clay Productions LLC, where she uses theatre-infused residencies and professional development workshops to help schools address teacher and student mental wellness and inspire deeper conversations around creativity and humanity in education.

TOPICS COVERED:

  • Resilient Teacher Shoutout
  • The Drama of Teacher Life - Ayesis's Burnout Story
  • How does compassion fatigue impact educators?
  • The Difference Between Burnout & Compassion Fatigue
  • Trauma Awareness
  • Signs & Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue
  • How Creativity Boosts Joy & Resilience
  • The Power of Play
  • Zentangles
  • How exploring your personal teacher story can allow you to gain clarity & healing from compassion fatigue
  • Setting the stage for success
  • What Ayesis's professional development opportunity looks like in order to create positive culture of healing & change
  • The Importance of Gratitude in Healing
  • How to reframe the "find your why" to really heal from compassion fatigue
  • The Importance of Gratitude & her free Unicorn Educators Gratitude Journal
  • How you can connect with Ayesis & Sculpted Clay Productions

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

 

CONNECT WITH AYESIS CLAY:

CONNECT WITH BRITTANY:

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MORE ABOUT THE RESILIENT TEACHER PODCAST:

The Resilient Teacher Podcast is the show that will give overwhelmed educators the support, tools, and mindset to reduce teacher burnout and keep teaching sustainable. Each week, Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed. & her guests will share inspiration and actionable steps to avoid or recover from the dreaded teacher burnout. You'll be inspired to individualize self-care and learn to prioritize your well-being and mental health, all while making a bigger impact on your classrooms and community.

 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW ON ITUNES:

Are you subscribed to the podcast?  If not, I encourage you to do that NOW so you never miss another episode!  New episodes are added every Tuesday, and if you're not subscribed there's a good chance you might miss out on notifications that a new episode has gone live.  Click here to subscribe on iTunes!

And if you are feeling extra amazing, I would be super grateful if you would leave a review on iTunes, too!  Those reviews help other educators who are burned out and needing support find the podcast, and I love shouting you out on the Community Reviewer of the Week Segment!  Just click here to review, select "Ratings & Reviews" and "Write a Review" and share what you are loving about the podcast!  

 

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