Death Card - What Needs to Die?

A lot of people who are unfamiliar with Tarot initially feel a sense of fear and dread when the Death card appears in their reading. However, I am going to discuss with you the reasons why you should not only have no fear of this card, but why you should also welcome this card. The death card is not only inevitable when it comes to teaching, but it is also essential. Without death, nothing would ever change. The teacher you were your first year of teaching is the exact same teacher you would be ten years into the future. Now that's a scary thought!

The Death card has to do with endings and transitions. We see this in simple ways like ending a unit and transitioning into a new unit or one term ending and a new term beginning. Even the start of summer vacation at the end of the school year is a death. You have completed a full school year and now it over and it is time for fun and planning for a new school year. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?

But on a deeper level, we need to take inventory of what needs to die in order for us to progress on our journey as teachers. Things that are not working for us need to end in order for things to improve. So the Death card can be a reminder to look at what is not working in your teaching. Are you having problems with time management, classroom management, organization, creativity? If so, the card is inviting you to look at what bad habits need to be killed off so that you can transform into a more productive and happier teacher!

Don't be overwhelmed if you feel like you are struggling with a variety of those suggested issues. I have been teaching for 9 years and I still have problems with all of those issues from time to time! What I am suggesting is that you be open to the energy of the Death card. Allow yourself to figure out what isn't working and what needs to die. Allow it to reach its necessary conclusion so that you can begin anew and renewed! You know that exhilaration you feel on the last day of school? Well, you can feel that way periodically throughout the year if you allow room for necessary change and growth! It also helps to look past the scary imagery of the card and and focus on the sun rising in the distance. This reminds us that even though death can seem scary or bad at first, if we accept it gracefully and with open hearts, it can transform things into something beautiful and positive.

So this week's spread will help us look at what needs to die in our teaching so that we can more forward in a more positive direction!

All my best,

Amy

Weekly Tarot Reading for the Week of March 31

Tarot by Numbers: The 5's

The Hanged Man Spread for Teachers

I've designed this simple spread to help figure out what issues might need to be viewed from a different perspective.


What issue do I need to look at from a different angle: Master
What is a new and fresh perspective from which I can look at this issue: Third Eye Chakra

The Master card correlates with the Devil card in traditional Tarot. This card has multiple meanings. It could be about mastering your emotions if you are experiencing negative thinking or limiting beliefs and it can also be about mastering yourself and getting control over your addictions or obsessive thoughts. It can also be about mastering your fears. The bottom line is that it is about overcoming the obstacles within that keep a person from reaching their dreams and goals and from living the life they truly want to be living.

For me, this card is about dealing with my own feelings of oppression. The heart in the cage represents my feeling of imprisonment. Lately I have been given outside opportunities that make my heart sing - a chance to work with an author and edit her drafts and provide her with feedback, a chance to create and teach my own tarot workshop, and even my own desire to work on my own creative endeavors. But these opportunities create some fear based feelings in me because although they are not taking away my focus from my full time job, they are making me question a lot about my teaching career. Lately I feel that I am being burdened with tasks at work that I don't really enjoy and tasks that I am getting little help with from other colleagues. A lot of these outside teaching related tasks just make me feel overwhelmed, stressed, and uninterested. I am really trying to "master" my own life and figure out what I really want to be doing. How can I be happier and less stressed at work? Do I really want teaching to be my lifelong career or do I want to eventually move on and try something new? There are a lot of questions floating through my mind that are making me feel quite captive at the moment.

I'm not surprised that the answer is the Third Eye Chakra card. This card is all about connecting with one's intuition and meditating. When you take time out to do this, you are able to get greater clarity on a situation. I know this is what I should be doing to get answers, but I rarely ever make time to do this. I think it's about high time that I do.

I would love to know what areas of your teaching need to be looked at from a new point of view. As always, feel free to share if you feel called to.

All my best,
Amy

The Hanged Man - Different Points of View

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."- To Kill a Mockingbird

My class has been reading that novel this term and that quote really got me thinking more about the Hanged Man. In fact, Atticus Finch reminds me of the Hanged Man in some ways. Although this card represents a time of inaction and contemplation, while Atticus Finch was a man who worked hard to defend his client, I do believe they have some things in common.

Beyond inaction and contemplation, the Hanged Man represents sacrifice, of giving up something for the greater good. In the case of Atticus, he sacrificed his own security and stability to stand up and do the right thing. Atticus and his children were being harassed and even threatened by some of the townspeople, but he never wavered in his mission. The Hanged Man is also about seeing things from different angles in order to get a better understanding of people and of situations and this was a concept that Atticus tried hard to teach his children.

I feel that the Hanged Man is a good match to the concept of critical thinking - a huge topic at my school and I'm sure in many others. I think it's important that students learn not just how to read, but also to come up with interesting, thoughtful, and hopefully accurate interpretations of a text, as well as to evaluate the ideas that they read about. The days of spoon feeding facts are over and it's important that we teach our students to think for themselves instead of having them rely on us to do all the thinking for them!

I also feel that the Hanged Man is an important card for teachers. Speaking for myself, I know that sometimes I can fall into the trap of just seeing my students as my students and not seeing them as individuals, especially when they are ticking me off. But it's really important that we see where they are coming from. That we see them.

This came to light for me on a deeper level yesterday when I assigned them a personal narrative essay assessment. They have their choice of four prompts which came from the 2014 Common Application:

1. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
2. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
3. Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
4. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Overall, during the brainstorming session, most wrote down benign topics that most teenagers face - failing a test, questioning authority, listening to music in their bedrooms, and winning a championship. However, some wrote about darker topics like domestic violence, cutting, eating disorders, coming out and not being accepted by family, or just being neglected. Obviously, I had to connect with guidance counselors about some of the responses I received because I am a mandated reporter, but I also became very reflective about the whole experience. And it all came down to one big question for me: how can we expect our students to learn when some of them are struggling with really difficult and possibly traumatic things?

But upon further reflection,  I realized that at some point in all of our lives we all experience really difficult and traumatic things. This IS the human experience. We really are all in this together. This is why it is so important to take breaks from ego-centric thinking so that we can really tap into our compassionate energy. This doesn't mean that we should pity our students and not hold them accountable for their work, but it does mean that we should be gentler in our tone and reactions when they make mistakes academically or behaviorally. And we also need to remember that everyone has a story. People can look fine and put together on the outside, but we don't know what Hell they are experiencing on the inside. I was shocked to discover what some of my A students are living through.

So I really think the Hanged Man is a great card to meditate with when you need to get in touch with your inner Atticus Finch.

All my best,

Amy

Weekly Tarot Reading for the Week of March 24

Tarot by Numbers: the 4's

Whimsical Wednesday: The Emperor/Santa Clause

Justice Spread for Teachers

What is blocking me from being more fair in the classroom? The Solar Plexus Chakra
What can help me be more fair in the classroom? Listen (The High Priestess)

I felt like using my new Psychic Tarot for the Heart Oracle Deck by John Holland for this reading because I am completely addicted to it. It is such a beautiful, insightful, and gentle deck.

So what is blocking me from being as fair as I would like to be in my classroom is the Solar Plexus Chakra. This yellow chakra correlates with self-esteem and confidence. I think a lot of what holds me back from bring my own version of Justice into my classes is not being confident enough to do it. It can be very hard to deal with 150 different personalities a day, especially when they are all concerned with their own level of justice that they are experiencing. They all want to be treated fairly but they are also busy looking at what everyone else is being given or being denied. It can be really difficult to be in the position of power and have to make tough decisions. But this is part of the role of being a teacher - it means being an authority figure who makes rules and sets boundaries. But it also means being compassionate and understanding. So I need to get more in touch with my own vision of Justice and then strengthen by Solar Plexus so that I can do what I believe is right and just in my own classroom.

Listening will help me be more fair in the classroom. Sometimes it is just easier to want to shut down and just say "this is the way it is." But I think it is important to make the time I can to hear students out. It doesn't mean I have to bend a rule, but sometimes students just want to be heard. So instead of just speaking my piece and putting them in their places, I really need to make more time to listen to their side of the story and see how we can work together to come to the most fair conclusion.

All my best,

Amy

Justice - Differentiated Instruction

The concept of justice fascinates me. It is a concept, like love, that we begin to form ideas about during our earliest days on the planet. My toddler is very focused on what's fair vs. what's not fair. If I have a glass of chocolate milk, he thinks it's only fair to be given a cup of it as well. The ideas of justice, fairness, and equity play out in various ways in our daily lives. A student may wonder why she didn't make the team or why he didn't get cast in the lead role. A teacher may wonder why another teacher always seems to get the best schedule. I am starting to realize that a lot of our ideas about justice stem from our own concerns about what other people are getting compared to us. Many of us are constantly concerned that other people are getting preferential treatment instead of just keeping the focus on ourselves and what we already have that others may wish they had!

I could go on and on about the philosophical debates regarding Justice, but I would prefer to keep this particular post focused. So I have decided to discuss the Justice card in relation to the educational premise of differentiated instruction.

Differentiated Instruction is based on the idea that all students learn differently (think multiple intelligences and such). Therefore, it is our duty as educators to make sure that we create quality instruction that caters to a variety of learning styles so that we can ensure that all of our students learn. This may mean providing graphic organizers for visual learners or incorporating movement into a lesson for kinesthetic learners. The possibilities are endless. So how does this connect with the energy of the Justice card?

For starters, many educators complain about differentiated instruction. They say, "well, when I was a student, education was on size fits all and if you didn't get it, oh well!" Or, "This is so time-consuming and difficult! Plus how is it fair when in the real world people have to learn to conform and adapt to different situations?"

They don't seem to be listening to what they are saying! One sized fits all isn't fair to the students. It wasn't fair when we were students and it isn't fair now. So when you know better, you should do better. It also doesn't have to be time-consuming or difficult. In fact, many people have a variety of learning intelligences, so by committing to differentiated instruction, you are giving all of your students a better chance at learning more about what you are trying to teach. Isn't that the goal of teaching - to help students learn?

I understand that society wants one-size fits all norms and rules to keep our society running smoothly, but I don't think this is very just considering that we are all individuals who experience very individualized circumstances. So where do we draw the line between holding everyone accountable to the same standards and rules while still acknowledging and dealing with situations on a case by case basis?

I know I am now veering off of the topic of differentiated instruction, but try to bear with me. Think of it this way. We all have classroom rules and procedures that students are expected to follow in order for the classroom to run smoothly and not fall into chaos. But what happens when there are extenuating circumstances that arise? Do you stick to the rule and say "Well, that's the rule, sucks to be you?" Or is there wiggle room for negotiation? I am very interested in your ideas on this topic.

Please feel free to share your ideas about Justice in education and in the classroom. How to you balance being fair to the students as a collective entity and as individuals? Do you apply the same rules for everyone 100% of the time or do you approach things on a case by case basis?Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

But my final thought on differentiated instruction is this: I think it's only fair that we do our very best to ensure that all of our students have access to the material we are trying to teach, so if it takes creating instruction that meets a variety of learning styles, then I believe that's what we should do. But that's just my opinion. And I feel it's only fair to respect the opinions of others even if they differ from mine.

All my best,

Amy

Weekly Tarot Reading for the Week of March 17

Tarot by Numbers: The 3's

The Wheel of Fortune Spread

Before I begin this spread, I would just like to make you all aware that this blog is becoming increasingly difficult for me. It's not because things are going on in my life that are making it hard for me to write, it is actually the progression of the cards themselves! This is actually an exciting discovery for me. As I continue through the Major Arcana, their messages and lessons become increasingly more complex for me and I really appreciate this about the cards.

So in this spread we are looking at areas of our teaching where we should loosen the reigns a bit and give up some control as well as areas that we need to exert more control over. Here is how it played out for me:

The area of teaching I need to relinquish some control over: The King of Cups
The area of teaching I need to exert more control over: The Page of Swords

So my instant gut reaction is that these cards are not focusing on specific aspects of teaching like lesson planning, grading, relationship building, collaborating with colleagues, etc. They are actually focusing on personality aspects that I need to work on.

Since the King of Cups is in the position for what I need to relinquish control over, it is speaking about how I need to stop taking everything so personally. I take this profession VERY seriously, so I take it to heart when I get negative feedback or reactions from parents and students. As a result, I can become very moody and sullen and often have to fight feelings of wanting to quit when times get super tough. The King of Cups is reminding me that is important to relax and not take things personally. You can't please everyone. So if I know I am doing the best I can then I don't have to allow negative attitudes from others to bring me down.

The Page of Wands is in the position of what I need to exert more control over. This card is all about enthusiasm and energy. These are two things that I am greatly lacking in at the moment. I feel very stressed professionally and personally, which causes me to feel fatigued and totally drained. I need to re-energize and find a way to bring enthusiasm and excitement back into my classroom. This is important since we are in a major third term slump at the moment. Since MCAS is next week, I can use that time to start planning ways that we can start fresh and get back on a brighter path.

I'm sorry to keep this post so short, but this is a very busy week. Progress reports are due tonight, MCAS is next week, my son has the flu, and his birthday party is this weekend! But as always, I welcome your comments and feedback.

How are things going in your classroom? Are you riding high or are you in a slump? Feel free to let me know!

All my best,

Amy

Whimsical Wednesday: 3 of Cups

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The Wheel of Fortune - Looking at Cycles

I will be perfectly honest with you. The Wheel of Fortune is one of the cards I find most challenging. It usually comes up for me in the position of what lesson I need to learn just as we saw in the Hermit's spread. I think this is because I am an admitted control freak and I often have trouble going with the flow. But I am going to do my best to explain this card in relation to teaching, so let's see what we've got here.

First of all, I am not going to give an in depth explanation of the imagery on this card. That would be very time consuming for me, not to mention the fact that there is already a sensational explanation of the symbols on this card on the Biddy Tarot website. So if you want to check that out, just click this link.

There are two basic ways I see this card - one is that everything happens in cycles and the other is that there is an ebb and flow to everything.

Cycles exist everywhere. We have the four seasons, the lunar cycles, our holidays, our 5 day work week and 2 sweet days of freedom, and of course, our school year calendar. You can even break down these larger cycles into smaller ones. Looking at the school calendar year, we have structured terms. Our school recently moved from five terms to four. Within those terms we have units of study. Depending on your preference, you may even be the type of teacher who schedules certain types of activities on certain days. Maybe you do SSR on Fridays. Right now I typically do a reading quiz on Wednesdays and a fishbowl discussion on Thursdays.

Cycles are important because they provide us with some stability and predictability. There is an incredible amount of comfort in this. It can help us to remain focused on our goals when we have a certain sense of routine in our lives. And research has also shown that students benefit from structure and routine. However, there is of course a downside to cycles and routine - we can fall into a rut and become incredibly bored and possibly stagnant. So as a teacher, it is important to strike a balance between structured routine and a sense of excitement and adventure. It's important to find a way to shake things up and keep things fresh while still maintaining a familiar sequence of events for our students.

Let's talk about the "ebbing and flowing" aspect of this card. I think sometimes people mistake this card for meaning that things just happen to us and it is out of control and we just have to deal with it. The end. But I think it is much more complex than that. First of all, if you subscribe to the idea of "the law of attraction" as I do, then you will believe that our thoughts have the power to manifest and that we are therefore in control of the things that happen to us. This can be incredibly empowering, but also frightening. Sure it's great to know that we have the power to make things happen in our lives by first thinking of them and then working towards them. But what about when something bad happens to us? Does that mean we did it to ourselves? This can wrack us with guilt and shame! But on the flip side, I still think this is better than having a fatalistic attitude in which people believe that everything is just happening to them and that they have no control about what transpires in their lives. With that, you just end up feeling lucky when things go right and unlucky when things go wrong and you ultimately lack any personal responsibility or accountability for your own present situation as well as your future situation. But I feel the Wheel of Fortune has a lot to teach us about how to look at the things that are outside the locus of our control.

Leaving philosophies of fate out of the equation, we can all agree that we all have moments in our lives where everything is going fine and then out of the blue something just happens - an illness, a death, a loss of employment, an earthquake, etc. The Wheel of Fortune would suggest that even though things may just happen to us - for good or for bad - we do have control of how we react to them. We also have the responsibility to work with the universe and never just accept what happens to us. We are co-creators with the universe and it is important to remember that we always have choices.

Getting off track for a moment, this relates perfectly to how I view Tarot. I always tell my clients that even if you do a past-present-future spread, nothing is ever set in stone. The cards only show you the best probable outcome for your situation based on the facts at hand. But if you don't like what you have been shown, you can always strive to change those outcomes. This is what the Wheel of Fortune is all about.

So how is this wisdom helpful to us teachers? Teachers are wonderful at manifestation. We plan, we gather our tools, and we execute those plans. But sometimes things can jump in our paths - a snow day, a student has an unexpected illness or accident, or students don't respond to a lesson they way we would have liked. Instead of throwing our hands up in the air in defeat, we always have to keep moving forward. We may not be able to solve the problem to our complete satisfaction, but we can do the best with what we have to deal with the situation.

The Wheel of Fortune is asking us to enjoy the ride with all of its ups and downs. How can we get in alignment with this card? We can practice gratitude in our daily lives whether things are going well or not. We can also decide whether we want to just ride the waves when the seas are stormy and just wait and see what will happen or we can swim against the tide and fight for what we want no matter what obstacles are standing in our way. Ultimately, we have choices and that is the main thing this card wants us to remember.

So the next post will feature a spread looking at what areas of our teaching we can relinquish some control over and what areas we need to take more control of. I hope you enjoyed this post and I apologize if I rambled for a bit. This card is incredibly rich and complex. It is a card I know I will be working towards fully understanding for the rest of my life.

I would love for you to share your perspective on this card. Thank you!

All my best,

Amy

Weekly Tarot Reading for March 10 - March 14

Tarot by Numbers: The 2's

Whimsical Wednesday: Nine of Cups

The Hermit Spread for Teachers

The Hermit is inviting us to take some time out for introspection and to think about the lessons we have learned from our own experiences as well as to think about the lessons we still need to learn. You could easily adapt this spread to look at multiple areas in your professional life and the lessons you have learned. You could also use this to look at the lessons you've learned in your personal life. But for the sake of time, I am just choosing two cards to get a very big picture idea of the key lessons I have learned and still need to learn. But since I love exploring with the Tarot, I may find time to do a more detailed spread and take a closer look at different aspects of my teaching.


What lesson have I learned: The Nine of Swords
What lesson do I still need to learn: The Wheel of Fortune

Getting the 9 of Swords for the lesson I have learned card makes me laugh a little. Anxiety is something I have struggled with throughout my entire life. Despite doing my best to overcome my anxiety, I still don't feel that I have mastered it 100%. However, I have slowly learned ways to not allow myself to become burdened by anxious thoughts as well as to look at situations objectively to figure out what situations are real problems (which means they have a solution) vs. situations that may just feel stressful but may not turn out as badly as I worry they may (and there is nothing I can do about them anyway).
So in terms of my teaching, I have learned what's worth getting myself worked up over vs. what's best left to stop mulling over. I also used to get plagued by negative thinking and angry thoughts. For example, I have been getting weekly "hate mail" from parents complaining about their kids' grades. This used to make me so angry and bitter that it would ruin my afternoons and my weekends. Instead, I gracefully respond to their emails (and reveal when their little cherubs are lying to them) and then I let it go. Sometimes this isn't easy and I have to force myself to let it go. The bottom line is that when you are working with the general public, not everyone is going to like you. But that's ok. As long as you can look at your own reflection in the mirror and know that you are doing the best you can for the students, that's all that really matters.

The lesson I still need to learn is unsurprising to me. This card comes up in this position for me time and time again. Although I have learned how to handle my anxiety and negative thinking, I have not yet figured out how to go with the flow. The Wheel of Fortune is all about understanding that things happen in cycles and that there is a general ebb and flow to life. When things are going well, it's amazing! But when things aren't going well, I rage and rage against the tides. I have trouble accepting things and letting things move at their own pace.

I have trouble letting the universe do it's thing. I constantly feel that I need to be "doing something" to make things turn out according to my vision. The problem is, we are co-creators with the universe. Sometimes the universe has something better in mind than even what I have envisioned. But I have a problem letting go of control and wanting to force everything to go my way. So I still need to learn when to loosen up the reigns and let the universe help me.

This is especially true when it comes to teaching. I easily burn myself out by constantly pushing and battling against things I have little control over. But I have to learn to loosen up and lighten up. That doesn't mean I should put up with bad behavior, but it does mean that I need to learn what I have control over (myself and my reactions) vs. what I don't have control over (others and their reactions).

I would love to know what lessons you have learned when it comes to teaching or what lessons you are still in the process of learning. Feel free to share in the comments below.

All my best,

Amy

The Hermit - Let's Get Introspective

The Hermit card is a card I have a special affinity for. First of all, I'm a Virgo and my sign is represented by the Hermit. So when I see this card, I am drawn to the archetype of the wise old sage and the lessons he has learned from his experiences.

When I first sat down to write this post, I was thinking about the High Priestess and what are the key similarities and differences between her card and the Hermit card. If you remember from my post on the High Priestess, her card is all about getting in touch with your intuition in order to figure out what you want to manifest in your life. The Hermit is also about going within, but at this point on the journey, he is reflecting on the lessons he has attained on his path and how he can impart his wisdom to others.

And unlike the Hierophant, the Hermit is teaching wisdom from his own personal experience - things that are unique to the path he has taken.

So let's take a closer look at the wisdom he has to offer us on our journey as teachers...

Up to this point, we have had a lot of hands on experience. We have been taking risks and making big decisions to figure out what will work in our classrooms. But if we're honest, most of the things we have done have either been done unconsciously and we have just been taking stabs in the dark or we have done because that's what we were told to do either by the professors who taught us in college or by professional development workshops we have participated in or by the mentors or administrators who have tried to guide us. But the Hermit invites us to stop and take a time out to really get introspective and analyze the choices we have made thus far. It's time to really look at what we have learned from our experiences as teachers.

I have been teaching for nine years and even I can say that I don't have it all figured out. I don't think I will ever get to a point where I can say, "AHA! This is IT! This is everything I have to do to be a perfect teacher and ensure success for all of my students!" Teaching is an ever-changing and ever-evolving profession. There is always more to learn and to try. But that being said, I do take breaks periodically to stop and reflect on what I have tried in my classroom to figure out what has worked successfully as well as what went horribly, horribly wrong.

Through experience and introspection (and a lot of journaling!), I can say that active learning and cooperative learning is what works best in MY classroom. This is key to the Hermit card. Everyone's path is unique. We will all learn different things and our vision for a successful classroom may be very different.

How to get introspective:

What I like to do is keep a record of my unit and lesson plans. I make notations about what worked and what didn't work. Then at the end of each unit, I review my notes and write down what I will keep, what I will get rid of, and what I will try next time. For this process, I like to keep a binder with tabs to separate each term. I enjoy writing long hand, but that isn't for everyone. The bottom line is to find a system that works for you that allows you to reflect on the work you are doing. Then make periodic dates with yourself to review your notes.

Being a great teacher isn't about getting it right all of the time. It's about wanting to learn more, to grow, and to change so that your students will benefit. And introspection will help you to do this. This is what the Hermit is reminding us all to do.

If there is one word of warning about the Hermit card, it would be this: don't allow yourself to become too reclusive and isolated. Sometimes when things get stressful, whether personally or professionally, it can make us want to hide away from the rest of the world. Sure, it's healthy and great to want to get away now and again for some quiet reflection and some R&R, but if you find yourself just holing yourself up in your room and not interacting socially with others because you are in a negative space, then that's not healthy. So make sure that if you are feeling stressed that you make some time to connect with a partner or friend, swap ideas with a colleague, or just go out and have some fun with the people you love. Avoiding the world isn't going to help you escape your problems, in fact it may make your problems seem even worse.

So on Wednesday I will be posting a spread to help us reflect on the lessons we have learned on our teaching journey thus far. If you would like, feel free to leave a comment about ways you get introspective or any organized systems you have for keeping a record of what has worked vs. what hasn't worked in your classroom. Thanks for reading!

All my best,

Amy

Weekly Tarot Reading for March 3 - March 7

A Review of the Psychic Tarot for the Heart Oracle Deck