Hungry2Live
Hungry2Live
H2L E.8 - Katie Plunkett - Educator, thecalmclassroom.org
On today’s episode, Rachel speaks with Katie Plunkett. Katie is an educator, who looks for alternative ways to connect with her students. Whether it be figure 8 breathing or coloring to soothe the senses, Katie thrives in a calm classroom. Katie has not always had this approach to teaching. When Katie began feeling burned out and depressed, she realized being high strung and having anxiety was not just a challenge faced by adults. Katie created her own curriculum that children and adults can learn from.
@thecalmclassroom
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No, I
Speaker 2:Don't care,
Speaker 1:But they say I came here to stay
Speaker 2:Through the days. The must wasn't easy. Again. He never gave up cuz I, God God had through the darkness, through the tears during the lights off the fear, never give a
Speaker 3:Hi and welcome to another episode of hungry to live. I'm your host, Rachel. And today I will be speaking with this phenomenal woman who is a teacher and creates these amazing tools. She helps strategize and create strategies for kids and adults to just be calm, relaxed, and chill in their everyday life, but not just in everyday life, mostly in the classroom, also for parents while doing homework with their kids. So I'd like to introduce Katie Plunkett. Hi Katie.
Speaker 4:Hi, I'm so excited to be on here. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3:You are welcome. Thank you so much for being on here today. So I found Katie as I was scrolling through social media. This is a great time to drop those socials. You can find me and the podcast@hungrydotthenumbertwo.live on on Instagram. You can also follow and subscribe on my website, um, hungry to live.com, hungry the number two live.com. And you can also subscribe to the podcast and listen to the whole podcast on that website as well. Katie, what are your socials?
Speaker 4:Uh, you can find me on Instagram at the calm classroom and I don't have much of a social media presence beyond that. Gotta be honest.
Speaker 3:Well, that's all you need because that's how I found you was on the calm classroom. So let's get into this. How did you begin this endeavor of the calm classroom?
Speaker 4:Ooh, this is a, this is a, a lengthy story, but
Speaker 3:We got time,
Speaker 4:I guess it starts. Um, I initially when I graduated from college thought I wanted to go into law. Um, so I was doing AmeriCorps and just taking kind of a gap year to study for the LSAT and you know, just kind of get my life together. Um, and while I was doing AmeriCorps, I was put into a middle school classroom in south LA and I absolutely fell in love with my students. I fell in love with teaching. It was a really tough year, but it was really empowering and motivating. And I was like, wait, what am I doing? Studying for the LSAT? This isn't what I want to do. Like I wanna be here. I wanna do this every day. Um, so changed course, um, applied for grad schools, um, got my credential in multiple subjects in single subject history and I just dove into teaching and yeah, teaching was not exactly like the same as AmeriCorps. I was like going in as a tutor. I was more kind of like peer level support. I didn't have a ton of, I don't know. I, I just didn't quite know what I was biting off at that point.
Speaker 3:Can you actually tell the listener what AmeriCorps is for those who don't know?
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely. It's um, it's a really cool program. There's lots of versions of this program, but the umbrella is AmeriCorps. Um, and they, I guess give you a stipend. Um, and it, the program that I was in was called city year and it specifically sent people into schools, um, to provide kind of more peer level support, but AmeriCorps provides scholarships, mostly for people who are like fresh outta college and want to do these service projects. Um, so mine was very education focused, which is how, yeah, I got it.
Speaker 3:So you joined AmeriCorps taking your gap year from studying for the LSAT, fell in love. And then that kind of brought you to this pivotal moment where you're like, I don't wanna go to law school anymore. So I wanna start teaching. Is it then that the calm classroom kind of happened or is there something leading up to that
Speaker 4:Sort of, um, so at that point I had a really big interest in social, emotional learning and restorative justice. And part of that was because of the population I was working with. It was a really high knee needs area and a really high needs group of students. And there wasn't a ton of social, emotional learning that was happening in that school or in that classroom that I was placed in. And my mentor teacher, um, just kind of let me have the reign. So I had the freedom to try like a bunch of different stuff, um, like breathing exercises and mindfulness practices and talking circle and kind of develop my own style and technique. And at that point there wasn't a lot out there for kids. It was mostly aimed at adults. And so I didn't even know that I was creating my resources that I now sell, but I was creating them during that time. And I was putting them into language that was kid friendly and finding graphics that they liked. And, um, yeah, I guess the comm classroom kind of started at that point, but I officially made the account like two years into my teaching career. And that was actually after a period of like really intense burnout, which I definitely can get more into.
Speaker 3:So yes, I would love for you to get into burnout. Um, as a teacher, myself, burnout is real. It's super real right now. It was real at the beginning of the pandemic. And even though we are three years into the pandemic, it is probably a little bit more for some teachers, a thing than it was at the beginning of the pandemic we ourselves as adults could use some of those strategies and tools you are creating for the kids. Um, before getting into that whole part about, um, what you had gone through at near burnout. Can you also talk a little bit more about what social emotional learning is and how that relates to helping students in the classroom and also restorative justice?
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure. Um, social, emotional learning there's um, I mean there's a lot that goes into it, but generally that references like teaching kids directly about their emotions, what it is they feeling, what those sensations feel like the vocabulary associated with expressing those feelings, um, and teaching them coping skills to actually handle it. And it's an ongoing conversation. It's not just something that can be mastered in single lessons, but it's something that I believe should be woven into the fabric of education.
Speaker 3:I 100% agree. And I know that that part woven into the education is also something that you personally have a connection to with your story, because I know that you're gonna, at this point, I'm gonna ask you to talk a little bit about your story and I know that the calm classroom and those strategies also helped you get through your burnout. So you you're using the tools you used for yourself personally, to also help the kids in your classroom.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I can definitely get into that. Um, yeah. Also quickly just to define restorative justice, cause I'm gonna talk about it a little bit here. Um, I guess the, the focus is finding strategies that are, um, more restorative than punitive. If you are gonna look at at it with that kind of like dichotomy. Um, so in my, in my classroom and I'll get more into this, but I, I like practice a lot of restorative justice. I do a lot of talking circles. I do a lot of debriefing conversations. I do a lot of ch Heins, things like that. Um, but yeah, to kind of dive into the, the whole burnout story. So the school that I was in was, was just really, really tough. I was totally thrown in the deep end. My first year I, on the first day of school, I had 55 students on my home room roster. I had 36 chairs in my room, was insanity. They switched all of my schedules, all of my rosters for pretty much every week for about six weeks. Um, and they moved my classroom three times in that first year. It was just ridiculous, like everything about it was just not ideal. And to top it off, like my kids had very high needs. The classrooms are overcrowded, the resources I was provided, aren't engaging and I'm a first year teacher and I really don't have all of this experience and knowledge to fall back on or things to just pull out that I've done in previously years, I was just kind of wing it at a certain point and I'm a perfectionist kind of by nature. And that's something that I'm working through still. Um, but I would spend hours just stressing about like putting my classroom back together and making it perfect and making sure every lesson was perfectly scripted it because I wanted to think about every single student's individual needs and, you know, that's a good thing that we should do, but we also need to have boundaries and I burnt out rapidly and I was burnt out for probably a solid year before I finally decided to take a step back and just try something else for a little bit. Um, yeah. And so during that time, when I did step back, that's when I started my account. Um, and I think there was like two main reasons I started it. One was because I wanted to provide teachers, the tools that I found so effective with my own students. Um, but also I wanted to empower our teachers to take better care of themselves because it took me literally almost killing myself to like, and I don't mean like literally, but I mean, I got to the point where I couldn't get out of bed. I was, I was like catatonic in the morning. I couldn't, it, it felt like this just huge weight of anxiety and pressure on me. And I, I just couldn't do it. It got to me like breaking
Speaker 3:Before. Do you often feel, or during that time, do you remember ever feeling like you woke up and you felt like you woke up after being hit by a bus?
Speaker 4:Yeah,
Speaker 3:I'm so glad. I couldn't have somebody relate to me because I was telling a coworker this, um, and they understood, but then I was talking to a friend who's not in education. And I was like, yeah, every day I wake up and it literally feels like I was like sleeping under, um, like I was getting stoned in my sleep and my whole body hurt. And yeah. So that's definitely part of burnout if you're feeling that in any industry you're in, it's probably time to take a step back.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It's, it's just not worth it. Like there is no job, no career that is worth sacrificing your health, mental or physical. And at that point I had sacrificed both fully and it's just, it's not, it's not worth it.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you for sharing that. So I also know, and I'm sorry, you got to that point and it it's awful that a lot of teachers are going through that right now. Um, I know you had also briefly mentioned that you went through a little bit like of a depression and the anxiety. Do you, is that part of what you just spoke about or is there anything else that you would like to talk about with that?
Speaker 4:That was definitely a huge factor for sure. Um, in my personal life that also just coincided with other things that were just really not great. I had, um, a period of about six months of pretty intense, like family drama. Um, my parents divorced after 25 years and there was just a lot of like revelations and information that was shared, that was like pretty traumatic. Um, and so that was really tough on, on me and my whole family and just our dynamic. Um, and then I also ended a relationship around that same time and it just, it all coincided and I was hating my career and I, I kind of just felt like I literally failed as an adult. I was like, I don't have it figured out on any plane. My family's a mess. My relationship's a mess. My job is a mess. I'm a mess like, um, and yeah, it just, it felt so heavy and terrible.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I can only imagine. And to all have all of that go down at the same time that probably around the same time that COVID was happening or you working through that process as COVID was happening. I can only imagine what that was like for you. Um, it seems like when it rains at pores in any situation, your, um, personal life and professional life kind of coincide, and it's kind of this energy thing, no matter what you're doing in your, a life at a certain time, things just bleed into each other. And if you believe in vibrational impact or, um, frequency or energy, whatever it is, they all kind of go together. So when one thing happens, it it's like a domino effect and it's how you clean it up and you cleans it up very nicely and you cleaned it up to help yourself go into something else that you enjoyed. You're still teaching and you are also expanding your brand of the com classroom. And you're also using what you are creating in your classroom. So can you get into how you are using it in your classrooms and how it's not only helping you, but helping others you're working with as they implement it?
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely. Um, so it's kind of interesting now I, I teach in a Waldorf school. So if anyone's UN unfamiliar with that, it's, it's very, um, it's a very unique approach to education. It's very much about supporting like the whole child. It's a lot of natural materials, um, a lot of stories and lessons back to nature. And, um, yeah, so some of my tools, unfortunately I can't use in my classroom, like a lot of, oh, I'm so sorry. My dog is barking. I'm gonna open the door for her. Um, but yeah, I, I am able to use a lot of my, my card decks. And for those specifically, the one that I'm using a lot right now with my students is the emotions deck. And that is a deck that walks students through. I think it's 30 total, 30 different common emotions. And it explains to them, um, what it actually means, the word, like, what does the word anger mean? Like the, the definition, and then also, how do I know I'm feeling it and also why am I feeling it? Um, cuz there's an explanation for that. And everyone experiences these emotions. So that's, those are the conversations I have with my students. As part of our morning meeting, we have a emotion of the day and we do, we kind of act out like, how does it look? And then they explain how does it feel? And we'll do some like mirroring too. So we'll say, well, how does it look when, um, Anna is sh feeling shy and then they'll show me what Anna looks like and then, okay, well how does it look like when George feels shy and they'll see that it's different and that people express emotions differently and they pick up on these social cues and that's, that's the hope. Um, the other one I use a lot is the affirmation alphabet. Um, cuz we're very much still learning how to read. We're doing a lot of phonics and um, sound blending and we'll play it back into our, uh, affirmation, alphabet and our different animals. And um, it just gives us an opportunity to sprinkle in a little positive conversation into our lessons.
Speaker 3:That's great. How are the parents reacting to your, the com classroom and the tools that you're bringing in and creating for the kids and how are they using it at home?
Speaker 4:Yeah, they've, they've been responding well, it's, it's kind of funny. They actually don't know about my page. Um, but they do have the resources. I send them everything. Um, so I've sent them their digital copies of the emotions deck and affirm alphabet and I'll let them know what specific emotions we're working on that week, what specific letters so that they can review those with their kids at home. And I've found a lot of positive feedback. They, they tell me that their kids really enjoy it and they like that. It they're seeing it at home and at school. Um,
Speaker 3:That's good. The home to school connection is so important, especially when you're trying to build these things like social, like social cues seem like they should be common sense. And as a teacher myself, I know that it's super hard, especially after a year and a half of being behind a screen reading body language and reading people's faces is really cha I mean it's a challenging for some adults. Like let's be real. Um, but kids especially need, they need help. They need that kind of mirroring or modeling from an adult. Um, how have, have you seen any of your colleagues either use it or, um, are, is there implementation that they are using your materials and if so, has it been positive for them as well?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I do share, um, or I have shared my resources that I'm using those, those two card decks and also my, my breathing deck with my grade level team. Um, but I'm actually very new at this school. I just started about a month and a half ago. So, um, I haven't sent them to everyone yet, but that is part of the plan. And I'm really excited to, to share that with them.
Speaker 3:Well, congratulations on your new job. Is there anything that you would like to say to Alyssa who may be struggling with depression or burnout from a job
Speaker 4:For sure. Um, I would say that, you know, like this is not a feeling that lasts forever and you do have options and there is no career or job or anything really that's worth sacrificing your physical and mental health. Like I mentioned before, like you always need to prioritize like you number one, because without doing that, you're not gonna be able to help anyone. And our job as teachers is to do that percent. So if, if you're not taking care of yourself, what's even, what's even the point. So yeah, that's, I think my number one piece of advice,
Speaker 3:That's great advice. Nothing is, nothing is more important than your health period and health is. However you wanna define it. Health is defined as three things, physical, mental, and social. And if you let one go, all three of them at some point are gonna go. So you need to really have those in check. As you know, this show is called hungry to live. What keeps you hungry to live?
Speaker 4:Um, I am definitely an empath. Uh, so I, I love just connecting with other people and, and seeing them and feeling them express joy. That's I think why I love teaching so much. I, I love those light bulb moments. I love the magic and, and the joy of a child that's discovered something new and that excitement and I, that's why I keep coming back to it. I, I left the classroom for a year and a half and I'm back now and I, yeah, that's what makes me hungry to live. I would say
Speaker 3:That's a great thing. I mean, kids are so amazing. I, as I said it, my first episode, kids are little humans and we don't always give them the credit that they've, they're phenomenal on so many levels. Yeah.
Speaker 4:They're intuitive as well. Like they, they pick up on so much their, their little sponges. It's really amazing to see
Speaker 3:It is. So at the end of every episode, I read a poem about the guest. So I have one for you, a burns out teacher with a passion, looking to take some action, watching others teaching during the pandemic teaching and normal times often hectic, always working with good intentions while pushing through her own depression. Hard enough as it was so much mental health awareness to discuss not just the students, but the adults too. Katie began creating new ways to work through the challenges in front of her and the ones inside her head. Her vision of the calm classroom began to spread her activities and tools for self importance, self care, and love helped grownups and kids learn ways to regulate when things get tough strategies like journaling, deep breathing and talking about feelings, helped her reconnect to her career and gave her craft more meaning
Speaker 4:I'm seriously gonna cry. I love that. Rachel. I'm so honored. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:You are welcome. I will email that to you and that's all yours. You can have it.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much. That is such an amazing gift.
Speaker 3:Um, now is the time again for you to your social as if they hadn't heard comm classroom multiple times?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so, um, my Instagram is yes at the comm classroom. Um, we also actually just started our own podcast too. So we're gonna be discussing, um, a lot of stuff to do with the classroom mental health. I'm doing it with one of my best friends. She's a social worker and she's amazing. So you can find that on Spotify and apple podcasts and Amazon music at the comm classroom podcast, that's what it's called. So
Speaker 3:Awesome. And if you need a specialist on special ed, I I'm your girl.
Speaker 4:I will absolutely on that. I would love that.
Speaker 3:All right. And you can find me@hungrydotthenumbertwo.live on Instagram. Also, you can find this podcast and all things hungry to live at hungry. The number two live.com. You can subscribe to my podcast there as well. Thank you so much, Katie.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much, Rachel,
Speaker 5:Down on my luck there with dog days, how to switch it up, make it okay. So I gave up on the right race, learned from a pastor man days still got town, never too late.
Speaker 1:No, I don't care. But they say
Speaker 5:I care
Speaker 1:He to stay
Speaker 5:Through the days
Speaker 2:The, my days, it wasn't easy. Again. He never gave up cause God have Through the darkness, through the tears, turn the lights off face. The fear never give a.
