Lessons from Stoicism

Here is my first tiny step in collecting lessons from Stoicism that can be applied to education. I’m sure I’m not the first to explore this idea - in all fairness, I haven’t done my research yet to see who else has delved into Stoicism as a remedy for teachers. But it feels like a form of mental Lemsip, soothing the headaches that come with negative thoughts and creeping resentemnt.

Here are two of my favourite quotes that I’ve started becoming more and more conscious of in my life as an educator. It hasn’t been easy - as with any habit, including this mental shift - it takes a lot of consistent effort to develop.

• All things can be divided into two categories: that which does lie within the boundaries of your control and that which does not (Epictetus)

  
  

• Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn't matter (Marcus Aurelius).

I recently read this great book by Mark Tuitert, an Olympic speed skating champion. He shares some fascinating reflections and simple exercises to help train your mindset. Below is Exercise 5: Every advantage has its disadvantage. I know that Stoicism isn’t exactly a new idea (!), but I keep coming back to it - especially when I think about teacher wellbeing. 

When viewed through a Stoic lens, so many of our daily experiences can suddenly seem clearer, cutting through the fog and bringing a little sunshine. Here are just a few Stoic-inspired practices to explore:

• Questioning your judgments 

• Turning setbacks into opportunities 

• Embracing failure as a way to grow