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inability to experience moral rewards or a sense of doing “good work” from the Dr. Christina R.
Edmonds-Behrend
profession) and teacher burnout (i.e., exhaustion). This is a good distinction that is a professor in the
educators must make for themselves, deciding individually how best to address Department of Special
whether one questions his or her ability to do “good work” (Haessler Bohan, 2021). Education at Eastern
What we are addressing in this article is the exhaustion teachers may be feeling and Illinois University. She
providing them with different ideas on how to “recharge” their batteries. is a past president,
It is a general assumption that teachers serve as role models to their students. vice president, and
membership chair of
Devaki et al. (2019) noted that “students tend to stride on their role model’s Gamma Chapter in Illinois
footprints and emulate them” (p. 35). Therefore, it is paramount that teachers do State Organization.
what they can to take care of themselves, especially during the current, trying Currently, she is serving
times. Devaki et al. stated that teachers experience more weight-related and as literacy chairperson.
mental-health-related issues when compared to other professionals, noting that Edmonds-Behrend is also
61% of teachers explained that their jobs were “always” or “often” stressful. a member of the Council
for Exceptional Children,
However, teachers must remain well not only for themselves but also for their Illinois Reading Council,
students, as there are connections to teacher well-being and positive student gains and Kappa Delta Pi.
(Klusman et al., 2016). credmondsbehrend@
Educators can practice self-care in many ways. One may consider gardening, eiu.edu
yoga, or enjoying a good book. However, have we considered our canine
companions? A method of self-care and wellness can be through interaction with
pets, specifically dogs. Benefits of owning dogs include the emotional support
they provide and its effect on one’s mental health (Barcelos et al., 2020). Dogs
also provide opportunities to socialize with others, often gaining physical activity
(Toohey et al., 2013; Westgate et al., 2019).
Top 10 List

We propose a top 10 list of ways educators can model self-care and well-being Christina with her dogs,
through engagement with their own dogs. Ripley (Boxer mix) and
Dutch (Beagle). Ripley
is trained in Rally, and
10. Look at Your Dog Dutch is being trained
The simple act of looking in your dog’s eyes and talking softly can be to be a therapy dog.
beneficial. However, this must be intentional. Your dog knows when you are Both Ripley and Dutch
focused on him and will tend to bask in the attention with positive behaviors. were rescued from local
Phones, computers, and tablets often distract adults in the 21st century. You shelters.
need to be aware of how your dog is trying to gain your attention as
her owner. Does your dog lie close to you and throw his head up in
your lap, or is your dog more direct and swipes at your hand with her
paw? Both of these are ways that your dog may be trying to get your
attention. Take the time, even 5 minutes, to simply look into your
dog’s eyes and talk to him or her. You may feel your stress start to
decrease as your body relaxes.

9. Listen to Your Dog
Once you have a visual connection, take the time to observe your
dog. As pack animals, dogs are constantly communicating through
their vocalization, eye contact, and movement. Once you understand
a dog’s subtle communication and preferences, you may realize he
or she has a lot to say. As with the human voice, dogs have a tone to

Collegial Exchange · 17