Power Pose

I've become addicted to TED Talks and the incredible wealth of free, intellectually stimulating information about life, happiness, and technology. However, I can't watch these videos without trying to apply the lessons learned to teaching and education. One of my favorites that I have shown in workshops is a talk by social psychologist Amy Cuddy about body language.

Body language helps us communicate with others, but Cuddy shows in her research that our bodies' nonverbal language also communicates with our minds. In fact, her "fake it 'til you become it" philosophy stems from research that shows two minutes standing in a power pose will affect your body chemistry and help you become an authentic, confident version of yourself.

Particularly powerful for me is how short a time it takes for our bodies to control our minds. In just two minutes, your body's posture can change your cortisol and testosterone levels and make you feel like a different person. Imagine how important your confidence is in the course of a day's teaching. If at the beginning of my high school class period, I take two minutes to stand in a power pose, my confidence will increase, my stress will go down, and I will be the most powerful, confident version of myself. When facing 30+ adolescents in an enclosed space for an hour, I need to be my best self if I want to keep that class focused and learning.

Compare the results of two minutes of power posing with two minutes slumped over, trying to take a break during passing periods and hoping to make it through the next class. Your body tells your mind that you are weak, powerless, vulnerable- and then 30+ students come in and confirm that.

Many teachers stand outside the door to greet the next class period. If you stand outside the door, stand tall, shoulders back, maybe even with your hands on your hips. These few minutes in a power pose will boost your confidence and make you the strongest version of yourself. And when that troublesome class comes along and you're at your wits end, maybe you take a two minute break in the hallway to gather your confidence. The point is to be aware of how your body's posture is influencing your mind, and to take advantage of the fact that it can.