Feeling comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. This is a very valuable life skill that everyone needs to learn. There is a negative view towards vulnerability that has been developed in our society, especially around the male stereotype. However, feeling vulnerable requires recognition, acceptance, reflection, and a whole lot of courage. Change is usually an uncomfortable feeling, a state of vulnerability that many people try to avoid by routinizing their lives. However, there is no growth without change. To promote acceptance of vulnerability, people need to be empathetic of others. As a future teacher, my philosophy is deeply routed in social and emotional awareness, including empathy. Feeling sympathetic towards other’s and being able to understand others individual perspectives.  This is a skill that I, as a future teacher, am still working on myself,, ad hope to be a positive role model for my students. As a future teacher, I plan on implementing social and emotional learning activities that foster a welcoming and safe environment.

Learning requires multiple skills and multiple skill sets. As  I sit in my language class, we discuss the act of reading. As educators, we need to realize that our students have their own unique skill sets. When it comes to reading and comprehension, it is crucial that the students are aware of the purpose behind the text, especially when they are reading in a language that is into their native language. By giving the students a reason as to why they are reading what they are reading, they are able to apply this basic back-ground knowledge to help aid their reading and deciphering vocabulary and grammar that they do not recognize. This concept can also be applied to PE. Explaining the objective of the activity and relating it to real life situations builds on students background knowledge. ie Teaching open space in rugby by relating it to other sports that students are familiar with.

If people had to define you in one word, what do you think that word would be? Would they be right? Why or why not?

Reflecting on this activity brings awareness of who I am, and how I believe people to perceive me, however, this reflection is limited to my own assumptions.

Assumptions are powerful things, that can be conscious or even unconscious; we have assumptions that we never even knew we had. This brings me to my next question; What assumptions to teachers make of their students? What assumptions to students make about their teachers?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and assumptions. It is crucial to recognize the process of assumption making, especially as an educator. Take time to read the book before you judge it.

This past weekend I attended my first PRO-D day. It was informative, refreshing and overall, a great networking experience. I was so surprised with how many teachers I ran into, and whom openly introduced to me their fellow colleagues. This goes to show that building relationships and presenting the best and most authentic version of yourself, where ever you are, is extremely important because you never know who you will run into, and who you will meet because of it. I value my relationships with those around me, far or near, big or small.

Life is a journey, an adventure, a constant state of change.

Today I watched the documentary of Jane Elliott’s Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes exercise on discrimination. The  technique that she uses instills a huge range of emotions, and within minuets, one can go from feeling like a king, to an ant. She teaches discrimination to a third grade class and uses the colours of each students eyes as the indication of their social status and value as a human being. She uses the same exercise with adults and the results are exactly the same; people discriminated against feel angry, hopeless, frustrated and anxious, where as the empowered group felt a sense of importance, worth and control. The transformation is amazing to watch.

. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/view.html