Everyone has bad days. In the profession of education, educators give, give and give, and seldom take time for self care. What can we do when we have a bad day? We definitely can’t rely on our students to be a shoulder to lean on. We must leave out emotional baggage at the door, but then pick it back up on the way out and deal with it. It is absolutely crucial that we as educators are socially and emotionally competent(SEC), especially in self management and relationship skills. Research shows that teachers that model high SEC positively effect the SEL of their students.

Teachers… get your sleep, eat well and laugh. Do this, and you will love your job because other’s will love you for what you do.

The best feeling in life is not only doing something you truly love and are passionate about, but to also have others love what you do.

Assessing students’ learning should be like a camcorder, not a camera; one must look at the entire process, not just the beginning and ending photo.

How can we as teachers create a community feel in our classrooms? How can teachers aid students in their transformation from tourist to citizen of the classroom?

PASSION

For 2016, the word I chose that describes what I want to be, focus and to encompass my total self throughout the year and into the future is Passion; for my students’ well being, for my career, for my relationships, for my beliefs, for my health, for my growth as an educator.

I will do this by asking for help and guidance from those who inspire me, doing things that bring me peace, happiness, things that challenge and scare me, accept change, laugh and love.

We want our youth, our students to be deep divers; critical thinkers who deep into their learning, NOT snorkelers, simply skimming the surface.

I am so pumped to have been involved in creating such an inspirational video and to be a part of such an empowering movement.

#freekick, # equalplay

I had high expectations in someone today. I truly beloved this person wouldn’t let me down, and now that I sit here reflecting on it, I feel a sense of shame. Like it’s my own fault that I let myself feel disappointed. It is a very difficult thing to do, to reflect on your own behaviours and reasoning. it takes strong intra personal skills, self awareness and self management. As an adult, this is something I still have to work on regularly,  and although it can happen under not so favourable circumstances, it eventually brings a sense of peace and allows me to open my mind to seeing the world in a new way; a deeper understanding about myself as well as those around me. This is an example of social and emotional learning. Everyone benefits form it, and it is a life long process. Children need  to be exposed to social and emotional learning from an early age, and schools can provide an optimal learning environment with the tools to prepare them for their dynamic and ever-changing futures. One can read books and study for hours to get good grades and get into college, but they can’t do it alone. Along the journey of life, it’s the positive relationships that one builds and experiences  that really shape one’s identity. A doctor isn’t a doctor if they aren’t helping people, a teacher isn’t a teacher if they aren’t teaching someone, a shoemaker isn’t a shoemaker if no one wants to wear her shoes. As educators, we need to teach children about the life skills beyond the books.

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.