TL;DR: The focus in school is frequently on the grades received rather than the skills obtained. Feedback and the improvement of skills should be valued more. We all need to work together to create this change. In 2015, I attended the “What Great Educators Do Differently” conference with my colleague in education and best friend. I attended a session by … Read More
Gratitude in the Classroom
TL;DR: Make gratitude in the classroom a part of your daily routine. Implement a Friendsgiving Gratitude Circle to build classroom community. Show gratitude in the classroom on Veteran’s Day, at the end of the year, and in your school community. Gratitude is defined as “the state of being grateful” (Merriam-Webster). There was a study published in the Journal of Happiness … Read More
Practicing Gratitude on a Daily Basis
TL;DR: Practice gratitude on a daily basis by seeing the glass half full, taking in the small joys around you, and incorporating mindfulness into your routine. Use your 5 senses to reflect on what you are grateful for. Keep a gratitude token as a reminder to practice gratitude daily. Here in the U.S. we have Thanksgiving coming up on the … Read More
Teach Gratitude
TL;DR: Teaching gratitude has benefits for students, teachers, and the community. There are many simple activities for all ages that you can embed into your classroom. Incorporate gratitude into your own life. There’s a lot of talk about the need for teacher self-care but less about simple hows and whens. But what if self-care wasn’t something separate? What if we … Read More
Teachers Need the SEL Approach Too
TL;DR: Struggling through depression made me feel lost and alone. Remote learning started to help me heal and become myself again. SEL is important for adults, too. I have been meaning to find a way to settle down to write this blog. It has taken me some time to overcome my own anxiety issues, both personal and professional. After my … Read More