TL;DR: Sometimes people feel a bit down in winter. What can you switch up to make winter less gloomy? Consider doing something that brings you joy each morning before work. Gloomy Season Here in Michigan, the first few months of the year have me feeling a bit gloomy. The holidays are over. My no-buy year, while still resulting in huge … Read More
Celebrate Love. Celebrate YOU.
TL;DR: We often focus on love during the month of February. One cute idea is to make a big heart out of paper for someone you love and each day write one thing you love about them on it. Consider journaling about something you love about yourself each day leading up to Valentine’s Day. Everybody Loves Love Here we are … Read More
The Gift of Happiness: 6 Keys to Cultivating Happiness
TL;DR: Happiness can be cultivated in simple ways in the classroom. There are 6 keys to cultivating happiness. Happiness is a mindset and a heartset. It is a gift you can give to yourself and others. Happiness is something you can protect. In my experience, when I ask young children how they feel, many will say “happy.” When I ask the … Read More
Physical Health & Education Affect Mental Health
TL;DR: Playing and moving around have loads of benefits for physical and mental health. Are we sucking the fun out of sport when we focus on competing? How can we use physical education to address the social-emotional wellbeing of students? Exercise and the Outdoors Exercise and time outdoors in nature are shown over and over again to be beneficial for … Read More
Revel in the Small Wins – Strategies for Self-Care
TL;DR: Keep the little notes students write you in a file for when you need a smile. Focus on the small sparks of joy you get throughout each day. Write down the great things that happen to you! Keeper File Over the holidays, I received a handwritten card in the mail from one of my 2nd-grade students, Abby. It was … Read More