TL;DR: Give people grace because they are often doing their best. Be willing to bend school rules if they give students comfort and don’t hurt anyone. Consider how bending school rules can help students feel more welcome at school. Grace I went through the Dunkin’ drive-through the other day. As the 2 cars in front of me ordered, I kept … Read More
Sub Better: Giving Grace Through New Starts
TL;DR As we start a new school year, it’s time to give grace. Give your students grace. Give the teachers grace. And give yourself grace! Getting Back Into It It has been three months since you last accepted a guest teaching assignment. You have enjoyed the long break but you’re ready to get back into the swing of things and … Read More
Find Success During This Pandemic
TL;DR: Find success during this pandemic by accepting that things are not normal, prioritizing self-care, and extending grace. Self-care is not a myth. You need to allow yourself to unwind and turn school off for a while. We all need to extend grace to ourselves, to our students, and to our families. An Elevated Level of Stress One of the … Read More
How to Handle Distance Learning’s “Ghost” Students
TL;DR: We must acknowledge the concerns about student engagement and attendance that may occur during remote learning. We don’t know everyone’s situation so we must offer grace. According to a meta-analysis of psychiatric research, social isolation and loneliness during the pandemic negatively affect children’s levels of anxiety and depression. Listed below are ways to reach out to students. Use any … Read More
It starts with grace, but it doesn’t end there.
Neither judgment nor grace requires knowing the full story. Empathy does. Focus on an empathetic lens, but know that empathy requires taking action. Empathy involves accountability; it involves expectations, but it also involves support, growth, reflection, and requires a relationship. Before you start reading this looking for answers to problems or solutions to struggles, let me be very honest with … Read More