Mindful Monday: Celebrate Along the Way

With the end of the year mere weeks away, we often find ourselves reflecting and taking stock. "Did our students make enough progress? Have I helped them reach their potential? Am I ending the year like I thought I would?"

Here's the issue I have with these types of questions; they require a yes or no response. "Yes, my students reached their goals, or worse yet, no- they fell short." And well, progress isn't that simple. Why does it have to be an all or nothing scenario? Instead of only acknowledging or being satisfied with reaching the peak or the finish line, so to speak, why aren't we acknowledging, or better yet, celebrating all the steps taken along the way? We need to be celebrating all forward progress both from our students and our own. 

So as you start to look back on this year, as you tally up the accomplishments, when you see where you started, be proud of each and every forward step you and your students have made.

 

Mindful Monday: Progress

With state testing starting this week, one main thought comes to mind. Will the results show the progress our students have made this year? Will all their hard work show up on this one test on this one day? 

We have a love-hate relationship with progress. We love the feel of it, but on the flip side, progress takes time, effort, hard work, and often more time. It can be absolutely frustrating to look up to check your progress only to realize that you're not as far along as you would have liked to be. 

Here's where I think we go astray. Our vision of what we think progress should look like is entirely skewed! We think if we work hard, and want it badly enough, that after some time, we should be where we were aiming for. But the thing is, progress absolutely does not happen in a straight line. It is not simply a path from Point A to Point B. 

The same goes for our students. We have to stop thinking of their path to success as linear. Each of our students come to us with such different starting points; therefore, their version of success looks just as unique. 

Sometimes progress is slow. Sometimes progress requires us to take some steps backwards first. And then there are many times where failure is a part of the process. Sometimes there are paths we can follow to get to our desired destination, and other times, it's a complete jungle and no path exists. 

Progress looks absolutely different in every situation and to every individual. Even when we think the circumstances are similar, comparing your current progress to the progress of the teacher down the hall or to the student at the next table is pointless. Afterall, "Comparison is the thief of joy." -Theodore Roosevelt.  

At the end of the day, the Webster dictionary defines progress as: forward or onward movement toward a destination. Progress is not about winning. It's not about reaching the peak. It's not about being the best. It is about forward movement. 

So, regardless of what this one test taken on this one day shows, I absolutely know that our students have made progress. I know they have made forward movement. And I know it is thanks to you!

Mindful Monday: Tremendous Power

With our Family Night: Mindfulness & More happening tonight, needless to say, I have SEL on the brain. I am beyond thrilled to share my passion with our BCE community tonight. While I understand I'm biased towards the importance and impact SEL can have, our profession places us directly in the middle of shaping the future of our human race. Quite literally, the impact we leave on our students, the way we influence them, and how we help them develop has a direct correlation to how our communities succeed. 

While we are absolutely in the business to help our students flourish academically, it serves little good if they can't learn to function as human beings. Being able to regulate their emotions, learning to cooperate with others, being responsible for their actions, pushing through when things get hard, and how to process their feelings is all a part of 'How to Be a Human 101'. And these skills must, too, be taught and practiced, just like learning to ride a bike, read or do multiplication. 

While families are, of course, the most impactful people in a child's life, teachers run a very close second. We hold a tremendous influence with our students. We model what's acceptable. We show how to give grace. We lead by example when it comes to being vulnerable. And my favorite, we shine a light on the greatness that lies within them. We often believe in them, before they believe in themselves. 

Tonight, I hope that our families leave empowered with a few more 'tools' in their toolbelt. Even after all these centuries of raising children, there has yet to be a handbook written. So at the very least, I want our families to know they are not alone, and together, we will help our students thrive. 

Mindful Monday: Our Self-Worth

It's amazing how easily we tie our self-worth to our accomplishments and failures. Buy why? Why are we easy to own our failures and missteps, and yet we often downplay our achievements? And why do we allow our not so perfect attempts to make us feel less than? 

Isn't life a series of lessons?  We are meant to try new things. As humans we are designed to grow, and that means stretching beyond our comfort zone. Which means, we will fail from time to time.  

Here's the crazy part- being in the kid business, we often encourage our students to try new things. We tell them that failure is a part of the process. We repeatedly insist that failure does not define them. We say these things, and yet, we don't seem to believe them ourselves. At what point along this journey did this advice no longer apply to us?

As we enter April and we continue to push our students, know that your missteps don't define you. Your mistakes don't make you less than, just like your successes don't make you better than. You are enough just as you are!