Thankful for You.

 I Stop.

And Feel my breathing (feel your breathing).

Peaceful and Calm.

I'm ready to (fill this part with your next task: do mindfulness, go to lunch, have recess, read a story, etc..).

This Mindfulness song is how I start and end my mindfulness lessons with kindergarten. They do an amazing job with this song. They do an amazing job with mindfulness. They are peaceful and clam and ready to do mindfulness.

During this short school week take some time to do mindfulness.

A great Thanksgiving mindfulness is a simple gratitude list. 

My daughter's preschool class did gratitude turkeys this month. My funny three-year-old was very honest and shared that she is thankful for green beans! She loves her vegetables. Do you know what your students are thankful for this month?

Share your own gratitude. Let your students know you are thankful for them being at school.

I am thankful for all of you who take time each week and read this blog. Thank you!

Take time this week and be mindful! 

Changing how we see "Normal"

 "I am not a broken version of someone else's normal."- John Elder Robison

As I listened to the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans with Maya Shankar, I was struck by the power of this statement. John was on the podcast telling his story, his journey to understanding himself and accepting himself.

John was in his 40's when he was presented with the idea that he might be on the Autism spectrum. The more he learned about what was at the time called Asperger's Syndrome, the more he saw himself and understood his life.

John since that time twenty years ago has written books and given talks and been a part of studies to help himself and others understand the challenges and gifts of Autism. 

Near the end of the interview John said, "I am not a broken version of someone else's normal." This to me was a profound statement and challenged me to look at our students in a different light.

Our students are unique, challenging, and at times frustrating, but, they are not broken versions of our normal.

Some are "broken" this is an unfortunate reality. But they are broken by circumstance, they were not born broken and they do not choose to be broken.

This week I challenge you, as I am challenging myself, to look at the students around you and see their normal not your normal. 

Then ask yourself what kind of support does their normal need? How can you give it? Who can give it? How can it be given?

Support does not look the same for every student. We need to be open to the supporting each student needs, as differently as it may look. Support should not be a one size fits all idea.  

  

Continue to Connect

 Last week I attached a video regarding starting each day with a connection. This week I want to start with attaching a video which provides a strategy for connection at the end of a day or end of a lesson.

Appreciation, Apology, Aha

Humans need to connect. 

Judith E. Glaser, Organizational Psychologist and Anthropologist at Harvard is largely responsible for the information we have on the psychology of connection.

Glaser studied what is called Deep Connection and explains to us how it works in the brain and why it is important.

Deep Connection is built on Interaction and Behavior. One of the key finding in the research is related to Sharing. 

When we share our values and passions with others we are releasing the neurotransmitter, oxytocin. Oxytocin is significantly responsible for building connections. 

Glazer's finding go on to show us that when we engage in deep connection and our brains release Oxytocin, our brains begin to feel; Safe, Comfortable, and Trusted.

Building a true deep connection with students can help them feel safe, comfortable, and trusted at school. When students feel these emotions they are more likely to want to attend school, pay attention in school, connect more with others, and be a positive student.

Taking 5 minutes to connect could help you spend less time having to redirect. 

Think about some great connecting questions. Think about how you feel comfortable connecting with students. What passions and values are you willing to share?

I want to leave you with another Adam Grant quote. I hope this helps you begin thinking about questions to connect.

Connect BEFORE Redirect

 My training this week was on SEL and Trauma. The training was a great review of trauma and how we can support a student utilizing SEL and mindfulness or we can continue to traumatize and retraumatize a student.

Our attitudes and behaviors can reinforce feelings of being lonely, not valued, unwanted, etc. We need to ensure that we are connecting with our students and building relationships before we redirect their behaviors.

Behaviors are often the way children express unmet needs and express to us what they need from us to help them.

If a student leaves the class every day during math...they are expressing they do not understand and are escaping to ovoid the feeling of frustration due to not knowing.

I had a student this week very sad and withdrawn upon entering class. He shared that he was late to school, missed breakfast, and right away was told he was walking too slow. He felt hungry, behind from being late, and then as he slowly walked (sad about being late and hungry) he was yelled at instead of being greeted warmly. 

I want to share a video with you that really speaks to connecting with students. Please take a few minutes to watch and reflect.

Every Opportunity

We have every opportunity to connect with our students. Connection matters. When we connect and build relationships, we build character, we build empathy, we build up students.

The idea of building connection leads me to reflecting on 2x10. Spend 2 minutes a day for 10 days with one student, connecting. Connecting about life, not school. I saw a post recently that was funny and spoke to connecting to with students in a new way.

We need connection. More now than ever. Our students have been in social isolation from a pandemic and honestly every day they choose to spend more time on a screen than with people in person.

We need to show them how to connect by connecting with them.

When we practice mindfulness with students we show them how to connect with their own feelings. Connecting with oneself can be a challenge. We need to teach students how to understand themselves, as well as others.

Mindfulness done with your students shows them that you want to connect with yourself and with them.

It only takes a couple of minutes to show a student that they matter.

It only takes a few minutes to have a daily mindfulness practice that matters.

Connect. 

The more we connect, the less we have to redirect and the easier it is done when we must.