Inspired by the amazing Modern Mrs. Darcy (as well as my desire to be a true lifelong learner, making daily discoveries and testing their impact on my life), I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned. These may or may not be teaching related, and they’ll definitely vary from very simple facts to things I may ponder for months to come. Everything will be something that made me smile or helped me thrive. I hope they do the same for you!
The National Anthem Is Broadcast Daily In Thailand
I was recently taking a workshop with someone in Thailand, and they paused briefly in the middle to apologize for the sound. As it turned out, they live right near the speakers where the national anthem is broadcast each day!
Daily Prayer & Meditation Works For Me!
I am infinitely happier, more grounded, and simply a better version of myself if I start the day with prayer and meditation. For a while now, I’ve been reading the daily Bible verses from YouVersion right when I wake up. I literally hit the button to turn off the alarm, take a few breaths, and click to the Bible verse of the day.
Lately, I’ve added a short prayer/meditation to start my day (nothing fancy – I just pray for as long as it takes the coffee to brew, and/or try to use a meditation from the Calm App). I also try to do a sun salutation or other very brief bit of yoga each day as well, which helps keep me feeling grounded and balanced.
Positive Walkthroughs In Schools
Credit: Dr. Marcus Jackson
Call me crazy, but I LOVE receiving feedback from administrators, fellow teachers, and coaches. It helps me continue to learn things I can immediately apply in my classroom. However, traditional walkthroughs give me serious anxiety, as I know there is a checklist that will track how well I’m doing in that exact moment. (And inevitably, that pressure makes me so nervous I miss forget to use great techniques that are typically part of my daily practices, never mind the new skills I know administrators are hoping I’ll be implementing!)
I recently read a great idea for positive walkthroughs from Dr. Marcus Jackson. He has a list of things he hopes to see (on a school-wide level) and makes a tally mark each time he sees it. There’s no constructive feedback in it, but I think if I were part of this type of walkthrough, it would inspire me to try increasing the number in that area, rather than creating the fear of making a mistake that often causes me to freeze.
When I return to full-time teaching, I’m planning to try this technique in my classroom. I’ll make a list of things we hope to be doing as a class (writing in full sentences, using vivid verbs, etc), and each time we see each other using that skill, we’ll add a tally mark. We can even try to beat our own records each day!
Water > Coffee
As a teacher/mom, I have kept myself going with coffee more often than I’d like to admit. Starting a daily practice of drinking lot of water and tracking my water intake in my planner have been complete game changers for me. If I drink 8 glasses of water in a day, I am way more awake than if I have an extra coffee (or 3… who do I think I’m kidding here?).
The key for me has been drinking a full glass of water right when I get up. I put a full glass on my nightstand before I go to bed, and I try to drink the whole thing before I consume anything else. It sets a really positive tone for the day!
Asking For Help Is A Strength, Not A Weakness
I made a HUGE mistake this week and overbooked myself completely. We’re in the middle of a move, I’m just starting to tutor online and am loving the classroom connection, and I’ve started coaching soccer. Rather than say no to the extra soccer sessions when a colleague asked me to cover, I accepted, knowing I’d be overwhelmed. This would have been fine… if I had simply let my husband know I’d be overwhelmed and asked for what I knew I needed.
Instead, I said yes to coaching (at a distance, no less), welcomed a family visit, and traded sleep for coffee. By day 5, I was an exhausted mess… certainly not bringing my best to my family or my work.
My lesson? Ask for help. It’s been a good thing every time I’ve done it. When chaos begins to ensue, things go better every time when I look at the choices I’ve made, scale back to something manageable, and ask for help where I need it. I have more fun, accomplish more, and learn so much from those around me.
I’d love to know… What have you learned this month?
