When I was a little girl, I had a recurring daydream: The earth was inhabited by joyous, peaceful people. We sang and danced and lifted each other up as we celebrated life. Love was ALWAYS in the air. I wanted my daydream to be real so badly. But instead of finding this imagined utopia, I […]
My thoughts raced as I made my to-do list. Stock up on medications, check food supplies, cancel almost everything. When I have a task or project to do, I’m on it. In normal times, I go about my life in a basically balanced way. These are not normal times. I slowly but surely lost my […]
Many of our students react to uncomfortable situations by turning them into catastrophes. It’s easy for teachers to dismiss this as drama on their part. In a way, it is. And it also isn’t. It’s a “socially acceptable” pattern they’ve adopted to avoid uncomfortable feelings. Their story expands and gathers momentum as it’s shared with […]
Want your students to be more mindful and present? Try some improv! The brain is very efficient. Our students learn to pay attention to what’s necessary. They notice the steps ahead, the moving cars in the parking lot, the people in their way. They learn the patterns and the important signals that the people around […]
When our students struggle with self worth and resilience, any setback can become a downward spiral. An incident that doesn’t go their way becomes the truth of their lives. If a friend can’t come over, that generalizes into, “No one likes me” or “I can never count on friends.” Wow. That’s a heavy thought to […]
Empathy can be taught. The opportunity to imagine what life is like for someone facing difficult challenges, activates the compassion response. By conjuring up the image of someone your students already care about and basking in the feeling of that glow, your students can then be encouraged to share that sentiment with people who are […]
Circles promote belonging. They have no beginning and no end. Everyone is visible. No one has their back to you. Everyone can be seen. You belong to the circle community. You can voice your truth or be silent. Being seen and belonging to the group are the two things our students really want. So how […]
Good boundaries are essential for healthy relationships. Being empowered to say “no” is an effective boundary tool and deterrent to bad behavior. When working in groups, saying “yes” builds a bridge to co-creating. Saying “yes” means you’re open to what the other kids have to say. Some of our students have trouble saying yes and […]
To the complete horror of the little girl and her grandma watching, a man picks up a blackish, four inch substance lying on the ground near his dog’s butt and happily takes a bite. The man looks up at them, smiles with a huge dark chunk visible between his teeth, and quickly registers their disgust. […]
Imagination is your bridge to the unseen, the unknown, the infinite possibilities in the field of dreams. Through our imagination we conjure up future scenarios (intentions/goals/desires), make meaning out of our current situation (drawing from prior knowledge), re-vision our past (review/analyze/adjust), and picture ourselves in other’s shoes (empathy). Wow! We can help our students to […]
