This is the time of year when my to-do list seems to double or triple each day! With the holidays around the corner, the end of the semester coming, and countless events and holiday happenings, this time of year can get overwhelming – quick! How do you tackle your teacher “to-do” list in a way that can be sane and still satisfying? [Read more…]
Reframing Negative Thoughts as a Teacher
Life with a three-year-old is never dull – to say the least. She is always watching and thus I’m always “on”. She is learning from me and those around her about what is acceptable and not acceptable. She is learning about the big things in life like fairness, justice, integrity and consequences.
Like every other parent out there, I worry that in the process of learning right from wrong and good from bad, that she will lose her spark and devalue her uniqueness. In the process of training her to be conscious of her actions and their consequences (conscious of her “self”), I am afraid of her becoming self-conscious.
In this world, we each have to learn to walk that tightrope – and for many of us it’s a constant struggle. [Read more…]
Living and Teaching With Purpose
Wholehearted living means living life on purpose fueled by your passion. What does living “on purpose” mean to you? Can you recall a time in your life when you felt “on purpose”?
Wholehearted teaching naturally means teaching with purpose. Let’s unpack this together.. [Read more…]
Cultivating Your Passion As a Teacher
We know, inherently, that passion is extremely important to having a fulfilling life. No one sets out in their day to “play small” as Nelson Mandela put it. The dream of our hearts is to make a deep impact on something we truly care about. We want to live on purpose and with passion.
What does that look like for a wholehearted teacher? [Read more…]
Fostering Your Learning Community
Most teachers by now are part of a professional learning community (PLC) – a community or team of teachers that encourage professional growth and reflection on your teaching practice. You may also be part of a professional learning network of your online colleagues from around the globe.
But have you ever thought about having a personal learning community? I submit that a personal learning community is just as important as your professional learning community. What is it, you ask? Let’s explore.
Finding Peace Amidst the Chaos of Teaching
When stressed, many people clean. They say that they simply cannot “think” when their classroom, kitchen, bedroom etc. is a mess. It’s no mystery why – a cluttered physical environment equals a cluttered mind. Wholehearted teachers take care to cultivate a peaceful environment both at home and at school so that they can feel more peaceful during their busy week. At this point, you are probably thinking “Sure, Alison. Sounds great. but HOW?! I mean, it’s not like I TRY to live in clutter – it just finds ME!” I get it. Let’s tackle this.
Healthy Eating Habits for Busy Teachers
I admit that I am an unabashed lover of all things sweet!! Oh – and salty! Oh – and carby!! (sigh) The truth is – my love affair with unhealthy food makes me struggle with the other elements of a wholehearted life. When things are unbalanced, when I’m not taking time for myself, when my environment is cluttered or I feel isolated, sometimes I turn to food. And the teacher’s lounge is the biggest pitfall, right?! I know I’m not alone here… [Read more…]
Cultivating Self-Care as a Teacher
As a science/STEM teacher by day, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about sustainability. Sustainability is often talked about with regard to the environment and natural resources. Sustainability of natural resources means we don’t consume more than can be regenerated – we use practices and products that are capable of being maintained and sustained.
The word sustainability, as defined by Merriam-Webster, means “1. Capable of being sustained. 2 a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged”.
So I ask you: If you continue with your schedule like it is today – are you capable of being sustained? Were your personal resources (physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, etc.) used in ways that won’t lead to permanent depletion or damage?
Cultivating self-care as a teacher is similar to cultivating other sustainable practices – it takes choice, intention, and commitment. And it yields fruitful results. [Read more…]
Cultivating Work-Life Balance as a Teacher
We are starting this series on habits of wholehearted teachers with a biggie – cultivating work-life balance as a teacher. This topic ranges in teachers mind from as illusive as a unicorn to as offensive as a curse word. Seriously! I know teachers who have such guilt over creating work-life balance you’d think they were committing a crime! Others want it, but think it’s impossible – like a fantasy.
But trust me – it’s not impossible, and it doesn’t mean you are a bad (or half-hearted) teacher. On the contrary – it makes you MORE wholehearted when you can maintain balance in your life free from guilt! [Read more…]
10 Habits of Wholehearted Teachers
Picture a wholehearted teacher. What is the vision you have? What does that teacher do? What are her (or his) habits?
There are some very clear and consistent habits of teachers who have developed a wholehearted life. This post outlines the top 10 habits of wholehearted teachers. In my upcoming posts, I’m going to go into each habit in detail so that we can all start the school year with a more intentional effort around these ten habits. [Read more…]
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