I know well the irrational, uncomfortable feeling I get the night before any school camp … and the resultant self-talk that accompanies it. “I don’t wanna sleep in a tent” and “Why on earth did I volunteer for this?” are amongst the most used phrases.
But I also know that I’ve concluded every single camp enjoying a different style of internal dialogue, more marked by “That was actually pretty awesome” and “How worthwhile was that camp?”
You may have feelings of trepidation or unreadiness for the school year that’s now right on your doorstep. But you’ll be ok. They’re just feelings projected onto events that haven’t even happened yet and are unlikely to.
In fact, you’re actually about to do something awesome and worthwhile. How exciting.
GIFTS
Part of being in a restorative school is teaching and working through circles.
It’s not like circles are new. I mean … they’ve been around since the invention of the wheel! But this simple architecture really does have some magic in it.
This ebook by Simon Dewar is a synopsis of that architecture with some very handy tips and tricks thrown in that make your circles really zing.
And now, just by clicking here, that ebook becomes yours. Enjoy!
OPPORTUNITIES
Ponder these questions for a moment:
If you’ve never invested in Teacher Wellbeing thoroughly before, when would you if not for when coming out of the toughest year ever to teach?
If you’ve never done anything about sharing the responsibility of Teacher Wellbeing across your staff, rather than relying on a solitary key person, wouldn’t now be the time?
If you’ve known that Teacher Wellbeing is more than hot chips and yoga and should actually be responsive to needs and stress triggers, wouldn’t now be a good time to flip it?
If the answers to these questions startle you into action, we can help you with that. In fact, we have an entire approach to a new frontier of Teacher Wellbeing available to you via our Teacher Wellbeing Partnerships.
Want to discuss that for your school? Click here and book a time with our Associate Director (School Wellbeing), Amy Green.
THOUGHTS by Amy Green
I have a friend who each year chooses a theme word for herself and how she wants the year to be. It is there to keep her focused, remind her of what she is working towards when times get tough and to keep her in check so she doesn’t get distracted.
It is probably about now you are starting to think about how you want your year to be, how you want your class to be and what kind of teacher you want to be. It might even be the time of year you start to set big, audacious goals for yourself about how and what you will teach, things to try in your classroom or new approaches within your school. Before you do that though, start with one word, one word that each time you read it, excites you, but also reminds you of why you are here. Carry that word with you into your classroom, staff meetings and your home. Carry that word with you to remind you that no matter how busy you are, what distractions come along or how hard it gets, this is what you are focusing on and how you want the year to be.
EPIPHANIES by Adam Voigt
I was more tired than I thought I was come Christmas.
I intended to read some important books -about schools, about leadership, about Restorative Practices and about School Culture. But I just didn’t have the headspace to get into it.
And so, I started watching Cobra Kai on Netflix – the flash-forward of the classic 1984 movie The Karate Kid. It’s silly, predictable and it’s a wandering cliché … and I’ve loved it!
Sometimes, time-off means more than just not doing your usual work. It means doing nothing … or something silly … or even something a little inappropriate and unprofessional.
I wish you something mind-numbingly non-school before school returns. I know Cobra Kai has helped me.
Warm regards,
