Forgive Yourself

"Forgive Yourself."  These are words written in a blog post by Dana Clark that I recently and thoroughly enjoyed.  We live in a lifetime where there is a lot of pressure to achieve greatness.  Whether you are a student, teacher, parent, or any professional, there is a constant feeling of judgement in our world.  As a parent, I constantly fear that I am not disciplining my children enough, or maybe I'm being too harsh.  As a teacher, I fear that that I taught that lesson wrong--I said too much; I didn't say enough.

For instance, when we have new curriculum to teach, it puts us in a place of major discomfort as teachers because there is so much unexpected; when by default we need to feel in control of EVERYTHING!  It's discomforting to say the least.  When a lesson doesn't go just right, we feel guilty and analyze it over and over.  But then, the kids end up okay, because we go back and try it again, a different way.  But the pressure of fitting this all into the small amount of time we have with these kids, in the grand scheme of time, can be discouraging.  Flip this over to the student, and I worry...  if I am putting all this pressure on myself, what pressures are these young minds feeling each day?

I think the answer here is that we need to forgive ourselves.  We need to accept imperfection.  Get back up and try again---or, let something go.  After all, this is what we should be teaching our kids, our students, and our peers.  But, we have the hardest time doing it ourselves. I always find that I give really good advice to people, but I don't always follow my own advice.  Sometimes we have to stop and listen to that inner voice telling us, "it's okay,"  just like we do for our students and loved ones. 

A few years back I had decided to go back to school, and my biggest concern was time.  How could I possibly fit more into my day?  But, when I thought about the impact it would have, I convinced myself that I needed do it, and that something else would have to give.  Maybe I would have to order dinner out more often (no problem--I don't like cooking anyway!); or maybe the dishes wouldn't get done; or, maybe I would have to skip that birthday party.  In the end, I did make it work because I was able to forgive myself--allow myself to have a pass.  Every so often I give homework passes out to my students to allow a break when they need it; and this time I gave one to myself. We all need a break with something, at some point.  Something has to be skipped to fit something else in.  We need to allow this, and accept it.  It's impossible to do it all, and that is okay!

Truth be told, I started writing this post several months ago.  I was ready to abandon it because I couldn't even remember what I had started. But, when I looked back at it, I realized it truly is something we need to work hard at reminding ourselves of every, single, day.  Forgiving yourself is not a one time act.  It's ongoing.  It's important.  It's a way to survive.  It's taking care of you.

With this said, please check out the STUDENT GUEST BLOG POST by Raima and Zola about Wellness Wedenesdays.  It's a great reminder of how to take care of you.

Student Guest Bloggers: Zola & Raima: Wellness Wednesdays

Wellness Wednesday

By: Zola Ray & Raima Rawal

Wellness Wednesday, take care of yourself, go to the spa, play outside, read! There's so many things to do for yourself! This week there was a  wellness wednesday, but remember, that doesn't mean you only have to do it this week. Here are some tips on how to keep yourself “well” all year!

Let's start with activeness. You can be active in so many different ways. First of all you can take a bike ride with your family! Chose a date where your whole family is free, probably on the weekend. For instance, Zola, goes out for a walk with her dog or a jog with her family. Then, talk to your family about a plan and what your gonna do during  the ride. Then,on the day of, pack your bags and start a new adventure!

Another thing that you can do is just sleep early! Most kids get in bed by 9 maybe 10 and the kids get mad in the morning and then get tired in school! That’s almost the reason why everybody is always like “ugh I hate school!” That’s only because they go to sleep so late!

So as you can see people do different things when they need a break. What things do you do when you need to calm down or take care of yourself?

Guest Student Blogger, Raima Debates: Should We Explore Space or the Oceans?

I think that we should explore space not the ocean. Did you know that space can tell us about our past AND future! Actually scientist found slight ripples in space that might tell us how the earth was created!! Amazing right?! But that's not all read on to find out.

People don't understand how important space exploration is. They think it's just to see what's out there, yes it is also about that but there's so much more! First off all, your phone doesn't just magically have WIFI, it comes from a router, and that connection comes from a satellite from space! Space study can alert us about asteroids or any threat that's coming our way! Also if the earth dies because of the way we are treating now, we would have to colonize somewhere else, like for example, Mars!

We have learned many things from studying space so far. We've learned thing like, how mars might have been a colony because of a discovery of frozen water (ice). There are many things most of us can't live without and some of those things are because of space! Wireless headphones, they were actually created to let astronauts to be hands-free while on a mission. Another thing that was made for space exploration was artificial limbs, they were created to perform extravehicular (activities that need to be done outside the ship that's to hard for the astronauts to do) activities.

As you can see space exploration is important and we should take it seriously. We can learn new things and revolutionize the earth with new technology! We can also save the human race from threats that come to the earth.     

The Power of "Yet"

I've been excited to write about what it means to have a Growth Mindset.  A Growth Mindset means that you believe you have the power to do and accomplish anything.  But, how can that be?  Aren't we born with a certain set of skills?  Don't we all have strengths and weaknesses that define us?  There answer is "no," when you believe in a growth mindset.  Your brain has the ability to grow and change over the course of a lifetime.  Have you ever heard the quote, "Use it, or lose it?" That means if we don't use our brain, we lose the skills needed each day.  So what if we used that idea to motivate us to learn something new, or keep trying something that is challenging?  Keep using it. Believing that you haven't accomplished something "yet," is the way to think when you have a Growth Mindset.  It gives you power and drive to keep trying, no matter how long it takes to be successful.  

I had planned to write about this topic for a few weeks now, and then something special happened that lit me up with ideas and motivation. Two days ago, my amazing colleague, Mrs. Winters, approached me with one of my students asking me, "How do you feel when you have too much to get done?"  I responded almost instantly, "overwhelmed."  Isn't that how everyone feels?  She turned to my student and said that they discussed this idea at their Girls on the Run meeting last week, and my student said she feels empowered when she has to much to do, because she knows she can do it.  What if we all believe, yes we can? What if we let go of overwhelming feelings, stress, anxiety, and remind ourselves, I just haven't done it yet. Imagine your potential.  

5M students wrote "I Can" Statements to help them develop a Growth Mindset.

Check out this video to learn more about Growth Mindset.

Bittersweet Goodbyes

I've taught 5th grade for 13 years now, and it's always been something that I love to do.  My fifth graders are smart, kind, witty, and by the time June comes around, are able to get my jokes.  My good friend, Ms. Zanone, always says that the worst part about teaching fifth grade is that when we finish our year, we don't always get to see our kids again.  They go off to the middle school, and we no longer see them roaming our halls, waving hello, and checking in with us like the younger grade teachers get to do.  Some kids will visit us here and there, but our last day of school is sometimes our last goodbye. 

The pride I have in my students each year at our Moving Up ceremony brings tears to my eyes every year.  But those tears sometimes stem from the fact that I won't always know where these kids end up.  The time and effort we put into our year together is priceless.  I hope for all my students that they will do the things they love to do, try something new when given the opportunity, and to remember that I am always thinking of them and wondering how they are doing.  So while I am so ready and excited for my summer break, as I know all of my students are, too, I also feel a sense of sadness getting ready to say goodbye one last time. 

To my fifth graders, I hope you know that your EHB family is always here cheering you on from afar.  We hope you will find your way back to wave hello, give us a hug or handshake, and tell us how you are doing.  Good luck to all of you!

Do You Have Spring Fever?

Warm weather.  Green leaves.  Beautiful petals falling like snow. Green dust layering the cars...  Achoo! Cough!  You heard it, spring fever.  Whether you suffer from allergies or not, you probably have that other form of fever, the "I-can't-wait-for-summer-break-virus!"

As teachers, students, and parents, we can taste that last day of school coming.  No more homework.  No more early mornings.  No more shoving breakfast in our mouths and chewing fast so we can get out the door.  Summer brings a rest and relaxation that students and teachers need more than anything, but also brings some mixed feelings about what is to come and what is about to change.  Recently, my son, who is starting Kindergarten in the fall, said to me, "I can't wait for summer so I can relax.  No more work."  This made me giggle, but also made me feel bad.  When did Preschool become so burdensome?  We also talk about all the excitement to come with Kindergarten, and most days he really looks forward to the new teacher, new classroom.  But recently, he started showing sadness, thinking I won't visit his classroom when he's in Kindergarten.  It made me think about my 5th graders.

The 5th graders are approaching the end of their time at EHB.  They are moving on to something new and so exciting:  Middle School.  No more walking in lines.  They get a locker!  They move from class to class with new kids in each room.  But, they are going to be the babies again.  Is this a scary thought?  Sometimes change is so exciting, but sometimes it's also a time to feel nervous.  Teachers feel this way too.  Every year I wonder what my new class will be like?  Will they get along with each other?  Will they get my jokes?  Will they make me laugh?  Will they be kind to one another?  We all feel more than one way at times.  It's normal to feel excitement and sadness together.

This time of year brings a lot chatter, lack of focus, and craziness with the upcoming events:  field day, pool party, graduation.  Our schedule changes daily, routine has gone out the window.  But, it also brings pride and joy when we get to honor and reflect on our accomplishments.  So, if you feel excited, sad, nervous, or happy, just know that you are not alone.  Everyone feels it. And as those sneezes and coughs fade with the pollen levels dropping, so will those nerves.  The courage and happiness will take over, if you let it. To my class of 2018, be brave, be excited, but don't be afraid to be scared!

Be Your Best Self in 2018

Recently, I've heard that many people are setting their resolutions for the New Year to be their best selves.   When I think about what it means to be my best self, a lot comes to my mind.  What do you think might happen if everyone tried to do this?  Would there be more kindness? More productivity? More happiness?

I often have complaints about the world around me.  Sometimes, I even get caught up in these complaints and consumed by them.  Most of the time, the complaints are about things that are completely out of my control.  For example, I complain about what other people are doing, or not doing.  When this happens, I really have to stop myself and remember, I cannot control what other people do.  I can only control what I do and how I think.  Although it may upset me when others aren't doing the right thing, or following all the rules.  There is nothing I can do to change other people.  But, I can change my thinking.  I can change my "self."  If I focus on me, and do what I need to do to make myself happy and get my job done, I might be more happy, more productive, or even more kind.

So, when I think about what it means to be my best self, I need to focus on me.  Do my job. Be kind.  Make myself happy.  Choose to focus on what I can control.  Maybe if everyone was able to focus on being their best selves, we all could make a bigger, better change in the world.

Therefore, I am committing to my New Year's resolution:  Be my BEST self.  What is yours?