Intentional Reflections

I hope this does not come off as a rant, as I love the people that I work with and know that they all truly have the best interest of the students at hear...

But...

As February oozes on, like thawing sludge after a long frozen winter, I am seeing some of my peers lose their patience with students.  I want to rescue them both- my peers because this is not like them and they obviously are under pressure or some sort to be resorting to this. And... the students because they are not really doing anything different and for the most part, are being blind-sided by the behaviors of the staff members.

We are in this together.  We have all dealt with the Februarys and the Aprils.  We have even endured the Novembers....which thankfully are all behind us now.

It takes some reflection.  We really need to take a step back and look at what we are doing.  Our voices can be less patient than usual. Our reactions can be more hair-triggered than in October.  We don't mean to be mean.  We are human. And so are our students.

Consideration:

Be intentional about your actions and reactions for a week.  Stop and reflect through an empathetic lens. Slow down and be in the moment.  Often times we are really unaware that we are acting or responding differently.

Sometimes, our responses cause our students to act out.  If we are not careful, we can be the reason for their misbehavior and even consequences.  This is NOT who we want to be.

Be Mindful.

Peace.

Mark Levine

#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites