"Drive Like Your Kids Play Here" This powerful reminder has been living in my mind since my previous post where we discussed using the summer months for self-reflection and improvement. I wrote that post to suggest that the summer months are a perfect time to form strong habits that can follow you into the upcoming school year. Making the most of the quiet, non-demanding days of summer, we can focus on ourselves and ways to form positive habits for healthy living all year long. This practice would not only help us to become better teachers, but also to just be healthier for ourselves. It seemed pretty simple and obvious to me...and so I sent it off to encourage others to consider what habits they might like to cultivate for themselves.
It might be hard for those of you reading today to believe that I received some super-snarky comments about that post, one person flat out saying, "You go ahead and use your summer that way. I'll be on the beach with a Margarita." Wow. OK. Thanks for reading...(insert happy wave and big smile).
Let me assure everyone, I don't generally reply to comments like that, and I don't take offense. They are a great reminder that I am not solely surrounded by like-minded educators, and that I am not everyone's cup of tea. That's OK. I just let them slide on by and chuckle in my mind. That is, until one takes root and fuels the next post. To suggest that self-reflection and personal growth is a waste of one's time, well, I just can't quite wrap my mind around that from a teacher perspective. I mean, I will have my time of relaxation and enjoyment this summer. I will spend time lounging and enjoying the non-stress of summer, reading too much at times, soaking in the summer sun. And that's just fine. However, I will balance that alongside the work I will do on myself.
So, I want to personally thank those commenters for today's post. TEACH LIKE YOUR KIDS LEARN HERE! When I look back at my own growth as a teacher, there was a distinct shift in my mindset when I had children of my own. I wanted to be the teacher I'd want my children to have: I wanted to have a striking balance of intelligence, empathy, curiosity, self-worth and confidence. Knowing my children would learn as much from observing a teacher's habits as from absorbing their lessons, character and kindness were paramount. The teachers I admire are those who are life-long learners. They model self-reflection and attempt improvement at every turn.
And so, I am here to applaud those teachers who Teach Like Their Kids Learn Here. Thank you for being an example of all that is wonderful about teaching and learning! And my friends with the snark, I am pretty sure you are here again, thanks for continuing to be intrigued by what you might learn by being around positivity and lifelong learning. I toast you with a Margarita of my own, send you a smile, and commend that little part of you that just had to come back to see what we were talking about on here. Let's spend this summer becoming the teacher we'd want to have.
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