Two Rules
We have covered what the two rules are and the questions to ask. This is the foundation and beginning of building on so much more in our process of developing this philosophy. One of the skill sets is resilience. How can you build resilience?
This is a skill set we work on all of the time. However, kids do not know what it means, what it looks like, how it feels or where to begin. In order to support the students you serve, think about what their most important need is at this moment in time. My guess would be, they are trying to catch up on work, have missing work or late work. Like most middle school students, time management is not something they have learned to handle, wait….some adults still have some issues with this as well.
Begin by utilizing an instructional strategy to help support them with improving time management, organization and prioritizing. I love what the Avid program does in helping students organize themselves, but you do not have to be an Avid school or have an Avid program to utilize the tools they use. One of the programs I love is Organized Binder developed by Mitch Weathers. Helping students get into the habit of organizing their binders to function for them will help them in prioritizing their efforts in getting all of their tasks completed daily. Having binder checks daily, will help to catch any errors or missing work early. When they begin to gain confidence and control over their learning with this tool of organization and time management, building resilience begins.
Scars become stories
Many people walk past us during our day. Maybe they sit next to us on our commute, drive past us in their car or stand in line with us at the store; each one has scars. Some scars can be seen yet the most painful are hidden and are kept in stories of their heart which become memories to painful to share.
So thankful for those who have not experienced the traumatic experiences so many have suffered and blessed to know so many who have been able to overcome those experiences to share with others.
Take a deep breath and another, now focus on the breath you are taking in and the breath you are exhaling. Do this throughout your day for a few minutes to clear your mind and refocus. We are taking in so many negatives in our days and are forgetting to breathe in the positive ones.
Do not be afraid to say positives to others, share a smile or to provide a helping hand. Do these things within your workplace, in your home, community or the places you regularly visit. If we can all focus on our little corners of the world making each area better, then together each space becomes stories our hearts are more willing to share.
