Sacred Heart School
Week of May 14
A recent listen...
One of the podcasts that Melissa and I have been chatting a lot about is by an education expert named Dr. Becky Bailey who wrote the popular book, Conscious Discipline. I also listened to an episode of Oprah's Super Soul Conversations - about a booked called Conscious Parenting. Both attempted to reframe the way we think about children and how we discipline them.
Here's a few things that stuck with me...
1. Kids are not bad. They are disconnected. - Kids who act out often are acting out because they feel disconnected - either disconnected from their parents or family, disconnected from their classmates, or disconnected from their teacher. Prioritizing connection is key to seeing improvement in behavior.
2. Teachers are good at naming the unwanted behaviors - but we should work to name & celebrate the WANTED behavior. Dr. Becky says that we see what we focus on. If we focus on the unwanted behavior, we will see it over and over. If we name what the "wanted" behavior is, we're more likely to see it and celebrate it. The more we celebrate it, the more likely it is that we will get more of that behavior.
3. Kids need to know they are safe and loved. Before a child can begin to reflect or learn from their behavior, they must know, without a doubt, that they are safe and loved. Creating environments that are safe (and orderly) and creating opportunities for positive interactions between teachers / students and students / students must be a priority.
As we look forward to the last month and a half of school... I challenge you to think about how you might play around with some of these ideas. Is there a child that you can connect with more deeply? Is it possible to think of behaviors in terms of "wanted" vs. "unwanted". Can we plan activities that promote love and kindness?
Any effort at creating connection - safety - kindness - or love will last long beyond the school year!
Teacher Exhibition of Learning at Sidwell
The Week Ahead...
Monday, May 14th - 5th Grade Parent Meeting at 8:00am
Tuesday, May 15th - 6th grade Parent Meeting at 8:00am
Wednesday, May 16th- 7th Grade Parent Meeting at 8:00am
Thursday, May 17th - Talent Show Rehearsal at 3:30pm
Friday, May 18th - Middle School Field Trip to Newseum
Friday, May 18th - Talent Show at 6pm
Saturday, May 19th - Br. TIm's Ordination
Sunday, May 20th - Br. Tim's first mass in Spanish at noon