SEL Connections
Newsletter.5
You Deserve a Break!
It’s okay to take a break for a week or two. Read a book. Watch movies. Go hiking. Spend time with family. Binge watch Stranger Things. Kick the soccer ball around with your daughter. You’ve poured your heart and soul into this gig. You shouldn’t feel guilty for resting.
7 Strategies for Finding Renewal on Winter Break
- Take some time for reflection. Spend this reflection time thinking about what went well. One activity would be to list 30 things that you are doing well. In other words, ask yourself, “where am I crushing it as a teacher?”
- Take nothing home. Work extra hard two weeks before the break and makes sure everything is ready for the moment you walk into your classroom after the break.
- Find inspiration from other domains. Read a book. Watch a movie. Go walking. Take a real vacation. Spend time doing what you love.
- Keep a brainstorming space. Sometimes the slack you feel on your time off can lead to creative breakthroughs.
- Do something creative. Paint, draw, make friendship bracelets. Okay, maybe not friendship bracelets. But there’s power in doing something truly creative outside the domain of teaching.
- Spend time with people you love. This is obvious, but it’s something that came up over and over again as I talked to people. They described times when they failed to be fully present with people because of the lesson planning or grading that was looming over their heads.
- Practice mindfulness and meditation. I have a friend who taught for over thirty years and is now teaching again after being retired for a year. She takes part of the winter break to do meditation, practice mindfulness, and keep a journal.
Note that these aren’t recipes or requirements. They’re simply ideas you might want to experiment with on your time off. In the end, the more renewal and restoration we experience, the more creative we will be in our teaching. And that, in turn, is better for students.
From Your SEL Coordinators, Yay, It's December, You've got this!
Quinettie Arceneaux, Elana Elie, San "Janie" Holtz, Kathryn LeBlanc, Laura Richard
Read the Entire Article Here
Stock up on the necessary supplies.
Don’t be surprised if you’re tempted by the dark side.
Then rest, relax and have a wonderful winter break. Because you deserve it!
Winter break means a well-deserved reprieve from homework and daily obligations. But before you know it, the holidays will be over and it will be back to the bus stop. To prepare for a smooth re-entry and a successful second semester, don't let school skills like reading, writing, and math slide completely during winter vacation. Try these family-friendly activities to keep skills sharp.
Positive Mindsets
Teachers SEL Professional Development - Just For YOU!
https://online.sanfordinspire.org/
Sanford Inspire is composed of On-Demand Modules -- 30-60 minute micro-courses that can be completed anytime, anywhere. Professional Development Credit is given with a certificate of completion.
Coping with Teacher Stress - Stress is natural in teaching. This module includes strategies to help you thoughtfully cope with work-related stress and improve your physical and mental well-being.
Building Relationships with Students - Teacher-student relationships affect student motivation, behavior, and academic achievement, as well as the entire culture of a classroom. In this module, discover concrete steps you can take to form stronger bonds with your students.
How do you get started? If you have not created an account with Sanford Harmony, please do so. You will get access to Sanford Inspire. If you already have an account, you have access to Sanford Inspire.
SEL Coordinators
- Quinettie Arceneaux -
- Elana Elie -
- San "Janie" Holtz -
- Kathryn LeBlanc -
- Laura Richard -
Email: sel_primary@bmtisd.com
Website: https://www.bmtisd.com/Page/6026
Location: 4315 Concord Road, Beaumont, TX, USA
Phone: (409)617-5200