Modeling Continuous Learning

The learning curve has been incredibly steep for educators across our systems this past year. But this week, I want to talk about the social emotional learning that you are modeling for your staff as well as your students. In addition to the academic skills and continuing to push yourself to grow with new tools and new strategies, we also need to accept our role as educators to continue to develop our own social emotional capacities.

You know all too well that our students look to us as role models in so many different ways. With that in mind, we want to ensure that we are modeling for them, not just recharge, but actual recovery and self-care. While it's great to binge watch a Netflix show on a Friday night or treat ourselves to take-out every once in a while, we have had more than enough of that this past year.

Instead, when we talk about modeling self-care and true recovery as a constant learner for our students, I want to ensure that you are making time for reflection, that you are making space to develop a new hobby, read a book, or spend time in meaningful ways with family and friends, and that you are making room on your calendar to keep yourself healthy. We need you for the long game. So whether that means taking some extra time to meal prep for yourself, take a walk, or engage in an exercise class that makes you feel excited, this week when we talk about modeling constant learning, it's the type of learning that ensures that we have the energy day in and day out to continue to bring our full selves to one another as colleagues and to our students.

I would love to hear about some of the ways you are making time and space in your own schedule for that recovery, as well as modeling it for your students. Please share with me on social media @thelearningloop.

And this week...

Pause. Be still.