By Julia Richter, CARES Implementation Coach
As an educator of inner city public schools for nearly 20 years, I thought for many many years of how we need more LOVE in our broken public school systems, because love protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres! I’d like to share three of my favorite tips for educators to help you feel good and connect with your students.
- Connection BEFORE Content!—-Creating opportunities and a safe space to connect and be vulnerable with our students is key to building trust, respect and strong working relationships. Social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, and lead to higher self-esteem and empathy for one another. I love this quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “People (students) don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Students can feel our intentions and so taking the time to show our students how much we care for them goes a LONG way in achieving classroom goals!
- Fill your cup up FIRST! —-It is hard to pour out of an empty cup. Being a teacher is one of the most challenging jobs out there, but also one of the most rewarding jobs. Teachers are most often putting everyone else’s needs before
their own, which results in burnout and compassion fatigue. It is essential that we nurture our own well being through self regulation techniques and well being strategies FIRST, so in turn we can better serve our students and loved ones. - Have fun engaging WITH your students!—It is so important that we take time to HAVE FUN each and every day with our students….play intentional team games, laugh, and bust a move to some music.. just to name a few! Engage with
your students in each and every Choose Love activity/lesson, and model the behavior you hope to see in your classrooms. What I love most about Choose Love programming is that it is a constant reminder “why” I do what I do, and how I want to lead, teach and inspire. By engaging WITH my students, I am naturally filling my cup up as I help my students to fill their cup as we BOTH grow more awareness around social emotional well-being. Choosing Love is a LIFESTYLE for us all!!
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