Here is the latest edition of our newsletter with mindfulness practices, support for struggling students, an activity for Black History Month, and more!
A peek inside. Read a few of the articles below, or download the PDF to see the full newsletter!
Mindfulness Even When Your Mind is Full
Mindfulness, We know it, we teach it, we model it, but are we truly practicing it? Does it help? How do we know all the things about mindfulness, but still feel as if our minds are full of mess?
The quest to find the answer to these questions begins with some self-reflection. What is mindfulness to me? How much do I value being mindful? What are the benefits that I get from being mindful?
Being mindful is basically observing and being present in the moment.
Working from home, and/or students who are learning from home, can have a hard time being 'in the moment' especially since there are endless numbers of distractions all around us at all times.
So what do we do? One practice is to do a weekly brain dump. Clear everything from your noggin, so that you have the space to be mindful. This can be in a notebook, on the computer, writing, drawing, speaking into a recorder, just get out the to-dos, the worries, the good the bad, and the weird. You can always return to this brain dump, but you can't return to this moment.
What is your why?
Most folks would agree that their 'why,' their reason for doing what they do day in and day out, is their motivation for getting up and trying again and again,
What happens when your 'why' starts to feel more like, 'but whhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy?!'
Staying motivated during these times is the challenge.
Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No.
Inside the newsletter you will find 10 ways to get motivated when you just aren't feeling it. (See PDF Above)
Support For Struggling Students
By now we have a pretty good idea of which students are doing well with virtual school and which students are struggling. Between schedule changes and calls to parents, there are just some students who can't seem to find their rhythm online.
Depending on the student's needs, there may be some small changes here and there that can make all of the difference.
First and foremost, asking them what they need. Letting them know that you understand their frustration and that you want to know what THEY think could make it less frustrating.Offer paper materials, if the student struggles with doing work on the computer, give the option to use a book and paper if that works better for them. Is there an audio option? If a student could listen to the reading, instead of having to read something off of a screen. Set weekly goals and have a check in call/text/email with their favorite teacher/counselor for accountability and reward! Let them know that you are rooting for them!
Download the PDF to read more from this VSC Newsletter!