I have experienced the power of mindfulness many times throughout my life, starting when I was a young gymnast visualizing my routines in bed the night before a competition. Since then I've taken formal college courses, yoga classes, workshops for teachers, and participated in a one-day Courage and Renewal retreat, all of which have pointed me towards the value of practicing mindfulness in the classroom. After each of these experiences I've come back to my own classroom invigorated and ready to teach with passion. Without yet establishing a consistent personal practice, my passion and energy waned through the daily grind of teaching throughout the school year. When I saw this course being offered in our district, I knew it would re-inspire me and be just the thing I needed to kick off the school year with a re-ignited passion. I had the added benefit of inviting my husband to join me, since he, too, teaches in our district. This course has done exactly what I hoped it would. My spark is re-ignited and I am ready to share my experiences with my students, their families, and my colleagues. I am hopeful that this website offers you some of the inspiration and the concrete tools needed to feel empowered to bring mindfulness and restorative practices back into your life, your classroom or your school. My full learning statement.
I love teaching.
I love teaching where I teach and to whom I teach. I landed in middle school as my first job and had thoughts of maybe moving to high school, or entering an administrative role at some point. I quickly discovered I LOVE working with middle school kids and see no reason to leave them. This may have something to do with the fact that because my middle school years were so tumultuous, especially my 7th and 8th grade years, I have a rooted sense of empathy for them. A bunch of young adults who have a few years of knowledge under their belt and were starting to have things figured out who, all of a sudden, have NO IDEA what the HECK is going on.......
I came to this class wanting to find an even deeper sense of empathy for my students than I already had. I believe I found that. My study of Mindfulness has begun to help me quiet my mind, keeping me from dwelling on the past and fixating on the future. It allows me to stay “where I am”, making me mentally ready to accept what is in front of me for what it really is and not be clouded by my own assumptions and biases. My study of Restorative Practices has begun to show me how important community and belonging is to our well being. Everybody comes from somewhere else and we bring our baggage with us. It’s never personal, it’s a reflection of our own experiences. Hurt people, hurt people. These truths are at the center of resolving any conflict.
Find more in my Learning Statement