• Working collaboratively with SCOE Induction and individual Intern programs to align program, site, and District new teacher expectations and goals

• Mentor recruitment and training

• Designing and delivering professional learning for mentors and new teachers centered on educator well-being

• Working with District departments and site administrators to create and align systems of support for new teachers that address both short-term and long-term needs

• And a whole lot more!

Our "Seed for Thought" this month invites us to explore the power of gratitude and intentionally noticing moments of ordinary goodness.

Gratitude is one of the greatest superpowers we have. Gratitude will not erase all of the bad that we inevitably encounter across the course of our lives, but it can help us find ways to carry both the burdens and celebrations in ways that allow us to experience and honor each one fully.

 Our habit this month is "Focus on the Bright Spots." Brene Brown refers to these moments as "twinkle lights." We shared the idea of "glimmers" in our first email of the month. Elena points out that for educators, bright spots can be things like assets, strengths, and skills that help keep us grounded and balanced when times get tough. She talks about them as moments of "ordinary goodness," those things that we might otherwise overlook if we aren't intentionally looking for them. When we cultivate a mindset that prioritizes a focus on all of the good we have to offer instead of what we don't yet possess, we're better able to navigate temporary setbacks or failures and help us avoid an "all-or-nothing" approach to learning. This doesn't mean we don't pay attention to setbacks and challenges and things we can't yet do. But practicing an attitude of gratitude for our strengths and abilities helps prevent the creation of the all-or-nothing mindsets that can lead to cultures of toxic positivity. And those are harmful to both educator and student. 

As you navigate this month, we encourage you to find daily gratitude in all that you've accomplished so far this year. Give thanks for your growth in knowledge, skill, and understanding. Reflect on all of the ways failure has helped you learn and find gratitude in knowing that lifelong learning is the expectation of all educators - as long as you're an educator, you'll be learning! Focus on the ordinary good and you'll begin to see more of it. 

And for an extra dose of daily gratitude, don't forget to check out December's Gratitude Invitations above!