How good does it feel when someone tells you they loved something you created? Maybe it was a teaching idea you shared online, a presentation you gave, or even a simple resource that helped a fellow teacher. Those small words of appreciation can make your whole week. Now imagine all the creators, writers, and podcasters …
Continue reading Five Minutes That Matter: Support the Creators You Love
Teacher Appreciation Week at my school is quite the affair. This year our Student Council decided to make it 'Cruise Ship' themed. On Monday they're providing us with stickers, Tuesday all staff are entered into a prize draw to win breakfast for their department, Wednesday we have snacks provided, Thursday they will be distributing appreciation …
One constant during my 29 years of teaching is that the break from school at the end of the calendar year – winter for me and summer for my Southern Hemisphere friends – comes at just the right time. Leaving for school in the dark, arriving home in the dark, the end of a long …
Continue reading Looking Back, Moving Forward: Meaningful Year-End Reflections
Teacher Appreciation Week at my school is quite the affair. Our Student Council provides us with breakfast on Monday, laptop stickers and lanyards on Tuesday, trail mix on Wednesday, distributes appreciation notes from students on Thursday, and pulls teacher names from a hat to win prizes on Friday.Last year I received an appreciation note from …
In this #microblog @dalesidebottom unveils the activity that has been a hit in his workshops for the past few years. Enjoy Gratitude Jenga!
I don't know about you, but I have been more reflective this year than ever before. Perhaps my pandemic reflections explain why I am appreciative of my health and that of my loved ones. Perhaps it's the loneliness of teaching remotely in front of a laptop to online students that I am thankful for teaching …
Over the past couple of weeks during E-learning at the International School of Düsseldorf I have asked my students to share with me what they are grateful for. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal …
One summer, not so long ago, I seriously considered a career change. Well, seriously is too strong a word, but I did actively interview outside of public education. No follow through on a job transition, obviously, but it did provide valuable insight. You could call it a moment of clarity, or, more candidly, the perfect …
I just came back from a walk and was inspired to sit down and participate in this micro-blog activity. I am going to share a tradition that my father, Thomas L. Brophy, Jr. started in 2004. It was to start writing letters to the important people in his life and tell them what they meant …
As humans, our workloads are becoming more and more demanding, which means stress, anxiety and burnout are on the rise. In this busy, 24/7 world, our natural instinct is to give, give, give. We give to our career, our family, our future. As well as looking after ourselves, we must take care of each other …
Expressing gratitude will make you happy. Don't believe me, check out this short video from Soul Pancake and their 'Experiment in Gratitude'. For this week's #slowchathealth blog post I reached out to friends in my PLN and asked them for what are they most thankful? Oh, and stick around to the end as there is …
#slowchathealth 