It’s August! Can you believe it?! For some reason every year when August rolls around it comes as a shock to me that the school year is about to resume, and I feel like I’m already behind on everything. There’s just so much to do in order to prepare for our students’ and their families arrival. Even though I’m a bit frazzled by the amount of work that needs to be completed before students arrive, I am also excited to meet my new students, set up the classroom, get new supplies (who doesn’t love new school supplies!?!) and start the year fresh. However, with all the hustle and bustle of a new school year it’s also really important to pause and ensure that I am ready for another school year.
This is when my meditation and mindfulness practice comes handy. With each new academic year comes excitement and new challenges, but my practice remains a constant in my life. It grounds me and provides the self-care, compassion, and resources I need to remain centered and calm even in the midst of a storm. However, starting and sustaining a meditation practice is not always easy, especially as the school year progresses and begins to consume our lives.
To help you start or restart your meditation practice I created a Back-to-School Meditation Program that will help you begin and maintain your meditation and mindful practice for this school year. Why am I doing this? Well, it’s simple. I know the joys and challenges that come with being a teacher and it’s really easy to lose your cool with your students, colleagues, and even parents. The demands of the profession are intense, but we don’t have to react in ways that hurt us and especially our students. We can begin to foster mindful ways of responding to everyday and even extraordinary situations that teaching brings to us. We can begin to view the joys, sorrows, and challenges as lessons for ourselves to learn from. In addition, we can practice to be in the now. I find that my practice has supported me in being present with my students and able to respond quickly and effectively to my students’ needs, rather than react to misbehaviour or a misunderstandings. This is not to say that my teaching, classroom management, and lesson planning are all perfect. That is far from the truth. Becoming a mindful teacher not only takes time, patience, and sometimes restarting again, but is a lifelong journey and practice.
The Back-to-School Meditation Program is a seven day program and starts on August 13th. I will give you tips on how to meditate, how to sustain the practice, and give you free guided meditations to help you jump start your practice. The program is FREE! You can sign up here! So, take advantage of this opportunity to begin your school year more mindfully.
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PEACE