Fast Llama's,
This bitmoji made me laugh, because I connect with it, here I am a zombie still wishing everyone a "great day!". I think everyone shares this emotion, I don't know, I was always tired during the work week, but, it has leveled up significantly lately. Everyone is feeling it at school...
But, this meme I found is a good reminder of the hard work and effort we do everyday!
So, when the year began, I questioned myself about incorporating some of the Labay traditions like the "Fast Llama of the Month, formerly known as FLEA", Key of the Month or Teacher Spotlight. With so much on our plates, it seemed unnecessary to add more. BUT, then I thought about our why.
-Why nominate and recognize a FLOTM? Well, it causes reflection on the GOOD things happening at Labay and celebrates our successes. This was a no brainer (get it? zombies!), we still need to celebrate our wins!
-Why focus on a Key of Excellence each month? Character impacts learning and achievement. We can still teach character to kids, even during this time of dual teaching. It is as important as ever.
-Finally, "Teacher Spotlight". This challenged me most. Why should we continue to share this tradition with one another?
Well, it does let us get to know one another a little better. But, importantly it allows us to stop and reflect on things other than school. This "time-out" gives us some time to reflect on ourselves and what we love and appreciate. There's lots of research out there about the importance of gratefulness and optimism. The questions on the Teacher Spotlight questionnaire are designed to give you space to think about things that make you happy, people in your life who are special to you, and the simple joys in life you may be pushing to the side during this time when we are so laser focused on our jobs. It's the small things in our lives that continue to make us happy. Though, your answers don't necessarily have to be humorous, when you write things that make people laugh, it is always a good thing. Laughter is an important part of our lives, group laughter (sharing a laugh) is even better. I am hoping that this Teacher Spotlight project gives you an opportunity to do just that, time to stop and think about your life and the things that bring you joy and fun!
And speaking of caring for ourselves, I stumbled across the graphic from the "WishingUWell" instagram page I follow. We talk a lot about students' brains, well, we need to take care of ours too.
Final thoughts? I hope when you receive your Teacher Spotlight questionnaire, you take some "Me" time and fill it out. It's good for you to stop, think, laugh, reflect, and think about gratitude and optimism. Looking forward to seeing yours today.
