By Jennifer DeLaRosa, Michaela Seeman, and Gabe Twedt, JCE & CLE Collaborative Teachers This past fall, we invited you to read The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown. We were planning to meet in December, but time has gotten away from the three of us. Luckily, we get to practice the gifts of imperfection! Sending a blog post during your break is maybe not best practice, but if you continue reading, you’ll see it’s absolutely relevant! As you finally take a moment to pause and relax, there is great hope that you are recognizing that you have given your best to students!
For whatever reason, you may feel like you have not quite been the teacher you were last year. Maybe you have felt more overwhelmed, anxious and the bar is simply set too high with this new way of teaching. Maybe you have felt like there are simply not enough hours in the day to teach students in person AND online at the same time, and the list of “unknowns” are too much. The Gifts of Imperfection is a read that will surely help you see that you deserve to feel proud of yourself. “...we can’t give our children what we don’t have” (p. xi). We need to practice courage, compassion and connection daily, starting with loving ourselves and embracing our vulnerabilities. So, how does one go about practicing those gifts? “[People who were living wholeheartedly]... were slow to judge themselves and others. They appeared to operate from a place of ‘We’re all doing the best we can.’ Their courage, compassion and connection seemed rooted in the way they treated themselves” (p. 59). Michaela, Gabe and Jenn wholeheartedly wish you the best 2021 as you teach through new avenues. We hope you consider reading the book. We hope that over break, you can find time for calm and stillness, whatever that might look like for you. We hope you take time to laugh, sing, dance and connect with yourself and others, and take time to explore your creativity. We will plan to meet at the end of January to discuss the book. As Brown explains it, you are “worthy now. Not if. Not when.” Remember that you deserve space and time to disconnect from what is dragging you down and reconnect to what brings you joy, love, and a sense of belonging. We are worthy of love and belonging now. Right this minute. Exactly as we are. We want to leave you with this quote from Howard Thurman from the book, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive” (p.115).
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AuthorsDCSD Teachers, Instructional Coaches, Learner Advocate, and Collaborative Teachers Archives
April 2024
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