Counselor’s Corner Issue 6

Hi, fellow educators!

Last night while reading the Primary Treasure for our family worship, I had an "ah-hah" moment. The story featured a family conducting their annual Socktober event, which was a fall fest focused on doing a sock drive for the homeless. While I loved the idea and secretly tucked it away as a future outreach service project to do with my own family, I quietly giggled to myself reflecting on how tough this past month has been. "'Socktober?' It should really be called 'Sock-It-To-Me-Ober,'" I mused.

Whether this month has treated you well, or if you're like me and it's hit you with a thud, we are moving into November, the time of gratitude. I love this SEL tip on how to practice gratitude as a form of teacher self-care. "Gratitude practice is not just a form of nurturing self-care. Taking charge of our thoughts in this way can shift our feelings in a positive direction and improve our attitude. That improved attitude can lead to a shift in our behavior (perhaps we are more calm or thoughtful) – and that can result in improved outcomes in our classrooms."

Because I love this strategy so much, I've included some gratitude strategies in our Self-Care portion of this newsletter for application in your own life. So, whether you're feeling like a smashed pumpkin or glowing like a jack-o-lantern, I want to encourage you to practice an Attitude of Gratitude in this upcoming month.


Warmly,
Mindy