Counselor’s Corner Issue 8

Hi, precious friends!

This last week marked the annual tradition that our family regularly undertakes. You know the one: The shopping furiously, sweating feverishly, swearing furtively Family Photoshoot. In our burgundy-red-coordinating outfits, we awkwardly posed straddling fenceposts and stone bridges, all the while admonishing each other to "smile with your teeth" and "look natural." Although the resulting proofs have yet to be returned, I was reminded of last year's shoot that captured my 5-year old in a non-traditional "flamingo pose," standing on one foot through the majority of the snapshots!

As I think of all the furious TPT resource-shopping, figurative and actual sweating, and in-your-head swearing that goes into teaching, I am reminded how many of us are flamingo-posing our way through this profession. Without self-care, our one-footed-stanced approach to education leaves us wobbly and without a stable platform. We end up barring our teeth in a half-hearted smile and attempting to make instruction "look natural" because we aren't able to bring our full selves to the classroom

As we approach Thanksgiving, I encourage you to spend the breaktime enriching yourself with self-care practices that return you to a "standing-on-your-own-two-feet" place of wellness and wholeness.

Appreciatively,
Mindy