Category: Can do’s

Linda Markley

The Teacher SPIRIT

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, Essential questions, i am enough, Intention, Introspection, Intuition, Joy, Learning Lessons, making connections, Maslow before Blooms, Passion, Purpose, Resources, Sincerity, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, teacher hero, teacher self-care, teacher vulnerability, Wholehearted teaching

Like so many educators today, I left the educational profession because my school “SPIRIT” was suffering.

I didn’t know what that meant at the time or exactly how to describe it because really I was focused on my poor health and inability to walk very far without my legs giving out on me.

I left the profession “broken” both physically and mentally.

I literally had “fallen”, and I could’t get up.

I was lost with no sense or real direction(s).

So, when I walked across Spain on the Camino Francés, with each step I took and each person I met and each experience I had, I learned a lesson.

And these lessons eventually led me back to my true teaching SPIRIT.

I wanted to share the lessons from my journey with others, especially teachers, to somehow help them find their way back to their true SPIRIT.

I founded The Spirit of Teaching, created a website of resources and started a podcast called Teacher Tales in which teachers can tell their stories of teaching and what makes up a true teaching SPIRIT.

Of course being a teacher and in the field of education, I developed an acronym to help remember the qualities and aspirations of a true teaching SPIRIT (which is why it is capitalized and really should have periods in between each letter).

They can be found on this website and shared with others.

Check them out here.  

Print them out and put them in your plan book.

Journal about them.

Post the mantras and “yellow arrow” guides around your classroom, home, office, car, etc.

There are even more resources that can help guide you and keep you on your intended path.

Check them out here.

You also might want to purchase my book Learning Lessons which is a real treasure trove of insight, resources, guidance and activities that you can use to help inspire and guide you back to your own True Self and the teaching SPIRIT in all of us!

Link to purchase Learning Lessons.

 

Photo credit:

created by Linda Markley in Canva

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Linda Markley

Learning Lessons

calling to make a difference, Can do's, Essential questions, i am enough, making connections, Maslow before Blooms, Resources, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies

I have witnessed so many changes in education, especially in the past few years and most definitely since the pandemic.

More and more teachers are leaving the classroom.

Teacher burnout, anxiety and health related issues are at an all time high.

As well, fewer and fewer people are choosing to enter the teaching profession.

You can check out some of the stats and data here:

Reluctantly, I left the teaching profession due to a serious illness brought on by the stress I was experiencing in my position.

It took me a few years to recover physically, however, I still needed to heal mentally and in my teacher spirit.

So, I decided to walk across Spain on the Camino Francés, alone!
It was a pilgrimage of the body, mind and spirit with each step I took (usually 15-20 miles per day!)
Time for reflection, soul-searching, self-discovery, interpersonal connections and many, MANY lessons that would heal the deep wounds I had experienced on my life’s journey, both in and out of the classroom.

How do we learn lessons in life?
What are the best ways for students to learn lessons in the classroom?
And finally, how do the lessons we learn create our path in life?

I discovered the answers to these questions (and so many more!) during my walk across Spain, and I would like to share the lessons I learned with all of you.  Please read on… (more…)

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Linda Markley

I Beg to Differ

calling to make a difference, Can do's, communication, Maslow before Blooms, Passion, Purpose, Resources, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, Wholehearted teaching

Happy New Year 2024!

As we move into a new calendar year and the second half of another school year, I wanted to reflect a little with you about our differences.

The great Fred Rogers once said:

“Something else children need is the understanding that 

every person is 

DIFFERENT.

With that understanding can come children’s appreciation

of their own differences and the courage to 

be who they are – 

each one different from everybody else.”

Sometimes variations of this word DIFFERENT can get confusing in education and in how it is implemented into a school’s best practices.

There is an enormous focus and demand for DIFFERENTiation in the classroom as a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act).

We need to meet a student where they are. Then, we can figure out and accommodate all the different ways that child learns and succeeds. We don’t want to leave any child behind, and we do want them to succeed. 

However, I feel that what is said and what is practiced in education sometimes are very far apart. In fact, they are usually quite opposite.

I am a like a broken record now with voicing my perspective that we are preaching out of the box, differentiated and accommodating strategies for learning, YET…we are standardizing everything and expecting every child to jump into the same box WE have created for them.

AND, there is now a current trend to allow for fewer and fewer differences among children. 

There is even legislation being passed to not allow children to see something or someone different from themselves because of fear of indoctrinating them to a different way of thinking or being.

It is a fact that our brain is wired to see differences first before similarities. Perhaps that is so that we can be curious to learn more about those differences rather than be afraid of them?

Or is it for survival – what is different is a threat to my safety, well being, etc.?

As Fred Rogers says, it takes COURAGE, and as we know, there is a lot of fear permeating the walls of the classroom today.

So, how can we differentiate as well as allow for differences in the classroom 

in order to create a more nurturing, supportive learning environment 

for children (and teachers, for that matter!) and therefore,

MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

(more…)

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Linda Markley

Happy Endings

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, Essential questions, i am enough, Intention, Introspection, Intuition, Joy, making connections, Maslow before Blooms, Passion, Purpose, Resources, Sincerity, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, teacher hero, Wholehearted teaching

The end of the first semester of classes is upon us.

We have all been working hard for almost 18 weeks now trying to teach, learn and achieve goals.

We have had good days.

We have had bad days.

We have had ups.

We have had downs.

We have had fun.

We have had drama.

We have been sad, happy, angry, frustrated and all around the emotional block many times…in one day even!

Just like a story playing out in a movie.

The classroom is a reflection of life and the world we live in.

The question is…will we make our story this semester into a horror story, a drama, a comedy, a tale of super-human powers or will we choose to make it a love story with a happy ending?

It IS the season of Hallmark movies, you know!

There is a lot of push-back about toxic positivity in education.

There is also a lot of push-back about calling teachers heroes.

Nonetheless, I will always be in the positive charge for energy in the classroom.

AND, I also know a lot about the Hero’s Journey as described by Joseph Campbell, and I will always believe that each and every one of us is the hero of our own story and journey in life.

So, how can we have a happy ending to this first semester, even though it may not have met all our expectations or we haven’t met all our goals or the students have not measured up to our standards? (more…)

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Linda Markley

C.A.R.E. Packages

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, i am enough, Introspection, Intuition, Joy, Maslow before Blooms, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, teacher self-care

As teachers, we know what this time of year means.

The end of the semester race, crunch and sprint.

We kind of get into our flow by October, but by the time November rolls around, we face many hurdles ahead.

  1. Thanksgiving 
  2. Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza
  3. Semester exams 
  4. Semester grades
  5. New Year and Admin visits/evaluations

WHEW! Did I just ramp up your stress level by a million percent?

Not intended, but just a list of the reality teachers face in the months of November and December.

AS IF their plates were not already full or even overflowing with “all the things” teachers have to do, but THEN, to add all the extra things that the holidays bring with them.

Crowded stores, tightening budget, lack of sleep, very limited time/money/sanity/energy…

Overflow of stress from kids and their parents dealing with their own holiday stressors.

All the food, sweets and holiday parties tempting us around every corner.

YIKES!

Sounds like teachers really could use a C.A.R.E. package to rescue them during Nov. and Dec.

So, what can we do to care for teachers during this time?

AND more importantly, what can teachers do to C.A.R.E. for themselves as things crank up during Nov. and Dec.? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Overwhelmed?

calling to make a difference, Can do's, i am enough, Maslow before Blooms, Resources, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies

Most of us know the definition of overwhelm.

Most of us, who will admit it, have experienced the feelings of overwhelm.

This word, OVERWHELMED, is probably one of the most common words teachers use to describe teaching today.

Teachers are overwhelmed.

Students are overwhelmed.

Administrators are overwhelmed.

Parents are overwhelmed.

The etymology of the word overwhelmed is from Old English overwhelmen

     over = to turn upside down +  whelmen = to submerge completely

Yep, that pretty much describes life in the classroom today.

Everyone and everything seems turned upside down, and life as we know it in the classroom will never be the same, especially since the pandemic.

AND, everyone feels like they are submerged and drowning and not even treading water anymore.

etymonline.com states that “perhaps the connecting notion of being overwhelmed is a boat, etc., washed over, and overset, by a big wave. In a figurative sense of ‘to bring to ruin’ is attested from 1520s.” 

I’m getting a visual…stormy, rough seas, small boat, alone and adrift with little to no crew to help keep the boat upright, a big wave of walking the plank-jumping ship-betrayal-mutiny, the feeling of being in the doldrums with no breath of inspiration or compass of hope to guide us safely and surely to our destination.

How do we keep from getting overwhelmed by everything going on outside of the classroom and outside of ourselves?

How do we navigate the stormy seas of teaching (and life)?

What can we do about the tsunami that keeps us submerged with feelings of drowning and gasping for air or the feelings of abandoning ship or the feelings of mutiny and betrayal that can come up in our daily interactions with students, colleagues, admin and especially with parents? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Classroom Behavior

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, i am enough, Intention, Introspection, Intuition, Joy, making connections, Maslow before Blooms, Resources, Sincerity, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, Wholehearted teaching

There are many reasons teachers are leaving the profession.

One of those reasons is classroom behavior…BOTH teacher and student behavior.

The pressures, demands, excessive expectations, negative and hostile culture in which many teachers and students find themselves these days are causing behavior in the classroom to also get out of control.

In a school district in Florida, a large group of teachers quit stating that student behavior was out of control and unbearable. 

Since then, many prominent persons in the district, including the sheriff and local school board members have publicly stated their opinions about students in the district. These opinions have included many “childish” behaviors such as name calling and suggestions for “whipping students’ a****”.

As adults, we must be the role models for children, and this kind of behavior is just not acceptable.

Teaching is the hardest job there is nowadays!

So many critics and so little respect. Too many expectations and not enough support.

 And being a kid is hard too with all the pressures from social media, high stakes testing and socio-economic challenges at home.

All of these pressures are playing out in the classroom and manifesting in extreme human behaviors like violence, insolence, aggression, belligerence and defiance stemming from human emotions such as anger, frustration, anxiety, depression, sadness, grief, fear, jealousy, rejection and especially an overwhelming feeling of not being or doing enough.

What can we do as teachers, as parents, as ADULTS to help turn
this classroom behavior around from a negative to a positive?

And YES…IT STARTS WITH US!!!

(more…)

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Linda Markley

Permanent Records

Can do's, Essential questions, i am enough, Intention, Introspection, making connections, Purpose, Spirit of teaching

As educators, we are all familiar with permanent records in schools.

According to a Poe.com, a permanent record is:

“a collection of student’s academic and personal information, such as grades, attendance, disciplinary actions and other details that are kept on file by the school. The purpose of these records is to provide a comprehensive history of the student’s educational experience, which can be used for a variety of purposes, such as college applications, job references or other academic opportunities.”

I have always been curious as to why we call these records “permanent” because don’t we want students to learn, grow, change, evolve and move forward on their path in life, academically and personally?

It also flies a little in the face of my linguistic and etymological sense of the word as well as my spiritual belief about nothing being permanent.

The word permanent is from the Latin word permanentem, meaning “enduring, unchanging, lasting indefinitely”.

The learning journey of a student seems to me like it should change, grow and continue throughout a lifetime. 

Learning is not a one-and-done thing. 

Don’t we talk about creating “lifelong learners” in education all the time?!

So, why, again, would we call these permanent records?

Let’s look at the word record.

For record (noun), I think of an LP album which is round and turns around and around in circles.

Is this like a learning cycle or like when content is spiraled throughout the learning journey?

When we look at the verb form to record (different pronunciation – ah, English!), it comes from the French word recorder, which means “to tell, repeat or recite”.

Well that seems about right in education!

Teachers do a lot of telling, students do a lot of repeating and reciting…not the best practices, for sure!

Words are powerful, and can be interpreted in many ways.

Again, one part of the lens through which I see the world and my place in it!

I strongly feel that we need to change the name of folder with a “student’s academic and personal information” throughout their K-12 learning journey to something that aligns more with what we are really envisioning for students…in other words, the true purpose of an education.

Some schools have come to call this a student’s “cumulative folder”. 

Basically, the same thing, just with a different name.

However, the word “cumulative” seems to be less harsh than being “permanent” and indicate that there has been change, growth and learning that has been accumulated over the years, like a collection of knowledge and accomplishments.

The word “folder” too brings forth a more positive and empowering image of a place to store knowledge, information and a history of research and findings driven by curiosity and discovery.  On the other hand, the word record can be associated with more negative contexts like criminal or bad driving…record.

Maybe I have given this way too much thought, energy and brain power, but it really has all stemmed from my heart (through the Vagus Nerve!)

Neither of these terms land well in my gut, so I have had many mental musings about what we should call this. 

What would align more with what the learning journey through school and even beyond into our lifelong learning be until the day we die (which is when the learning opportunities stop for all of us!)

Maybe “learning portfolio”?

The etymology of portfolio is from Italian portafoglio meaning “a movable receptacle or case for carrying detached papers”.

With every experience, both in and out of the classroom, we learn something that we carry with us throughout the rest of our journey in life.

The path, the life, the success or outcome of a student’s life cannot be determined solely by the academic or personal information or experiences that they have had.

Lives can be turned around.

Different choices can be made and different contexts pursued.

We always have the power to change the course of our path in life.

As Henry David Thoreau once said:

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you have imagined”. 

Nothing is permanent.

Nothing is set in stone.

No-“thing” can stand in your way and block your path forward. 

There is no permanent record to our lives!

Only a learning portfolio that we can carry with us and that will help us to continue on our path through a lifetime of learning.

 

Photo credit:  https://unsplash.com/@craftedbygc 

 

 

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Linda Markley

The Second Semester Slide

Can do's, creating community, Intention, Introspection, Joy, making connections, Passion, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, Wholehearted teaching

Teachers and students across the world are coming back to school from a winter break.

After a couple of weeks of festivities, taking a break and ending the first semester of school, teachers and students hopefully return refreshed, recharged and renewed.

Things are so calm and sleepy the first few days back as everyone is re-adjusting to being back in the routine of getting up early and immersing themselves in the everyday demands of being back in the classroom.

I used to think to myself “Oh my gosh! The kids matured and everything that I tried to teach them the first semester has finally magically sunk in! “

Or…”Oh my gosh! Somehow taking a break, recharging and contemplating all that stuff about Santa and coal in the stocking has finally had a positive affect on the students! They are so well behaved and matured since I last saw them two weeks ago!”

It didn’t take long to realize that it was just temporary as the kids were really just sleep deprived, off schedule, still buzzing on a holiday sugar high or in a lingering euphoria from all the gifts they had received for Christmas.

Was the second semester doomed? Were things hopeless? Should I just give up on them and myself and the whole educational thing?

As my years of teaching went by, I came to fondly name the beginning of the second half of the school year when we returned after the Winter holiday break as the “Second Semester Slide”.

So, what do I mean by this? (more…)

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Linda Markley

The Art of Teaching

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, Essential questions, Introspection, making connections, Passion, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Wholehearted teaching

Mark Van Doren, American poet, writer and professor at Columbia University said:

“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery”.

Teaching truly is an art form.

Each teacher is a unique artist creating a masterpiece lesson plan into which they put their own carefully chosen objects, colors, shadings, meaning and a bit of themselves.

A masterful teacher creates this masterpiece lesson, and then, like any work of art, invites the viewer/recipient to explore, discover and learn at their own pace and in their own way.

A work of art is personal and sensory and contextual.

Yet it is also universal and appeals to the humanity in all of us.

Lessons need to be personal, sensory and contextual in order to become meaningful.

They also need to be universal and teach us the “greater understandings” of life.

When something is personally meaningful to us, we make a connection…literally brain and heart connections.

This is the magic of teaching, and what may be missing in some classrooms today because of various factors.

Why has this changed, and what can a teacher do 
to become a masterful artist at their craft? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Hocus-Pocus Teaching in Scary Times

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, making connections, Purpose, Resources, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, teacher vulnerability, Wholehearted teaching

It is October, and things are heating up for teachers as the weather cools down.

FALL is in the air.

Teachers may feel like things are not “falling” into place or that they are “falling” down on the job because it is the end of the grading period, and they are having a hard time keeping up with…

…too many students trying to make up work they should have done weeks ago

…too many parents reacting negatively, and yes, even aggressively (bullying) because their    child does not have the grade they want them to have and, somehow, that’s the teacher’s fault

…too many emails, meetings, papers to grade, parent conferences, admin visits for evaluation

…too many things to JUGGLE

Teachers maybe need a little bit of HOCUS-POCUS.

Did you know that the origin of the phrase HOCUS-POCUS is from the Latin phrase hicce es doctus, which means here is the learned man. (etymonline.com). 

The phrase eventually became used by jugglers and magicians to refer to their craft/sleight of hand.

Nowadays, the phrase “hocus-pocus” conjures up the wildly popular Disney film of the same name, which has just released a part 2.

So, what do Fall, Hocus-Pocus, October, jugglers, magicians and teachers have in common?

(more…)

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Linda Markley

Cherished Memories

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, Intention, Joy, making connections, Maslow before Blooms, Passion, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Teacher Appreciation, teacher hero, Wholehearted teaching

There is no doubt that the impact a teacher has on the life of a student, and eventually on the world, is inestimable.

The impact can be positive or negative and last a lifetime…for better or for worse.

When children come to the classroom, teachers have the opportunity to create a bond and nurture a relationship with each and every child through the choices we make and the experiences we create through the lessons and activities in which we actively engage those children.

Teachers feel this in the heart and soul of their being. It can be quite a burden to carry, but it can also be the most uplifting, invigorating and everlasting joy they can experience in life!

When we decide to become a teacher, our hearts enter into a lifelong commitment…for better or for worse…to love each and every child, unconditionally. 

It is not always easy, loving or joyful, and many, MANY days our commitment may begin to wain and our hearts begin to shrink a little and have less capacity for joy, passion and love.

Nonetheless, it is ALWAYS there, just like our founding love that helped create a bond in any relationship or “marriage” of connection to another.

There are always cherished memories that we create with others through our bond and connection that will live in our hearts forever.

So, we need to keep reminders and mementos of them close by to help us come back to our heart center and remember the WHY in what we are doing and the choices were are making.

How do we do create and keep 
those cherished memories near and dear to our hearts?

(more…)

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Linda Markley

Let’s Celebrate!

Can do's, communication, creating community, i am enough, Intention, Introspection, Passion, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, Teacher Appreciation, Wholehearted teaching

As an extremely difficult school year for all comes to a close, I call everyone together to CELEBRATE.

(key up the Celebration song by Kool and the Gang???)

The end of the year does signal a feeling of “good times” coming…a.k.a. = the summer!

Well, for some maybe. I know many school districts are having summer school to help those students who have a “learning gap” or are somehow considered “behind”.

Many teachers are celebrating because they are leaving the profession all together and don’t have to put up with the stress and unreasonable demands that are causing them poor mental and physical health.

Seniors and their families are celebrating because they have reached a milestone in their educational journey and are graduating from high school.

The etymology of the word celebrate is from Latin celebrare meaning “to assemble to honor and sing praises of”

No matter how teachers, parents, admin, students, districts 
or anyone else may view this past school year, 
there is always something to celebrate!

Let’s honor and sing the praises of all the teachers, students, parents and everyone in the educational system for getting through the school year the best way they knew how, with the circumstances and obstacles they faced and with the limited resources of time, money, energy and sometimes support that they received.

Celebrate, honor and praise all the little things that became big things like:

(more…)

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Linda Markley

Sparkle and Shine

calling to make a difference, Can do's, Essential questions, i am enough, Intention, Introspection, Intuition, Joy, Maslow before Blooms, Passion, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Wholehearted teaching

Who doesn’t like when things “sparkle and shine”?

As you can probably guess, the word “sparkle” is related to the word “spark”.

In the classroom, there are a lot of sparks flying from conflicts, stress, tension, confrontation, negative emotions and actions… you get the picture.

So, how can we turn “sparks” into “sparkle” and shine? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Classroom Courtesies

calling to make a difference, Can do's, communication, creating community, Essential questions, Intention, Introspection, Spirit practices, Wholehearted teaching

In the last blog post, we explored the concept of discipline, both in and out of the classroom.

I heard from some teachers and others who said what is going on now is more than about discipline. 

It is about courtesy.

I have had many conversations lately with teachers about how disrespectful and rude students and (especially) parents have been.

First of all, it is the season of testing from now until May or June. As a result…

Students are stressed.

Parents are stressed.

Teachers are stressed.

Admin is stressed.

Put all that stress together and it is like the energy required for nuclear fission and an atomic explosion!!! And from what I hear and see first hand (and on social media), there are a lot of explosions going off both in and out of the classroom.

YIKES!

Kindness is a word that is one of my mantras and something I try to live by.

There is so much merchandise that is sold now promoting kindness, but I don’t know that people always understand what that means.

I have recently seen the phrase “be courteous” used instead.

Maybe that is a generational thing too because I am not sure many people under the age of thirty would be able to tell you what that means.

To be courteous and kind used to be central themes in old TV shows of the 60’s like The Andy Griffith Show.

My mom, who is 93, says that it used to be part of what she calls “home training”.

Hmmmm… so what does it mean to be courteous? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Discipline in the Classroom (and Beyond)

calling to make a difference, Can do's, creating community, Essential questions, making connections, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, teacher hero, Wholehearted teaching

This word is the focus of much discussion when it comes to the classroom and teachers.

The word, itself, has such an interesting etymology. If we take a look at the different origins and usages of the word as related to the classroom and education, it gets even more interesting.

According to etymonline.com, here are some insights:

*from Old French descepline “discipline, physical punishment; teaching; suffering; martyrdom”

*from Latin disciplina “instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge,”

*related to the word disciple “one who follows another for the purpose of learning,”

So much has been researched and written about the topic of discipline in the classroom.

Today, it is referred to as “classroom management”.

No matter what we call it, first year teachers struggle with it. 

And now, in the pandemic, even veteran teachers are struggling with it.

So, what can teachers do?

Use a “discipline ladder” or some other “system of behavior accountability” as they are called today? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Believe!

Can do's, i am enough, Intention, making connections, Passion, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, teacher hero, teacher vulnerability, Wholehearted teaching

The power of belief is truly inestimable!

As teachers, especially, it is our greatest super-power. To believe in a child, in their potential and in their value has a more lasting and meaningful impact on their lives than any content we could ever get them to master and appreciate.

Times are tough right now though, and mustering up the power of belief is hard.

The pandemic has become like Kryptonite for teachers, and they feel like they have lost their power to do anything meaningful or effective.

So, how do we tap into that power of belief again? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Curiosity

calling to make a difference, Can do's, making connections, Resources, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies

Curiosity comes from the Latin word, curiosus, and is akin to the word “cura” or care/cure.  According to Etymonline, to be curious means to be “careful, diligent and to inquire eagerly”.

When one hears the word “curiosity”, people often think of the expression “curiosity killed the cat”, which totally does not conger up a positive image or motivation to inspire one to become more curious.

But if we think about cats and how they are inquisitive, yet careful, when something new is introduced into their environment, the concept is magical. 

How many cat videos and memes have been uploaded and viewed on the internet as a way to seek calm, practice self-care of de-stressing and to get a dopamine hit of “ahhhhh, how cute!”?… especially during the pandemic!

In any personal or spiritual growth practice, the first step is to get curious. What is coming up? How am I feeling? When does this happen? Who is involved? 

This is what I call the “WWWWWH?” We can’t pounce on a problem or challenge or situation like a cat who is not practicing curiosity. Maybe that’s when there are dire consequences.

We need to be careful, yet diligent and inquire eagerly at all angles through WWWWWH?

WWWWWH? = Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

These are the basics of Bloom’s Taxonomy for learning and growth.

But in the real world, it is just the basis and foundation of living and moving forward one step at a time.

We have to find the answers to the WWWWWH? of life for ourselves. No prescription, no multiple choice, no true/false, no “one-size-fits-all”. 

So, what does curiosity look like in the classroom, 

and why is it the essential and critical first step on the learning journey?

(more…)

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Linda Markley

Grace

calling to make a difference, Can do's, Essential questions, Intention, Introspection, Passion, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, Strategies, Wholehearted teaching

One of my favorite quotes, and one by which I try to live my life is:

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.

You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.

You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.

You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I tried to live by this wisdom in the classroom and teach it to my students as well.

To me, grace is the sweet nectar that can bring bliss to our lives. 
It is what makes us whole.

Another quote about grace that has had an impact on me too is from Anne Lamott.  

“I do not understand the mystery of grace –

only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.”  

 

I believe that grace is one of the greatest needs we have in the classroom today in order to achieve real growth and learning gains as human beings.

We don’t need more technology, testing, checklists, standards, evaluations or money.

We desperately need more grace in the classroom…especially now as we move forward after a very difficult school year trying to make our way teaching and learning in a pandemic.

“Grace” comes from the Latin word “gratia” meaning “favor, mercy, good will, gratitude”.

In Spanish, the expression for “please” is “por favor” or “by favor”. It implies the potential “pleasing” or “favorite” nature of the act.

In French, the expression for “thank you” is “merci”. In Italian, it is “grazie”; in Spanish, “gracias”.

Grace is an interaction, a communication, an intention from the heart. 

Grace is the love and mercy we have received from others and that we, in turn, give back to the world.

Grace is a choice that we make in every single moment of our lives. 

Grace is a conscious choice we make to bring more mercy, goodwill and gratitude into the world through our thoughts and actions.

So, what does grace look like in the classroom, and why is is so critical? (more…)

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Linda Markley

Compassion

calling to make a difference, Can do's, communication, creating community, making connections, Passion, Spirit of teaching, Spirit practices, teacher vulnerability, Wholehearted teaching 
What is the difference between empathy, sympathy and compassion? 

Which is more important in the classroom, in our home, in the world…in life?

Take a look at the etymology of the three words below, and decide which you think is most important and most needed in the classroom today.

                    empathy – from Greek empatheia, “passion” or “state of emotion”

                    sympathy – from Late Latin sympathia, “community of feeling” or “fellow feelings”

                    compassion – from Late Latin compati, “with pity” or “suffer together”

Do a search on the three, and you will get a myriad of definitions and interpretations.

Nonetheless, they are all intertwined and an essential part of the human heart, in making connections, in nurturing relationships and in supporting personal growth.

Let’s first look at empathy vs. sympathy, which many consider to be the same.

According to the research of Dr. Brené Brown, 

“empathy fuels connection, sympathy drives disconnection.”

With empathy, we see and feel the vulnerability in the other person and, as a result, offer them our presence, understanding and love. There is no judgment, just a sensation in the body that says, “I feel your pain and suffering, and you are not alone.”

With sympathy, we see the pain and try to fix it or offer up a “silver lining” by often starting off with the expression, “well, at least…”.

Sympathy in the classroom looks like this:

Teacher A says, “OMG, I am so upset! My kids did really poorly on that test. I don’t understand what happened. We all worked so hard, and they seemed to understand.”

Teacher B says, “Yeah, I know what you mean. My kids did poorly too, but I’m not going to let it upset me. My kids are just lazy and don’t do what they are supposed to do.”

Empathy in the classroom looks like this:

Teacher A says, “OMG, I am so upset!. My kids did really poorly on that test. I don’t understand what happened. We all worked so hard, and they seemed to understand.”

Teacher B says, “Yeah, I feel that way too. I completely understand what you mean. My kids did poorly too, and I am still trying to figure out what we could have done differently too.”

 

It seems to me that the entire teaching profession, on the inside and the outside, has an overabundance of sympathy and not enough empathy.

It seems everyone has a solution of what to do, how to fix the broken system, and magically make teachers and students happy and whole again. 

From the outside looking in to the classroom:

Teacher: I am so exhausted. I am working so hard and can barely stay afloat.

Parent/community:  Well, at least you have your summers off, and you can rest then.

Teacher:  I am struggling to make ends meet for my family on a teacher’s salary.

Parent/community: Hmmmm, maybe you could not spend so much money on supplies

for your classroom or give up that latté on your way to school.

 

I invite you all, especially if you are a teacher, to listen to the conversations going on in the classroom and outside the classroom. They could be in emails, casual conversations at the grocery store, gossip at a party or a sporting event…anywhere interpersonal communication is happening. 

Write them down for more impact to your heart because some of them are horrific, unfair, unfounded and trauma-inducing!

So, where does compassion come in?

(more…)

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