My journey of acquiring BPS education from a North American university has been nothing but the best. Joining school after graduating 20 years ago from India seemed daunting in the beginning, but it was the best decision ever. I enjoyed gaining knowledge and learning with a wonderful group of friends who were always supportive. Now that this journey is coming to an end ,I was excited to attend the workshops at the Niagara University Teacher Conference. I loved all the sessions as they taught me something new and broadened my insight.
The first workshop which gave me a new perspective was on SEL (captains & poets )by Jennifer Johnson. It is a great program that shows people the value of being their authentic selves so they can accept and embrace others in the same spirit. It is catered towards students from kindergarten to grade 12 that builds engaging and inclusive learning environments by weaving Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into daily school and home life. The result is heightened self-awareness, self-leadership and a greater sense of agency and purpose. Jennifer shared with us how this program showcases a unique Captain and Poet in each of us that, in partnership, enable us to be our best selves. When kids learn about their inner Captain and Poet they have immediate access to their emotions, their unique gifts and perspectives, and the complexities of what makes them human. They become more resilient, learn how to draw on their innate strengths, and to nurture a positive mindset. By inspiring connection to self and others, we encourage a healthier sense of well-being and identity, more positive relationships, and greater agency and purpose in the world. I loved the idea that not just kids but adults have a captain in them which directs and steers them to make choices and decisions. Also, there is a poet in all of us who is filled with emotions like happiness, sadness fear, anxiety, etc. and both go hand in hand in all that we do. I felt this is great way to even share with our students and teach them about SEL. I loved how it applies to teachers, parents and the school administration. I think this should be a part of daily activities for all students. When students become mindful of the captain to steer their own ship(responsibility) and the poet (emotional intelligence) in themselves, I am sure they are bound to have a greater growth mindset and will face challenges with resilience.
The second workshop from which I learnt a lot was Pat Tari's "Dealing with difficult parents". Although I have had a course with Pat and some of his information wasn't new but again lessons that we can acquired from his vast experience as a principal in different kinds of schools was all too good. As a parent myself who strongly believes that parent-teacher collaboration is the key to students success, I could analyze and understand how to build a strong bridge with parents as a teacher. Pat shared with us many scenarios in which students and parents who come from a varied backgrounds pose as a challenge to us. He showed the importance of bonding with parents from day 1 and not waiting until trouble happens. Simple steps like emails, phone calls, other ways of communicating and even greeting them when they drop off the kids. The benefit of relationship building helps to overcome many hurdles. This has been so beneficial even during my practicum, my AT always emails and calls parents when students come late to school, shares concerns about their lunch ,hygiene etc. Some parents fail to report student absence and the kids miss a lot of work and this affects their progress. I always discuss kid's backgrounds and learn about parents from her parent-teacher interview so it helps us teachers to understand the kids better.
Overall, it has been a great journey of learning and hope to continue gaining insightful knowledge from vast experiences.
Courtesy of NoushabaTS@NUO-491
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