Last year we offered a couple of sessions supporting teacher resilience using Elena Aguilar’s Onward. We will continue that work this year with three professional learning offerings:
October 19, 9-3, High Point School
January 26, 9-3, High Point School
May 3, 9-3, WISD
Register for these sessions here: https://tinyurl.com/bdefbrzd
If you are wondering what these sessions are all about, please enjoy the activities below. They will give you a peek into the resilience work we will do this year.
Intention Setting
“The third law of motion in physics is that for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. What you put out comes back to you. Before the thing that goes out, the action, there is the thought to create the action. Behind the thought is an intention-a motivation. The intention is the energy that is going to be returned to you.” - Elena Aguilar, 2018
You can set an intention at any time, for any amount of time. Intentions can sound like any of these:
I want to be open to new ideas today.
I’m going to be open to feedback in my evaluation conference.
I want to be calm and patient with my kids today.
An intention should feel good to declare. It also needs to be somewhat within your influence of control–for example, rather than “I’m going to get a great evaluation,” a true intention is “I’m going to learn from whatever is in my evaluation.”
Try to set as many intentions as possible this week. For each intention, identify what it might look like and sound like if you’re holding it. Equally as important is that you reflect on your intention at the end of the day. Have a moment to consider how you held your intention and how it worked for you. The moment isn't a time for you to be self-critical and berate yourself if you didn't hold your intention; it's an opportunity for learning.
Visually Depicting a Life Story
“When you tell empowering stories, your optimism may expand, and optimism is a key trait of resilient people.”- Elena Aguilar, 2018
On a large sheet of paper, draw the path of your life, identifying significant moments. Depict the twists and turns and the ups and downs. Start with birth and end with present day. Use symbols, images, and colors. Use captions if you want. Afterward, reflect using the following questions:
What story did you tell about your life through this creation?
How did you decide what to include and what to leave out?
How might someone who knows you well see your path? What might this person have included?
*From The Onward Workbook: Daily Activities to Cultivate Your Emotional Resilience and Thrive by Elena Aguilar, Copyright 2018 by Elena Aguilar. Reproduced by permission.
