Kristen Neff is a leading researcher of Self-Compassion and an Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture, Educational Psychology Department, University of Texas at Austin. From her website, "Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself. Instead of just ignoring your pain with a “stiff upper lip” mentality, you stop to tell yourself “this is really difficult right now,” how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?" Click the image to access several Self-Compassion exercises and practices.

Forty-five educators from around the region are participating in a year-long book study with us using the book Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators. In August the theme was Building Community. Click the image to learn about how some educators build community in their classrooms through weekly circles. Here is a list of 60 ways to build community at school.

Paul Minors describes the book Dare to Lead by Brene Brown as the "bible for courage building in the workspace." He states, "Leaders and teams, alike face serious problems showing up vulnerable at work" and end up sabotaging themselves and being less creative. We will be leading a book study with Dare to Lead beginning next month. Join us as we work on owning our fears, choosing courage, removing the armour and building a brave culture in our organizations.

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