THE IMPORTANCE OF GOALS AND WELL-BEING

In my culture, we have this saying “do as I say, not as I do” which is typically used when someone is

giving advice or instructions on something that they actually do not do or practice themselves. As Educators, we can fall into this colloquialism, especially when teaching about socioemotional learning. In my school, we cultivate a community of learners who have a growth mindset. However, we can find that, as educators, we are operating with a fixed mindset especially when it comes to policies and procedures that have “worked” for years. This applies to teachers and administrators who refuse to change, are stuck in their practice or reject new ideas. (Gunn, n.d.) In essence, we are telling our students “do as I say, not as I do.”

In this profession, everything starts with us as educators and eventually trickles down to our students. As I stated before, there are times where experienced teachers and administrators operate with a fixed mindset and aren’t open to change. This was seen first hand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As we transitioned back into the classrooms after virtual learning, we realized that the same policies and procedures that were in place before the pandemic wouldn’t help us with the school climate we have now. The pandemic changed learning as we know it. It also changed school as we know it. Unfortunately, a lot of school staff and administrators were reluctant to change. One thing, as educators, that we need to remain dedicated to is experimentation and innovation. With the rise of educational technology, teachers are challenged with making lessons more interactive and engaging to capture and maintain student interest. This requires teachers to learn and train with new technology, which can be daunting to some. Innovation can also be practiced with the systems and processes within a classroom, new student project ideas, interdisciplinary work and so forth (Gunn, n.d.). We must stay on the forefront of change and lead the charge.

I have practiced this socioemotional competence throughout my years in education by attending and

participating in professional development workshops that partner with educational technology companies that focus on classroom engagement. Platforms such as Nearpod, Flocabulary, and EdPuzzle have hosted in-person and virtual workshops for educators so that they can implement their systems in classrooms. I also make it a habit to solicit feedback from students as to any project and topic ideas that may interest them. This promotes responsibility and ownership for students to know that their input and voice is valued and put into practice when

possible.

References

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers [YouTube Video]. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVApcmbD_zI

Gunn, J. (2018, August 26). How to Build a Growth Mindset for Teachers | Resilient Educator. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from ResilientEducator.com website: https://resilienteducator.com/classroomresources/growth-mindset-for-teachers/

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2023, from FranklinCovey website: https://www.franklincovey.com/habit-7/

Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)