Reflecting at midpoints

I have reached almost the mid point of the masters in teaching.

This term has been all about learning and development theories – and understanding how to develop a growth mindset, and see how empowering a teacher can be through the power of modelling the attitudes and skills they want to see in their students – as well as empowering the autonomy and independence their students will need in life. Bandura, Dweck, and others have lit the way. For Dweck, praise for process is so important. For Bandura, models need to be aware they are unintentionally modelling all the time and people can vicariously learn. Both agree that processes that enhance agency and resilience are important.

I am contemplating taking a brief break from studies, to take a deep breath before the home straits. I am keen to do creative writing and study for my numeracy test. All teachers have to sit compulsory literacy and numeracy tests. I was confident and completed the literacy one, but I do have to brush up on my numeracy skills to ensure they are reasonable.

I worked hard this first term to balance, studies, friendship, service, studies and family. It can be difficult to do it all. And really do we have to? Sometimes something has to take a back seat, as long as well being remains. Interestingly we tackled this as a topic for supporting our students as well.

I don’t ever want to lose myself in only one world, creative, social, work, spiritual but keep it all in flow and connection.

I was so happy to see one of my best friends after a year! How quickly time passes if we are not careful. We decided that it would be lovely to collaborate on something again. I am thinking it would give us a lot of joy!

On my break, I am going to read books I have been unable to, try and finish some writing projects I have always wanted to, and make sure that my numeracy skills grow. I also want to grow courage!

This is the virtue of my break – as I contemplate what is broken in the world.

So much is broken. Floods, decimated things, Ukraine and Russia, the Academy Awards (the slap!), the way people speak to and of others on social media. And yet personally my heart has been healing from great hurts. And for the first time in almost two years I feel stronger.

I feel the building of this courage, and a spilling of love for the world from my heart. I can move forward by loving the world even more, from writing even more stories, from working towards goals like becoming a teacher.

I close this post with a memory picture of my dear husband and I. He is an immense source of strength. I have placed on here images of us in childhood before we met.

Even back then I was finding a solace in art! We keep writing our joint story, but also our own stories as independent beings and that is the beauty of equality. Be well.

Alone, with others, connected, within, and beyond the self.