Blog1- A.Sparrow

      I believe intelligence is the ability to grow, adapt, and make meaning from learning experiences rather than something fixed. Students develop intelligence when teachers recognize their individual differences and respond to them in thoughtful ways. As the differentiation video explains, “Differentiating instruction is a way of thinking… oftentimes it is making decisions in the moment” and involves recognizing student differences and responding flexibly in teaching (Video citation). This means intelligence becomes visible when students are given opportunities to explain their thinking, solve problems, and engage with learning in different ways. Teachers can support this by creating classrooms that balance guidance with independence. Knight explains that “an effective teacher maintains control while ensuring that there is sufficient freedom” (Knight, 2013 p. 280). When teachers provide structure while still allowing flexibility, they create optimal conditions whe...

Part 1:  Authentic learning/emotional life of a teacher/and "withitness"  In the book Mindfulness for Teachers Jennings writes about what she calls "withitness", a term for when someone has a heightened awareness of their surroundings while "keeping their cool" under pressure and being attuned to others emotions. Jennings describes this as emotional objectivity that requires self-awareness, social awareness, self-management and relationship management.  When a classroom teacher has this "withitness" they can better manage the needs of their students by responding proactively with conscience control.  In the classroom this kind of attentiveness looks and feels calm not authoritative. The teacher seems in tune with each student, not just "putting out fires" with the bigger issues that can arise, but sensing when tension begins to tighten and patiently taking the time to acknowledge and mitigate the issue before it disrupts much more of th...

Mindfullness in the classroom and at home.  I’ve taken time over the past week to be more intentional about spending time with myself. Some days, I’m able to carve out ten or twenty minutes to meditate; other days, it’s as simple as taking two minutes to stand in the sunshine and really soak it in. These small moments help me reset my mood, breathe through challenging thoughts, and invite a little more joy into my own well-being. I’ve come to realize that maintaining a balanced mental health routine isn’t just important for my personal growth—it’s an essential part of my ethic of care as a teacher. Working with young elementary students means that I am not only teaching academics but also modeling emotional regulation, empathy, and presence. Children often look to their teachers for cues on how to handle frustration, disappointment, and joy. When I care for my own mental and emotional well-being, I’m better able to offer genuine patience, compassion, and steadiness to my students. ...

    I was asked to dedicate time each day to a way of creating some “headspace” or time for reflection and calm. The goal was to do this for 10 consecutive days, but I only made it to 5 in a row before I forgot and/or got too busy. I did come back to finish after a couple of days. I have done meditation in the past, grounding techniques and breathing exercises, but for this assignment I was in a relatively anxious place and needed to keep busy somehow, so I took time to work on a paint-by-number for 10-40 minutes each day. Sometimes I would do so in silence, other times I would paint with music on. The music varied by the mood I was in or the mood I wished to be in. While working on the painting I felt my mind slow down, I took deep breaths and when music was on I tried to feel the energy of the musics meaning while working. This practice allows me to be observant of my present, while reflecting on thoughts and feelings arising, as well as gives my anxiety a sense of con...

Hello! My name is Ashea, pronounced Asia. I am a 1st year graduate student at UofM and in my 3rd-year as a Reading Corps tutor at Seward Montessori Elementary in Minneapolis.  I have been with this school all three years and love it!  Why do I think it is important that, as a future teacher, I learn about mindful awareness in the classroom setting and self-care strategies in my pre-service preparation program? Being aware to me is the only way to be in the present and in reality with our world and with each other.  I believe awareness of self and environment, and the energy of others, to be instinctual in some ways, which is why young children seem so engrossed in their worlds *they are very aware of what is right in front of them! I also believe that as we get older, have more responsibilities, undergo stresses, and adapt strategies for coping, awareness becomes harder to tap into. Luckily, many people have figured out easy tools to help people feel more aware and theref...