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Tag: Motivation

Oct152020

National Kindness Week

There comes a time in every life when change is necessary. Whether the change is a result of something that has happened existentially, or a change due to biological make-up, only you can determine how it will ultimately affect your life. The pandemic, social injustices and what I’ve seen of a percentage of American political leaders has affected me significantly. I never thought that I would see the day when content that I have read in history books are right here in the present, too real for anyone to deny. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere;” I gave myself more credit than I should have when I assumed that I understood the power of these words. Today, I understand the power, firsthand.

Although I understand–at some level– how difficult this pandemic has been on a worldly scale, I have yet to grasp the full scope of our brothers and sisters who have lost a loved one to this virus; I have yet to understand the magnitude of loss that some may feel having lost dream businesses, or not having enough to pay the rent/mortgage. I do not yet understand-nor do I wish to–the suffering and pain that the mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and children have endured and continue to endure having experienced the loss of a loved one due to police brutality.

I’m here on this torn leather office chair, after 10pm, on a school night, trying to grapple with understanding why human beings are in such a divided state in the United States of America. Why is the school system inequitable, why? Why do citizens distrust each other, why? And what systems are in place to keep us in this revolving conundrum of inequities, inequalities and racial tensions? If the system was set in place by the founders, why are we still upholding their system when the world has drastically changed? My cellular phone requires regular updates, my laptop requires regular updates, my pedagogical approach and lessons plans are not as effective if I do not remain centered on my class dynamic and focus on what approach and plan individual students require. Similarly, our country requires modifications/alterations/unification, and perhaps, updating.

I have no grand scale solutions regarding what can be done to solve the issues at hand; I utter these words with the deepest sorrow. Instead, I write this evening to offer advice that may begin to move us in a direction of community and learning how to care for one another in a way that is most intentional, considerate, compassionate and selfless. If you have the ability at this moment to capture what it must feel like for those who can afford to have an elaborate Christmas celebration, you are capable of imagining my proposal. The country is in need of a kindness addition to our calendars; I propose National Kindness Week! A week of spreading kindness to loved ones and strangers. Mark Twain said, “Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Considering this, I’m hopeful that kindness can also be a key to help break the barriers of some suffering and move us in a direction of human beings becoming more compassionate with each other. The following is an outline:

Kindness Week Focus

–Monday: Gift to family

–Tuesday: Gift to colleagues

–Wednesday: Gift to an essential worker

–Thursday: The just ’cause gift (to anyone you choose)

–Friday: Gift to self (very important)

Gift Ideas:

  1. A letter of gratitude.
  2. One of your favorite fruits (I like to share mangoes).
  3. Write a list of 7 things you admire about the individual. write each on a separate sheets of paper and place the papers in a brown paper bag with seven Hershey’s Kisses ( or another treat of choice). When you give the individual the bag, tell them they will have a message and a kiss for seven days; enjoy!
  4. Go on a 25-30 minute walk with a person and share how they’ve inspired you (for at least five minutes of the walk).
  5. Pick a flower (season permitting) for an individual and share why they deserve it. Please be as specific as you can be (i.e. here’s a flower for being such an uplifting person. The day you said….made a huge impact on me and I want to encourage you to continue being who you are).
  6. Share a small gift from your cultural background. For example, one of my students shared an origami crane with me and shared the meaning behind it (do you know if you make 1000, you can be granted a wish?).
  7. If you’re a poet, musician, or blessed with any type of creative talent, share your gifts. A friend of mine once played a tune on the piano to serenade a special someone who felt ill. They will never forget this creative act of kindness.

I am well aware that the ails we struggle with are not going to cease with this National Kindness Week proposal. If this was the case, one Christmas would have solved all of our issues. Rather, NKW is a renewal, a modification/alteration, a step closer to unification and overall great excuse to be kind with intension, especially during a time when the need for kindness is dyer. And of course, please wear a mask and be mindful of distance as you share your love.

What steps do you believe we can take to move in a direction of unification? I’m looking forward to reading your ideas…

Feb82020

A Measure of Empowerment

Empowerment can be difficult to measure; however, if this is an aim, we can definitely feel when we are heading in the “right” direction. When I refer to heading in the right direction, I’m referring to something that can only be felt intrinsically, a feeling of upliftment.  I asked some of my students how they were able to recognize when they felt empowered and I was surprised to learn that many of them knew the feeling based on recognizing when they didn’t feel empowered. Interestingly enough, similar to my students, one of the most empowering songs I’ve had the pleasure of hearing and singing, “I Will Survive,” by Freddie Perren and Deno Fekaris, lyrically expresses the language of recognizing how an individual can journey from an empowered state by first recognizing the weakened state. Ultimately, having the ability to recognize when one is not empowered, is an internal measurement of gauging when one requires uplifting.

Gloria Gaynor, famed vocalist of Perren and Fekaris’ tune, shares “at first I was afraid I was petrified…”. Like my students, she shared how she recognized that she was no longer experiencing the world from her highest/positive self.  She was living in a state of vulnerability having been victimized by the experience, which made it difficult to identify her strength and ability to persevere through the situation.

When I was personally asked to explain how one measures empowerment, I found this quite challenging to do without also reflecting on the contrast between my darkest moments and those when my inner light shined brightly. After listening to, analyzing and singing “I Will Survive” many times over, I’ve come to appreciate how the song can be used as a guide to explain more concretely the various levels of empowerment:

  1. “At first I was afraid I was petrified…”– One no longer has control over their own experience(s).  The experience has resulted in losing one’s ability to be confident and aware of opportunities beyond the state of being petrified—Zero Empowerment Level
  2. “I could never live without you by my side…”– The individual has given up the idea of being his or her own person.  His or her existence is now dependent on another individual’s presence and control—Zero Empowerment Level
  3. “I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong…”—The individual is now recognizing that there is something not quite right with the predicament. He or she has the ability to recognize the negative treatment. Therefore, the individual is awakening to the realization that his or her empowerment was managed by someone else—Level 1-2
  4. “I grew strong and I learned how to get along…”—The individual is learning to recognize his or her strength and how to live without being dependent on toxic experiences– Level 3-4
  5. “I’ve got all my life to live and I’ve got all my love to give…”—This individual is now recognizing the meaning of life for his or herself. At this point, the focus is not solely on the self; in this empowered state, the individual is ready to give of oneself–Level 5

Freddie Perren and Deno Fekaris’ “I Will Survive” can help us articulate and measure our own level of empowerment, especially as we interact with individuals and the wider world around us.  To what extent is empowerment necessary in order to be an effective parent, teacher and student? If we happen to learn that the cause of our disempowerment is a necessary fixture in our present lives, what steps can we take to remedy this?

Jan82020

The Healing Process

In 2019, I experienced a traumatic event at my workplace, a place I also called home.  During that traumatic time, I was so shaken that I had no choice but to take a hiatus. A hiatus from teaching and a hiatus from music. And for those who know me, you know that even the thought of taking a break from what I enjoy doing most is an especially difficult thing for me to do. During my time off, I accepted the support of my family and I swallowed my (mostly) cultural pride by making a commitment to therapy.  I have reached a point where I am now healthy and clear enough to make the decision to return to my workspace.  I made this decision because I realigned with my purpose following the incident, but only after dedicating time with distance during my healing process.  Although you’ll have to be in attendance at one of my talks to understand the details of how I went from traumatized to feeling at peace with the situation, I can share some key areas that greatly contributed to my healing process journey:

  1. I remained dedicated to therapy-I knew that I had to work with a therapist who could relate to my situation and culture.  I also accepted that I was in crisis mode and couldn’t heal without being open to receiving tools and strategies outside of my own realm of comfort.
  2. I sought ways to re-empower myself so as not to become bitter-I also recognized that I felt unlike my usual positive self.  At that point, I knew that I had to drastically change my environment.
  3. I realized that I had to do the healing work on my own before I could depend on other individuals for assistance in this process.
  4. I reached a point where I could actually share the experience in complete control of my emotions.
  5. I found my voice-I have a new voice! I recognize this because I have a deeper yearning to share it. I look forward to sharing it with all of you in 2020! Happy New Year!

Have you healed from a traumatic experience? How and when were you able to identify that you were in fact on a healing journey?.

Aug152018

Reflection, Intention and Prayer for the School Year

Reflection, intention and a prayer for the new school year:

Yes. I said it. The school year is upon us and teachers are hustling and bustling to switch mental gears from summer to more formalized days. Parents are in stores trying to check off the list of supplies needed for the year and students are either dreading or looking forward to classes. During all this activity we call “gearing up for the new year,” it is important to remember that we all should take time for reflection, intention and prayer. I usually do not share my thinking process “behind the scenes;” however, I believe it is important for us to learn how various individuals ready themselves for the classroom, as it is a sacred place.

Before sharing my reflections, intentions and prayers that prepare me up for the new year, I first want to share with you a song that always puts me in a space of thanks.

Song: Donny Hathaway’s “Lord Help Me”

Reflection (What I ask myself before the year begins. These questions are applicable to students and teachers):

1. What were the highlights of the school year last year? How can I replicate this?
2. Where did I excel most?
3. Was I challenged enough? If I was not, what can I do to ensure that I have the accurate level of challenge?
4. Which class(es) were my favorites? Why?
5. Which class(es) were my least favorites? Why?
6. What were student responses during the evaluation process? What can I do to improve the classroom experience  based on their suggestions?
7. Did I schedule enough me time during the year?
8. Did I schedule enough family time during the year?

Intention:

1. I’m usually very reserved when sharing information about my home life. At the same time, I know that this information is important to share if you expect to build trust and community. Especially for purposes of personalizing lessons and discussions in the classroom. Considering this, I intend on sharing more about my life with my students.

2. Consultations are usually an optional feature for students who require additional assistance. I plan on making consultation a requirement for the first term. I feel that if students can get over the initial consultation meeting, scheduling the following consultations should be a less complicated matter.

3. I’m seeking ways to discover each one of my students’ gifts in the context of our class dynamic. I plan on doing this by designating room for open-topic writing assignments and journal entries. In the past, I allowed one student to continue writing her novel for her journal entry assignments instead of responding to prescribed prompts. She is now working with me through an independent study course (more on her journey in future posts).

Prayer:

……, thank you for blessing me with the great opportunity to help shape lives. The teaching field is an incredibly rewarding career where I have the opportunity to build upon skills learned and share them with colleagues and students alike.

Thank you for blessing me with another day of life and the hope that I will continue to see more days where I can be(come) more of my authentic self. May this authenticity translate into having more of a connection with my students. Bless each one of them as they face challenges that will shape them into the beings they are evolving into everyday. Bless their parents as they learn how to allow their children more independence. Moreover, help parents to feel confident that all who are in contact with their children have their best interest at heart and are in the teaching field because of the responsibility that they feel for the youth.

Continue to teach me how to work smarter and not harder than is required. Allow me to share my knowledge in a manner that will spark many “aha moments” and encourage the discouraged.

Thank you for allowing me to recognize the important role that I play in my classroom, community and in this lifetime. Thank you for allowing me the insight and the strength to be at peace with the realization that I am where I need to be in this very moment. Therefore, I will give my all to this very moment.

As you prepare for the school year, what do you do to get yourself in a space to teach? Please feel welcomed to share below: