How much space do you take up in the world? I am staying small. It’s a choice. After three years of the pandemic telling me to keep my world small to stay safe (remain home, avoid others), I’ve found that it’s become my normal state. But unless there’s a pandemic, a war, or a lion… Continue reading Going BIG
Category: Finding new skills
Jumping Into The Unknown: Building Courage
There is scary-excitement that comes with trying something new. When I’m doing something challenging for the first time, it’s frightening to be faced with so much newness. I’ve been using this year to look at times that I’ve forged ahead with unfamiliar things that scared me. I would never have described myself as adventurous, but… Continue reading Jumping Into The Unknown: Building Courage
Looking For A Mentor
Having a model to follow is a valuable way to learn. As a teacher, I knew that telling my class something would have a limited impact. However, modelling the behaviour gave them the ability to see the idea in action and understand it better. We all need mentors in our lives to show us how… Continue reading Looking For A Mentor
Can’t Avoid Triggers
I recognize when my body goes into a stress response: tight jaw, overheating, nerves all a-buzz. I’ve spent time watching my body to recognize these physical responses. I’ve also dedicated a lot of time to journalling over that past six months. It’s helped me to identify four specific situations that provoke a stress response in… Continue reading Can’t Avoid Triggers
Multitasking Myth
I used to be able to do it. I did it for years and it was necessary for my job. But now, I’ve lost my ability to multitask. I used to be able to re-direct three students while assessing another student, walk across the room to grab a missing worksheet, and drink my tea. All… Continue reading Multitasking Myth
The Selfishness Of Retiring, The Possibility of Volunteering
I made my decision to retire almost a year ago. At the time I gave myself an arbitrary amount of time to flounder: a year. I told myself that I would take the first year to recover, to explore and to relax. As my first year anniversary approaches, I wonder if continuing to stay retired… Continue reading The Selfishness Of Retiring, The Possibility of Volunteering
Out Of My Control
It’s very difficult to let go of control. As a teacher, I felt the pressure to “control my class” which really meant keeping them quiet and engaged. I never quite managed the peaceful part of that. I preferred to keep my students noisy and engaged. However, there are times that I have had to acknowledge… Continue reading Out Of My Control
Where In The World Is…
Considering that I’ve always lived on the same planet, I have managed to stay remarkably ignorant of its countries. Sure, I can find where I am on the globe, and the places that I’ve visited, but that’s about it. Sadly, most of my knowledge is extremely North American and Euro-centric. Challenging My Ignorance. A year… Continue reading Where In The World Is…
Do What Scares You
It’s easy to become complacent and settle when you retire. You get pushed along by the rhythm of the day, and suddenly a week, a month and a season has rolled by. I could feel it happening to me and I didn’t like it. In an attempt to grow, I chose to do something that… Continue reading Do What Scares You
Truly Listening
I don’t know why it surprises me, but I still have so much to learn. Often the stuff I have to learn is not new stuff. It’s not stuff that I’ve never heard about before. It’s the basics: easy things that are hard to follow through on. This past week, it was listening. Listening. Yup,… Continue reading Truly Listening
Retired, and now what? 