L is for LOVE. The way love looks and feels is different for everyone. As a parent, it is so important to me that my children know that my husband and I love them, fiercely and unconditionally…but with rules. As a teacher, I want my students to love coming to school. To know that IContinue reading “L is for Love”
Author Archives: Christina Dankert
K is for Kindness
K is for KINDNESS. I have really enjoyed blogging letters A-J so far on this AtoZ blog challenge, but I have really been looking forward to K. If you have been reading for awhile, you know that the idea of kindness is a hot topic for me, so much so that I wrote a children’sContinue reading “K is for Kindness”
J is for Joy
J is for JOY. When I got married, I gained three brothers. Each brother holds their own special talents and brings so much joy to the family: the sneaky comedian who is always listening, the calm, introverted woodsman with fierce loyalty, and the spiritual guide with the biggest heart and love for God. Love youContinue reading “J is for Joy”
I is for Imagination
I is for Imagination. What words do you associate with imagination? Dreamer? Creative? Artsy? Out of the box thinking? Remember when you were little and a box could be anything…a boat, a car, the moon, etc. To me, I associate imagination with not worrying about norms or rules and simply doing. For me, I feelContinue reading “I is for Imagination”
H is for Honesty
H is for Honesty. No one likes to get in trouble. Children very quickly figure out that they can change a story because they are scared of a punishment. Teaching the importance of honesty to children will help them as they continue to grow. As a parent, my husband and I find ourselves saying, “YouContinue reading “H is for Honesty”
G is for Gratitude
G is for GRATITUDE. Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Studies suggests that practicing gratitude has benefits that improve our health such as reducing blood pressure, sleeping better and reducing inflammation. Studies also suggest that it improves our mental health including reducingContinue reading “G is for Gratitude”
F is for Flexibility
F is for FLEXIBILITY. This seems to be the word of the year in education. Due to staffing shortages, bus changes, illnesses, etc., we are forced to be flexible daily. I have never said the phrase, “…alright so today we are going to be flexible, here is the change” so many times in one schoolContinue reading “F is for Flexibility”
E is for Empathy
E is for EMPATHY. To continue our own growth on empathy as adults, I highly recommend The Miseducation of Empathy by Jonelle Massey. Mrs. Massey explains that the idea of “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” is very challenging for children with limited experiences to pull from. To ask a child to imagine an experienceContinue reading “E is for Empathy”
D is for Determination
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. D is for DETERMINATION. Determination is often linked to having a growth mindset, the idea that we can’t do something…YET. Every single year a student walks into my classroom and says, “I can’t do that.” We very quickly set a classroom rule that,Continue reading “D is for Determination”
C is for Calm
Inhale. Exhale. C is for CALM. Why is it important to find your calm and teach children how to find theirs? Research shows that being able to calm down can help reduce stress, increases focus, boosts energy, etc. I really enjoyed this article related specifically to children. Read more here. To summarize, we can helpContinue reading “C is for Calm”
Christina Dankert 