Happy New Year! I wish you and your families an incredible (in whatever manner that would translate for you) New Year. Yet, wishing to me isn't good enough. As an Empowered Teacher, wishing is a tool I simply don't use. So I feel an obligation to provide you with a strategy for actually insuring that you create a year which aligns with your greatest passions and brings you the most joy.
I'll often hear from teachers with whom I work in private Empowered Teacher coaching practice or with whom I get to interact with in workshops, "Nick, that's a great idea, but when I'm in the heat of the moment, I fall back on old habits. How can I change that so I can be more effective?"
Well, one of the key elements of making better choices is the difference between reacting and responding. When you react, you continue to create the environment in your lessons from the default mechanisms you have developed over years. Your actions are "knee-jerk reactions", and will continue to yield you the same results. So, if you don't like those results, you might want to take a GAP between the events that happen in your lessons, and whatever it is you do after that.
In my book, Lessons with Matt, I speak about the power of the GAP, which stands for Grab Another Possibility. Take a moment to stop, and instead of just doing what you would normally do, think for a minute about the outcome you desire. That's called responding. Once you start responding instead of just reacting, you get to create your life and your lessons from choice. The choice to respond, in a conscious manner that provides you your desired outcome, is a one of the most powerful tools you possess to create the life of your dreams. That's why most of us feel rejuvenated when we return from holiday. The holiday gives us a GAP from the reactions through which we often create our lives. The GAP creates an opportunity for us to reflect and respond by allowing us time to get clearer on what we want.
So, I do "wish" you an incredible, passionate, joy-filled year...through the power of the GAP and then responding with a choice that aligns with what you want.
The tips in this blog are culled from my two books, Coffee With Ray and Lessons With Matt. If you would like more strategies that will both nurture your students into self-directed learners while making your job less stressful and more rewarding, please check them out on Amazon.
I'll often hear from teachers with whom I work in private Empowered Teacher coaching practice or with whom I get to interact with in workshops, "Nick, that's a great idea, but when I'm in the heat of the moment, I fall back on old habits. How can I change that so I can be more effective?"
Well, one of the key elements of making better choices is the difference between reacting and responding. When you react, you continue to create the environment in your lessons from the default mechanisms you have developed over years. Your actions are "knee-jerk reactions", and will continue to yield you the same results. So, if you don't like those results, you might want to take a GAP between the events that happen in your lessons, and whatever it is you do after that.
In my book, Lessons with Matt, I speak about the power of the GAP, which stands for Grab Another Possibility. Take a moment to stop, and instead of just doing what you would normally do, think for a minute about the outcome you desire. That's called responding. Once you start responding instead of just reacting, you get to create your life and your lessons from choice. The choice to respond, in a conscious manner that provides you your desired outcome, is a one of the most powerful tools you possess to create the life of your dreams. That's why most of us feel rejuvenated when we return from holiday. The holiday gives us a GAP from the reactions through which we often create our lives. The GAP creates an opportunity for us to reflect and respond by allowing us time to get clearer on what we want.
So, I do "wish" you an incredible, passionate, joy-filled year...through the power of the GAP and then responding with a choice that aligns with what you want.
The tips in this blog are culled from my two books, Coffee With Ray and Lessons With Matt. If you would like more strategies that will both nurture your students into self-directed learners while making your job less stressful and more rewarding, please check them out on Amazon.
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