Clip It To Your Heart: Inspiring Purpose, Wellness, and Kindness

Join Shawanna James-Coles and Krista Venza as they talk about the importance of kindness because we never know what another person is going through. We'd love to hear your experiences with giving and receiving kindness. Keep in touch with us at [email protected].

Join Shawanna James-Coles and Krista Venza as they talk about celebrating the good things that happen to ourselves and others. We'd love to hear how you celebrate the wins in life. Keep in touch with us at [email protected].

Join Shawanna James-Coles and Krista Venza as they talk about self-care and the importance of health and wellness to support all aspects of our lives. We'd love to hear how you practice self-care. Keep in touch with us at [email protected].

Let's take a page out of the America's Got Talent playbook and work to make sure every kid feels like they have a theater full of fans cheering them on as they do their thing! Our job is to be ready to help them create Golden Buzzer Moments!

Think about all of the things that happen each day where we could cheer on and support each other rather than give into impatience and criticism. What if we stopped and put ourselves in other people's’ shoes before reacting? What if we sought out opportunities to cheer each other on, hope for others’ success, and provide support when we can?

During the summer of 2018, my dear friend and former colleague, Jon Treese, and I wrote a book called, R.E.S.U.L.T.S.: Promoting Positive Behavior and Responsibility for Learning. It was published by EduGladiators in 2019.

We don’t know about you but we’ve never had a student thank us for making a difference in their lives by assigning them their fifth detention or suspending them.  Throwing discipline at behaviors does not fix the behavior.  Actually, many times it increases the disruption by students struggling to meet expectations.  Relationships, engaging instruction, explicitly taught expectations and opportunities to practice are what changes behaviors... and therefore changes lives.

R.E.S.U.L.T.S.: Promoting Positive Behavior and Responsibility for Learning may be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. We hope it helps you to support your students socially, emotionally, and academically. Enjoy!

We may never know what others are going through so take a second before responding. Your approach may make all the difference.

How many times have we doubted ourselves and didn't do something that would stretch us or push us out of our comfort zone? Maybe it's time we look to those around us who support and encourage us and see ourselves through their eyes.

Our words and actions matter all of the time – our students are watching every move we make and are relying on us to manage our emotions, stay focused, and in control. They're watching us. Let's strive to serve them well as role models for managing our emotions and examples of how to treat others with kindness and compassion.

Sometimes hard things fall into our lives and seem to foil our plans. Many times we are quick to react, throw our hands up and bring everything to a screeching halt. Instead, try looking at unexpected events or people who try to sabotage your plans as speed bumps rather than stop signs.