Creating Student and Teacher Emotional Wellness in the Classroom
I need financial support to attend a 200-hour training that will help me bring yoga, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning practices into my classroom and school community.
I currently teach First grade at a Title I school in Brooklyn, NY. My students are inquisitive thinkers, motivated learners, and caring friends. They are full of boundless energy are always ready for a dance break, some breathing exercises, or a yoga balancing competition. I love teaching this age group because students are so eager to show you what they know and have learned. Their brains are like sponges and they have an incredible amount of courage always willing to try something new and different.
A big part of my role as an early childhood educator is teaching social-emotional learning (SEL).
Developing strong SEL skills, such as management of emotions, decision-making, and social awareness is an important part of becoming a successful student and a well-rounded person. Many of my students face challenges and adversities which can impact their ability to focus and self-regulate in the classroom. I use breathing exercises, stretches, and yoga poses to encourage student wellness, which helps them to focus better during lessons. This is why SEL is incredibly important to me. I am eager and excited to strengthen my toolbox through professional development training this coming winter and spring.
My Project
This winter, I am participating in a training with Breathe for Change, an organization that runs 200-hour yoga and wellness trainings specifically developed for educators. Through this training, I hope to learn strategies to promote not only my own self-care as a teacher but also to help my students find a sense of resilience, focus, and happiness within themselves.
As a teacher, I believe that educating and enriching the whole child is just as important as academic success, and your donation will help me live up to this belief in my practice.
I seek to develop classroom environments where students are happy, curious, and invested in learning and where they have the necessary skills to cope with anxiety, stress, and strong emotions when things get hard. I can achieve this goal, when I also bring my best and healthiest self into the classroom daily. Breathe for change will provide me with the tools to make wellness practices and social-emotional skills accessible and engaging for my students.
I believe Breathe for Change's curriculum of yoga, wellness, and social-emotional learning will allow me to tackle these needs. I am eager to engage in their curriculum and to bring it back to my personal life, school community, classroom, and beyond.
This training will positively impact the lives of many students to come. It will help me foster classrooms that are super focused, peaceful, and filled with joy.
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