As a school social worker, I love to learn about ways to support student and staff mental health and social emotional learning! I read books, listen to podcasts, attend trainings, complete certifications, and pour myself into learning the best ways to create sustainable positive changes in schools for students and teachers. I’ve always been incredibly fortunate to work with administrators and educators who are open to me sharing what I learn and who collaborate with me to try new things. Sometimes, however, I get a little too excited and forget that if I’m not careful, I’m just adding one more thing to the already overflowing plates of my amazing colleagues. That is never my intention. In the spirit of supportive, collaborative education, I decided that I would slow down the sharing overload and create weekly digestible pieces of content that could be used in the classroom, used for personal wellness, or even shared with parents. The goal was to learn and grow together at a pace that fuels excitement and not overwhelm. With this thought in mind, Mindful Mondays were born and now I’m so excited to share them with you!
What are Mindful Mondays?
This weekly resource is specifically designed for busy educators, providing practical tips and teaching strategies to support students’ social and emotional development. Whether you choose to send Mindful Mondays as a standalone resource or integrate it into your existing newsletters, our carefully curated topics will keep teachers and students engaged throughout the year. There are 40 topics in total. You can find them listed below!
Each topic is briefly explained and then supported with implementation strategies. Many topics also have quick reads or videos included in case someone wants to dig deeper!
August: Welcome Back, Breath, Connection, Co-regulation September: Communication, Anxiety, Insight, Sensory Motor Integration October: Burnout Neuroanatomy, Relationship building, Regulation November: Gratitude, Music, Identifying Emotions, Movement December: Boundaries, Collaboration, Affection, The Vagus Nerve January: Goal Setting, Mindfulness, RULER, Empathetic Listening February: Compassion, Kindness, Strengths, Finding Self March: Awareness, Rest and Play, Test Stress, Conflict Resolution April: Self-Compassion, Happiness, Journaling, Grounding May: End of Year Celebrations, Positive affirmations, Creativity, CASEL
How Can You Use Them?
As mentioned, these have been created to be sent out weekly as either a stand alone resource or as part of your existing weekly communication with staff. Some leaders prefer to send out all four topics at once as more of a “mindful monthly.” Regardless of how you choose to share these with your staff, I have found that consistency over intensity seems to be the most effective way to keep people engaged and open to new ideas! I’ve also sprinkled in self-care strategies throughout the year to keep your staff well. We all know that educator wellness is critical to school success!
Conclusion
This has been a passion project of mine that began a dozen years ago and I am just so happy to share it with you and am hopeful you’ll find it to be helpful, digestible, and even fun! If you find that there are some topics that aren’t included that you’d like to have, please reach out to me at tcreager@incompassingeducation.com . My greatest hope in all of the work that I do is that I can support educators and students in ways that bring peace, joy, simplicity, and healing to the impactful work you do.
