Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1476161
Sean Nunley-Willis PARAEDUCATOR United Educators of San Francisco vice president for paraeducators Begin the year rested and ready. I don't think we give mental health its proper due. Paras were drowning this past year, trying to avoid COVID while navigating feeding tubes and working with students with disabilities. So, before school begins this year, do something that relaxes and centers you and makes you happy. Set a professional goal. Look at yourself honestly and see things you want to work on. Attend a work- shop on equity or watch tutorials. Build a better relationship with a student who has meltdowns. Or learn a little Spanish or Vietnamese if you're having a hard time communicating with families. For me, it's time management. I'm trying to navigate doing equity work, being a union officer and being a para and real- izing I can't be in three meetings at the same time. Mark Quest MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHER Capistrano Unified Education Association Be human. Students get stoked when they know what you're passionate about. As an avid runner and mountain bike enthusiast I share ambitions and races with students. I tell them stories about how I've improved and discoveries about personal weak- ness. Students are happy when I've done well, wor- ried if I get hurt or don't do well, and appreciate when I reflect on the process. This humanizes me and fosters connections. Desk writing. Students love to write on their desks. And I let them. Each group gets a bag with white erase markers. Every student in the group should have a different colored marker so you can tell who wrote what. Then prompt the class to write about the topic in paragraph form on one desk in their group. They should communicate ideas, with each student responsible for a specific part of the writing. Set a timer, have a reward for the best paragraph, and have paper towels and some Windex (or wipes) to clean up. "Do something that relaxes and centers you and makes you happy…Look at yourself honestly and see things you want to work on." "I tell students stories about how I've improved and discoveries about personal weakness. This humanizes me and fosters connections." 19 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2