Well, well, well

Every year, I lead sophomores on a yearlong, interdisciplinary quest to connect their learning to living their best lives. From September to May, my colleagues and I invite students to view units through a wellness lens: physical, social, mental, intellectual, financial, spiritual, vocational, and environmental. The culminating event is a community fair, a showcase of interactive exhibits designed to teach visitors about their vision for a better world:

Exhibit slogans draw visitors in: “A Good Night’s Sleep: Why Rest is Best,” “Diversity Chats: Embracing Differences to Foster Unity,” and “Cheap Chic: Trash or Fashion?” Touring the fair, one might put on headphones to experience the effects of nature sounds, participate in a robot demonstration with Girls in STEM, engage in a personal finance counseling session, or taste-test dishes that empower young people to prepare healthy food. On their own, each exhibit represents the students’ values and talents. Together, the fair represents our shared commitment to building a world that sustains our individual and collective well-being.

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently wrote a chapter to describe the pedagogical journey that brought this project to fruition. I'm proud of the 3,000 words I submitted to describe it. However, all of you here in Teacher Town know that our vocational wellness edges out the other dimensions far too often. Teaching and writing can be all-consuming, despite any red-hot reminders to slow down and savor the present moment. 

This weekend, I took care of other important parts of myself by petting my dog (mental), watching The Good Place (spiritual), dead-heading flowers in my garden (environmental), categorizing items on my budget spreadsheet (financial), reading Erasure (intellectual), running, hydrating, sleeping in (physical) and going bowling for my birthday (social). 

I hope you all took care of yourselves, too.