Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness: Learning to be Human

Abstract

I am a teacher. I always have been and always will be. As a little girl, I developed a passionate need to see fairness and justice in my world, which of course outside of my family of origin revolved around my life at school. If one of my friends could not understand something, even if I was not totally sure about it myself, I would endeavor to help them learn it in a way that made sense to them. A small act of friendship helped me learn and develop my own a belief in the oneness that connects all of us as human beings with a collective consciousness, which requires constant care and attention. These experiences have taught me that without the vision and vigilance of teachers, our children will grow up in a world steeped deeply in chaos and detachment. Education is salvation. It is the window through which we come to know and understand ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, the world around us, and our very place within the system. It is one of the most beautiful gifts we can ever experience, and every human being on the planet has a right to it. Education should be where we can be human and experience all that it encompasses. Education is not merely academic it must embrace all parts of humanness