NCTCA 2022

Do you find that you end the day and wonder what just happened? Why did that class go sideways? Why did that student react the way they did? How could I have been more effective? We've all been there! We know we need to make connections to bridge the communication gap. The problem is, how do we do it? This session introduces you to the SILA Skills Transforming Classrooms Workshop where you learn the How along with the What and the Why of connecting and communicating effectively.

Teachers give a lot of themselves, so preserving energy is an important skill. With increased demands on our time and resources, decisions must be made to manage stress and avoid burning out. In this session, we’ll examine why it can be so hard to say no. We’ll cover handling the disappointment of others, strategies for setting and maintaining stronger relationship boundaries, and creating more space to enjoy life instead of feeling “crazy busy.” Prioritize your own mental health by learning how to say no with kindness and without guilt so your students can see how it’s done.

Do you feel worn out and emotionally spent? Is your life on fast-forward and you long to slow down and enjoy more experiences that feed your soul? In this session, we’ll focus on practical strategies for creative practices that will help you and your students intentionally connect with your humanity. With so much of our time spent online, we require a renewed awareness about our inner lives by making space for our emotions. We’ll cover journaling, meditation, nature, minimalism, juggling, art, exercise, Netflix and more (while practicing a few of these). Come prioritize your soul so you can model this calm to your students.

Emotional resilience is the ability to bounce back from hardship. The best way for students to develop this key skill is to watch it in action. We’ll cover the illusions that keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns, the resiliency myth and focusing on the long game. This interactive session will also cover 10 essential items in the teacher’s toolkit to become an emotionally resilient mentor: responsibility, vulnerability, patience, creativity, empathy, choices, natural consequences, affirmations, conscience building and the relationship bridge.