Your Personal and Professional Growth

How have your knowledge, skills and capabilities grown?

Going into this fellowship I had very little yoga and mindfulness experience. I had done enough research to know it was an evidence based practice I wanted to implement with my students I just didn't know how. After my time in Costa Rica I am confident that my coworker and I will be able to provide basic skills to our students that will have a lifelong impact.

As a result, in what ways will your instructional practice change?

I currently teach social skills groups but learned so much about how to structure my groups. I will be starting groups with movement and ending with relaxation. My yoga instructor was able to help provide even more structure and validity to my current practice.

What is the greatest personal accomplishment of your fellowship?

Being able to engage in an intensive yoga/mindfulness course with no prior experience and complete it successfully was empowering. I returned from our fellowship feeling refreshed and ready to share what I've learned with my students.

Impact on Your Classroom, School and Community

How will your experiences positively impact student learning in new ways?

My students deal with the effects of trauma daily. Giving them skills they can use at school and home will hopefully counteract some of the adversity.

What are your plans for working collaboratively with colleagues?

My fellowship partner is a current coworker. We have been planning implementation of our program and will be meeting with our administration before school resumes. We are also presenting the information to our colleagues during our staff work days.

Imagining the Future

How do you envision celebrating of your students’ new learning?

I hope to see calmer and more emotionally regulated students after learning some yoga and mindfulness techniques. Celebrations will be unique based on individual student success.

Are there issues or challenges in your school, community or the greater world about which you and your students might try to make a difference?

Many of my students face challenges. Seeing a kinder, more balanced way to deal with things will hopefully influence not only school behavior but home as well.

How would you describe to a friend or a grant funder the most fundamental ways in which your fellowship has changed your personal and/or professional perspective?

I feel equipped with more tools than I thought possible now to impact my students. I have skills to influence students individually, in small, groups, or in entire classroom settings. My own personal growth in the areas of mindfulness and yoga has been strengthened and I can't wait to share with my students.

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