Note #011

March 15, 2018

Austin. Texas.  A place unto itself.

They have a motto, or a town logo, “Keep Austin Weird”. There’s even a website, keepaustinweird.com  It’s not as weird as they make it out to be. At least not where I was. Probably, a weird side awaits in the shadows; a side that I should visit next time I’m there.

YOUTH Positive was in the not-so-weird-Austin for the SXSWedu Festival last week. It was a great week. If you haven’t yet been to SXSW, I recommend it. The edu part, anyway. It’s cool. And a Great place to connect with fellow educators.

There’s a vibe and an energy there that sweeps into your veins and into your breath, into your desire to be a part of all that juicy positivity. Even if you lean to the introvert ways, at least for a while you want to go to all the meet-and-greets and get fired up with people who share your passion for changing the face and the feel of education in our great nation.

We made some changes. We saw faces light up and hearts burst into flame with the hope of brining positivity, kindness, and love into classrooms and into students. Heck, it was most powerful when teachers themselves wanted to jump on board because they could feel the positivity course through their own veins.

As teachers, we teach who we are. If we spill our morning coffee as we’re walking out the door, stub our toe on the curb, and then realize that we locked our keys in our car last night, we’re not in a good space for teaching children. By the time we finally make it into our classroom, if we haven’t taken some deep breaths and settled ourselves, it’s going to be a real rough day with those kids. Pity the student who asks the wrong question at the wrong time!

This is where YOUTH Positive comes in to save the day. And that poor student. You see, YOUTH Positive is as much for the teachers as it is for the students. Every adult who facilitates or teaches the lessons has a grand opportunity to try them on first. Before teaching students the 5 + 1 = Right Now Awareness lesson, for example, the teacher experiences what it is to settle the awareness in the physical sensations of present moment, letting go of the distractions and turbulence of the mind.

If you’d like to sample that lesson yourself, click here for a free download.

We aim to create happier students and families by creating teachers who are well-cared-for, well-tended, and well-loved. Burnt out adults in a school environment don’t do much good for anyone involved in that environment. Happier teachers = happier kids. That’s our goal. And we know pretty well how to create those happier teachers!

If you are a teacher, or you know of one, who needs a little TLC and support and good pat on the back for a job well done, or if you just need to be appreciated for a little minute, give us holler. We’re here to support you in any way can. Just ask.

As always, teacher approved, kid friendly, and parent supported.
Thanks for sharing the positive vibe with us!