social-emotional

Gratitude – Happy Thanksgiving

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

 

Empathy 4

If you’re a parent you’ve probably done it dozens of times — telling your child to say “Thank-you” when someone has done something nice for them.  We do it because it teaches our child to be polite and appreciative towards others.  As parents, we want our children to understand the importance of being grateful.

But, is there more to showing gratitude ?  Are there other benefits to understanding and expressing gratitude towards others?  Our BC Curriculum includes it as an important learning objective, and some relatively new research even points to other potential benefits.

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World Teachers’ Day – Thurs Oct 5

/ Dave Eberwein / Leave a comment

Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the education profession for almost 30 years, but I find myself thinking about some of my previous teachers quite regularly.  There are many teachers in my past who transformed my thinking and being — provided me with a window of opportunity for personal growth.  Here are some of the great teachers I’ve been thinking about recently:

  • Ms. Kincaid (Gr 2, Blythwood Elem, Toronto) – She was always so kind and gentle making everyone feel wanted and loved — easily one of the sweetest teachers I ever knew in school.
  • Ms. Bell (Gr 10 English, Central Memorial HS, Calgary) – My high school English teacher recognized when I was new to the school that I needed to make connections.  She was directing the school’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” and told me that I was now part of the cast.  I joined and met my lifelong friend, Gord.
  • Mr. Polukoshko (Gr12 Biology, Central Memorial HS, Calgary) – Great subject teacher, but an even better person.  I came back to see him in my first year of university to get some help with some genetics.  He spent a lot of time with me making sure that I completely understood cell division.
  • Mr. Fred Hunt (Education, Univ of Calgary) – Great mentor to brand new teachers. Calm, patient, funny, but most of all he wondered about us, asking us questions about ourselves, our strengths and our challenges.
  • Dr. Michael Cavey (Zoology, Univ of Calgary) – Probably the best teacher of content I ever had, but he also deeply cared about his students.  I took every undergraduate course that he taught.  Awesome prof!

As I reflect on this list of some of my wonderful teachers and what they gave to me — I see gifts of personal safety, inclusion, support and mentor-ship.   They believed in me.

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