At the start of the new year, many people make resolutions or goals. There are many others who do not. But whether you are a resolution maker or someone who simply looks forward to the new year, we hope you prioritize your health and well-being in 2024. You work so hard and give so much of yourself each and every day. Remember to also take care of you.
Happy New Year!
7 Mindsets Partner Engagement Team
Mindset of the Month: Live to Give
Live to Give teaches us that abundance in one’s life is a cycle, and to get love, respect, and financial security, we must learn to give those things. This mindset also teaches that the greatest gift we can ever give is to find and leverage our unique genius to maximize our positive impact on the world, knowing that good things will be returned to us in kind.
Best Practices
The holiday season is when we tend to give the most. Our time. Our money. Our resources. There’s no shortage of opportunities to make Live to Give come to life. But what happens after the holidays are over? How can we continue the Live to Give spirit? This month, we wanted to give you some ideas to keep the giving going!
Our 7 Mindsets Platform “Resource Hub” offers a wide variety of resources to help build stronger relationships amongst students and staff and to deepen Mindset comprehension. There, you can find posters, coloring pages, journal prompts, videos, games and more. Wanting to focus on Live to Give this month, here are some specific activities you can use:
- My Legacy Footprint: What do you want to be known for? It’s the legacy and the journey you’re on and what you do for others is ultimately what people remember. Find the printable here.
- More Conversation Cards: When you take the time to listen to people, relationships grow, and connections are made. How you make people feel is ultimately what’s most important. Find the new conversation cards here.
- Receiving Gracefully: You never know how much a kind word from a stranger can make such an impact. Use this all-new activity to help give compliments and receive them in intentional and purposeful ways. Find the activity directions here.
Peer Discussion Questions:
- Stretch Yourself: How do you best serve others using your gifts and talents?
- Make a Difference: How do you recognize and acknowledge the difference others have made in your life?
- Receive Gracefully: Do you struggle to ask for help? How do you open yourself up to being helped by others?
- Leave a Legacy: How would you describe the purpose of your life’s work? Does it extend beyond your job? How so?
Give One Get One: What better way to start the new school year than finding ways to give and receive. This activity promotes support and care for each other. Have each person write down a small task or a treat they would like to “give” to someone. For example: bringing a colleague coffee before school, covering a class during your planning period, bringing a sweet treat to share, etc. Be sure and write your name on your “give” sticky note. Stick them on a board and once everyone has what they will “give”, each person will pick a sticky note that they will “get.” Connect with the person who would love to give to you and make a plan to receive gracefully! Serving others does not always have to be grand gestures. Sometimes doing a small thing makes a big difference. In this activity, each person is asked to do a kindness for someone else, but they are also receiving kindness in return by allowing someone else to do something for them.
Community Service Project: Create an opportunity for everyone in the school to do something that supports the community. Maybe it’s gathering blankets and food for a local animal shelter, building or working in a community garden, or cleaning up around your campus. Find ways to support students and families in your school.
Product & Curriculum Updates
Our 7 Mindsets team is excited to announce our newest features in the Empowering Educators adult well-being platform! These include:
- Authenticity in Education: A new 11-lesson course that empowers educators through self-reflection and emotional intelligence, helping them align their practices with authenticity for impactful learning experiences.
- Assessment within Empowering Educators: Two forms of assessment are now available to bring more value and direction to use of the platform: a ranking tool in Better You that helps provide a greater understanding of educators’ interests and a Pre/Post Assessment within Better Together that measures culture, climate, and relational trust.
If you don’t have access to Empowering Educators and would like to learn more, check out this free sample lesson!
Webinars & Resources
In this insightful webinar, Nerlande Anselme, Assistant Superintendent of Student and Family Services in Rush-Henrietta Central School District, will discuss how the power of authentic leadership comes with significant personal and professional advantages and is a powerful catalyst to champion positive changes in the education realm and beyond.
ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
- Decoding a Decade of Insights and Best Practices Promoting Student Well-Being by Dr. Christina Cipriano, David Adams, and Dr. Clark McKown
- Inspiring with H.E.A.R.T. How to Create a Mindsets-Based Culture Where Everyone Thrives by Scott Shickler
- Belonging and Connection: Building a Framework for Student Success, presented by Dr. Doug Fisher
LIVE GROUP DEMOS
7 Mindsets regularly hosts short demos highlighting our BASE Education and xSEL Labs solutions. If you are interested in learning more, register for a demo here.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
- How Playful Approaches Can Bring More Joy to Teaching | Edutopia
- Three Simple Ways for Kids to Grow Their Self-Compassion | Greater Good Magazine
- Empowering Staff and Students with a Sense of Belonging | eSchool News
School Spotlight
Tracey Smith, Principal
At Kelly Mill Elementary, a 7 Mindsets school, students and staff have developed and participate in several community-minded outreach initiatives and programs. Watch this video to learn more about the many ways the students, staff, and entire school community embrace the “Live to Give” mindset to positively impact their community.