Trials and Tribe-relations
Since we already know that stress, anxiety and depression come as the result of being left out, ostracized and feeling alone why do we continue to put our staff, students, and even communities in jeopardy? Our very own health depends on the collaboration and support we get from others. So if we care to create a culture of autonomy we cannot afford a lack of leadership; we must recognize the need for developing stronger tribes among fellow educators, PLNs, parents, communities and most of all, our children. By visualizing what our intentions are and what we want our tribe to look like--even sound like, then we can build an environment that is rich in empathy. As a middle school teacher, I know my part is to give students a chance to play out various roles of leadership, so developing relationships is essential for cultivating a healthy classroom. At the beginning of a school year, I spend a lot of our "instructional" time creating get-to-know-you activities for my students,