My one word for 2021 is PATIENCE. This not only means having patience with myself and my learning but also making sure I am practicing patience with my family when I get stressed with schoolwork and practicum. In order for me to practice self-care mentally and physically I have to be patient when my brain is telling me to read the assigned chapter readings all at once because I know doing these tasks for hours at a time without taking brain breaks is hurting my learning rather than supporting it.
Last year was bittersweet for me. Bitter in the way that I could not be with my cohort in person and able to foster those relationships in person and sweet that I was able to be a part of the new B.Ed program and still have relationships with my peers via online. The first block tested my patience because being in front of a computer for so long is difficult and made me impatient and sometimes made me rush to finish assignments so I could spend time reading or doing something that did not include a screen.
Patience is something I will rely on when I enter my first practicum because right now, I am incredibly stressed because I do not know what to expect and my mind grows more and more impatient because I do not feel like I am prepared enough. Since the first day of class I have promised myself to try and do at least 15 -30 minutes of yoga per day and practice breathing which will help me during my practicum and will help increase my patience with myself and how quickly I can adapt myself to the classroom I will be in.
Finally, I will stress this word to all my future students in practicum and when I have my own classroom. Patience is good for everyone’s mental health which in turn helps your physical health and when you take care of both of these things you are able to learn and absorb more knowledge.
The most important of them all- Learning takes patience and time, which is one of the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Jo Chrona highlights that “this principle directly supports the idea that learning is an individualistic process that cannot be rushed or arrived at according to a pre-determined schedule (including specific age). This refers to the understanding that learning happens when a person is ready for it, and that learning is most effective when it occurs in a setting where the learning can be applied in an authentic context. The need for patience and time is also a requirement to develop thorough conceptual and transferable understandings, rather than surface level familiarity. In order to develop understanding, information needs to be examined/explored from multiple perspectives, in different contexts, and over time.” (Chrona, 2019)
I will end with this quote that will guide me into my practicum, through the program and eventually into my future classroom.
“Patience is a form of wisdom. It shows that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Chrona, J. (2019, August 09). Learning involves patience and time. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/learning-involves-patience-and-time/
