As teachers we are constantly being asked to assess our student’s progress, understanding and mastery of the curriculum. We take stock of their progress through informal and formal assessment strategies and love to encourage the process of self reflection. The results we get from these assessments inform our teaching methods, and set our students up for success that can be measured. This holds students accountable for their education.
Most of the time, this is a model for student and teacher success. Yes, we may need to modify a strategy or the student may need many attempts to really understand and master a topic in their own way, but our assessment strategies of today work. I find that so refreshing and a testament to teachers who really understand what their students need to succeed and that success looks different for every student. I think back to a childhood of timed math tests and rote memorization and instantly become STRESSED!
What if we used these amazing assessment strategies as a way to gather some data and insight into our own personal health and wellness? I don’t just mean the data we get from a yearly check up and blood draw (if you aren’t getting those, we need to talk!), but an assessment of our daily holistic wellness. How do we feel physically, mentally, and spiritually each and every day that we are in the classroom? By collecting this data, we have knowledge about what is going on with our personal health and we can look within to truly think about how we feel. Guess what? Knowledge is power!
Grab a notebook or journal and answer the following questions! Track your answers every day for 1-2 weeks and you will start to see some trends.
5 Essential Wellness Questions
How does your physical body feel today? Scan your whole body and take a minute to write down parts of your body that feel well and ones that may not. Add an adjective to describe the sensation/symptom.
Do you feel tired/exhausted or energized today?
Do you feel mentally sharp or do you struggle with brain fog or fatigue?
Do you struggle with mental health and/or stress? In what way does it impact your day to day life?
Do you have an opportunity daily to connect with spiritual or mindfulness practice?
The best part about a health and wellness journey is that it is personalized and looks different for every single individual. Creating universal competencies and curriculum standards for wellness doesn’t work. Each and every one of us has a different story and needs to approach our health in our own bio-individual way. Think of this as your very own pre-assessment to a lesson plan for wellness!
Want to share your 5 Essential Wellness answers with me? Use the contact me form to get more information on how I can help you with your health and wellness.