“Nothing is more important in our schools than the emotional safety of the people in them. Not. One. Thing.”
-Bethany Hill
I often say our greatest wealth is our own mental health. It is also helpful to ensure that the mental health and well being of others is also right up there along with our own. This includes as Educator Bethany Hill points out the emotional safety of others within our schools. As she further points out there not one thing more important than this and as a fellow educator I wholeheartedly agree with her. There is a saying we have at my school that our staff and students are well aware of:
It is my job to keep you safe and it is your job to help keep it safe.
It is my commitment to them and their commitment to me. Its the type of partnership that will keep one another safe: safe physically and mentally and/or emotionally. When we are socially aware we exhibit empathy not sympathy. We genuinely show how much we care for one another. In education, by providing others than emotional security that we all seek goes a long way and further builds upon that ever important foundation of trust. It is the most sacred promise we could ever give to our staff, students and their families as a school and I will always do whatever I can to ensure that this happens each and every day.
What does this quote mean to you and how can you apply today’s message towards becoming more socially aware?
Becoming The Change 