“Radical Reflection: You are not your thoughts! That said, avoiding your thoughts will not help you train your brain to think new ones. You must look at them with gentle kindness and say, “Thank you for sharing.“ And with love, release them.” – Sonya Renee Taylor

The four sectors of the compass model -Mind, Spirit, Strength and Heart- not only contribute to our overall wellness, but also provide guidance on strategies to help build our compassion resilience. Before delving in further, you may want to take a self-assessment of your current wellness practices (attached). Hold onto this and notice if any that you marked as “this never occurred to me” change as you encounter the next four sections of the toolkit.

Mind is the first sector we will explore. Being resilient in this area is exemplified by being well-organized, engaging in meaningful work, and being fully present in the moment. As we learned in Section 1, mindful self-awareness is a contemplative practice of being intentionally aware in the present moment. We have practiced strategies to enhance our mindfulness in various sections of the toolkit. Mindful self-awareness is a key skill for the Mind Section area as well as those that follow: Spirit, Strength, and Heart.

Facilitator Materials for Section Eight

Facilitator Agenda, Section Eight

Supplementary Activities/Handouts

Wellness and Resilience Strategies Reflection

Power of the Positive Word (15 minutes-30 minutes)

Practicing Mindfulness – The Body Scan and Pause (3-10 minutes)

Appreciative Inquiry Reflection on Competence (15 mins-45 mins)

Links Specifically for Leadership

Name and Celebrate Staff Competence

Showing appreciation to your staff and fellow co-workers is a part of a healthy, productive, and encouraging work culture. Here are some options to encourage appreciation and focus on the specific competencies of staff or staff teams that combine to produce your school’s positive outcomes.

1. Create a process where staff can nominate each other for staff appreciation
2. Create and maintain an ongoing list of assets of your team or workplace — Something everyone can add to and see in the teachers’ common gathering space
3. Develop a gratitude board, or employ other strategies to foster a workplace attitude of gratitude

Leadership Considerations specific to Individual Wellness – Youtube
The four sectors of the compass model Mind, Spirit, Strength and Heart not only contribute to our overall wellness, but also provide guidance on strategies to help build our compassion resilience. This leader talks about how they utilize the four sections with her team to help build individual wellness.

Additional Resources

Link to resources, videos, and tools to learn more about and develop a growth mindset.

Short video on using mindfulness in teaching practice.