My daughter inspired me yesterday by sharing a video with me on human connection, something that seems to be quickly vanishing among many modern families. Although technology has brought great advances, it has also brought a void in the hearts of many. Social media has gained in popularity, but will never be a replacement for true friendship, real communication, or connection. These videos touch on our human needs for connection, gratitude, and service.
Human Connection: I see many of my students who come to school hungry for attention and affection. This need often comes out as misbehavior in the classroom, but what they really need is love, direction, and connection within their own families. Strong families are the basis for stronger communities and schools. As parents, we need to start paying attention and realize the toll modern medias are taking on our kids. Our children need us more than they need their phones, game systems, or televisions. Also, as parents we need our children. We also need friendship, family, and love, too. None of this can be obtained through a device, but through real actual human connection. This includes family dinners, nightly story time, bike rides, walks, and just conversation. It's a process, but well worth the effort. I know that I am striving to strike a deeper balance this school year in the classroom and at home.
This video illustrates the need for children to have deeper connections with their parents through dinner conversations and spending quality time together.
I love this video. The oldest teacher in America never tires of teaching her students and she truly finds ways to connect with them. As one of her students states, "No, you can't taste love, but you can feel love." It doesn't matter how old we get, our children and students need love most of all.
The importance of real human connection. We remember our own humanness when we stop and really notice another person. This video was truly inspiring to me!
Gratitude: Many times we seem to forget to be grateful. God has given us so much. We are surrounded by beauty every day. There are wonderful people in our lives who want only to love us. We need to be grateful for that and look for opportunities to thank them. Sometimes, we feel that we may not deserve the love of others or maybe aren't sure how to show our gratitude. This video challenges us to call one special person who has helped us on our journey. Someone that has made a difference in our lives. I can't think of anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon. What a wonderful thing it would be to wake up in the morning and praise God for at least one thing in our lives. The fact we woke up is a miracle in itself. The third video I've used in my teaching in past years. These children inspire me by their gracious attitudes. What wonderful examples they are to us all!
Service: Service helps us to forget who we are, which is actually a good thing. Sometimes, we get so caught up in our own agendas, our own to-do lists, our own goals that we forget that a huge part of being fulfilled as human beings is service to others. Just get so busy serving others, there's no time to think about ourselves or criticize others. That would be pretty awesome!
Thank you for reading, and I wish you well in these areas. I know that I will be working on them this week.
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