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Consider this chapter the reminder you may need. It is always and should always be about the people. Let’s not wait for those extreme moments of illness, loss, or grief to trigger a wake-up call. As we set out on a journey to start with the heart, let’s begin with our personal lives and consider those who are important to us. As I suggested in the introduction, throughout this book I will provide opportunities for reflection. Take time right now to reflect on and acknowledge the people in your personal life who are important and why they matter to you:

The People in Your Personal Life

Name: Reason:

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Available for download at resources.corwin.com/StartWithTheHeart

Copyright © 2019 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Start With the Heart: Igniting Hope in Schools Through Social and Emotional Learning by Michelle L. Trujillo. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www.corwin.com. Reproduction authorized for educational use by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial or nonprofit entities that have purchased the book.

I asked you to reflect on people in your personal life who matter to you because you must always keep them at the forefront of your mind and in your heart. Early in my teaching career, someone taught me the “five years from now” rule. For example, when in a dilemma between taking a sick day to stay home with my children or coming to work to teach a specific lesson, I would ask myself, “Five years from now, who will remember?” The answer, inevitably, was my children. My students wouldn’t remember on which day I taught which lesson, but my son and daughter would definitely remember if I stayed home to cuddle them when they were little and not feeling well. We are better as educators and professionals when we keep what’s first, first.

At the same time, we do spend a great deal of our time at school. There are people in our professional lives, too, who are important to us. This is interesting, because much like our families, we don’t necessarily get to choose the people with whom we work. As a result, we tend to be drawn to those with whom we have things in common, be it interests, philosophies, or personality traits. Can you create the same type of list for those in your professional life that you created for those in your personal life?

The People in Your Professional Life

Name: Reason:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

Available for download at resources.corwin.com/StartWithTheHeart

Copyright © 2019 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Start With the Heart: Igniting Hope in Schools Through Social and Emotional Learning by Michelle L. Trujillo. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www.corwin.com. Reproduction authorized for educational use by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial or nonprofit entities that have purchased the book.

Furthermore, consider this: Whose list might you be on? If your students or colleagues were asked to create the same kind of list, would they include you? Please stop reading for a moment and contemplate these questions. Jot down anything significant that occurs to you:

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These exercises are important to reflect upon, because how we interact with those in our professional life and how they react to and interact with us is critical to this journey. Perhaps what is more telling in these reflection exercises is recognition of who is not on your list. There may be people within our work environments whom we do not identify as important to us, yet we are called to work professionally together and to treat each other with respect and dignity. Being compassionate and growth-minded toward all people within our workplace is necessary. Because we don’t always get to choose our colleagues or our students, it is imperative that we accept the significance of understanding that all of us, our colleagues as well as the students, family members, and other associates of our school community, come from different experiences, cultures, opportunities, and abilities.