The Mindful School Leader Chapter 2 #worklifebalance

THE BAD HABITS OF GOOD READERS BY CAROL JAGO

I read this #NerdyBookClub post and saw myself. I love to read. I read a lot. And I don't always remember what I read. 

This totally describes me:

Jago writes...

"Avid readers often...

1. Value speed over reflection. Such readers seldom pause between books to think about what they have read. They reach for the next one with hardly an intake of breath.
2. Skip anything they find boring. Unlike inexpert readers, these “master” readers feel free to jump past anything that interrupts the flow of a story. They skim descriptive passages and skip altogether imbedded poetry or quotations (for example the medieval tale within Edgar Allan Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher.”)."

And so, I embark on chapter 2 of The Mindful School Leader, a book I read last Spring, and can hardly remember. I remember the essence of it, but it's really like I'm reading it for the first time. 

This time, I'm determined to remember. With each chapter, I'm writing a little blog post, just to mark my journey, in case I forget it all again. And I breeze past some of the drier science-y stuff. 

This chapter is all about the science of mindfulness.  Mindfulness and the brain. 

Things to note:

1. Kids and adults are under stress every day. This reminded me of a blog post I read this summer about AP tests, kids, stress, and suicides. 
2. It is not mindful to text and email school-related stuff late at night and on weekends.
3. Our experiences are important. So are our thoughts about them.

Some quotes:

"A key element of being an authentic leader is being present."

"To acknowledge an emotion or thought is like opening a door to freedom...you begin to change your relationship with yourself."

The quote below:

This chapter also has some great beginner's mindfulness exercises, some as short as 30 seconds. I especially want to try the beauty bath. Five minutes like this sounds amazing.