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A couple other thoughts on Valarie Kaur's TED Talk that I didn't have time to mention in my video:

I appreciated that she focused on the term "wonder"; she seems to emphazie curioisty as the antidote to fear and anger.

I also really apprecaited that she defined the reason for our emotions: "Joy is the gift of love, grief is the price of love, anger is the force that protects it."

Lastly, I loved the conclusion: "How are you protecting your joy every day? Because in joy we see even darkness with new eyes." It's something I will try to ask myself every day.

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An idea from the TEDtalk that stood out to me was wondering about another's story rather than judging them. This is something that is so important to teach our students. If we lead with wonder, compassion will come.

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A salient point in the video for me was the idea of "tending to our opponents' wounds" (Kaur). I observe the middle schoolers in my community regularly defining their values and imagining others' values, but they struggle to see the benefit in soothing anyone else's suffering-- let alone an opponent's. To show compassion can be seen as weakness, and certainly, one does not want to seem weak to opponents. I work throughout the year to teach the importance of challenging stereotypes and dehumanization. But even more, students in my community seem to feel isolated in their hardships and fearful to admit their struggles-- let alone accept compassion from others. I work hard to show that hardship is universal, and so compassion needs to be universal. Storytelling helps, but I am also searching for activities that help them practice compassion and feel compassion from others.

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Ran out of time...The 2nd forgiveness activity I really reflected on a relationship and what could have been. I'm excited to try out the loving kindness meditation. I've seen something similar to this that I have tried with my students but I think this would be good self compassion practice for myself.

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My last sentence got cut off but I meant to say that for our most difficult students, to be effective teachers we need to practice 'radical forgiveness' on some level because they are not fully formed people yet

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"If you were to step onto a path of self-compassion, rather than going further down this road of beating yourself up, you'd recognize these emotions, name them without judgement, and allow them to settle in for a moment."

Reading this week's chapter and completing the activities I was reflective in how I practice self- compassion. I realized that although I might consider myself to be a very compassionate person I am not truly fulfilling this role. There is more reflection and dedication to be done in my practice of self-compassion.

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I found the reading very helpful on learning to forgive ourselves first before I am ready to forgive others. I am going to use the LovingKindness Meditation with my students and see what happens. I am actually excited for school tomorrow

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This assignment got emotional for me! I don't think I have ever realized how much compassion can help ourselves and others not only mentally but physically. There are many pieces of knowledge I am walking away from this assignment with, but the biggest one is having more compassion for myself so I have the capacity to have that compassion for others.

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Assignment 10 - Cultivating Compassion - Ellie Cook

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Assignment 10: To finish my thought, compassion and perspective must even be applied when referencing the right wing from the left wing and everything happening within our government. Lastly, forgiveness is not forgetting but freedom from hate, and compassion is empathy in action.

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There are limits to compassion and those boundaries are what keep us safe. This can mean projecting nothing: not hate, not love, not even understanding. Call this 'intentional detachment.'

Extending love and acceptance has diminishing impact, particularly when harm is constant or systemic. In order to maintain resilience, I can't spend emotional energy on every injustice or every individual acting in harmful ways.

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This is something for which I need to do more work on-forgiving those for whom I have held resentment. I realize others have been victims of systems, cultural norms ,etc. that foster dysfunctional relationship, and as my daughter often says, "hurt people, hurt people." This is important for us all to process and move through so we can show up better for the kids and communities we serve and to teach and model another way - yes, revolutionary love!

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I, of course, was running out of time! But this week was a great, timely message on how to show love, compassion, and forgiveness, even when it's challenging. It's how we can fight back and protect our joy.

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I found it interesting about the letter writing. I wrote a letter to my HS choir director about 10 years ago, apologizing for my ridiculous behavior and he was extremely gracious in his reply. Once we feel that grace from someone, I think we are more apt to pass it on to someone else.

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Loved the lesson this week. Cultivating compassion is such a powerful tool!!

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Cultivating Compassion

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Emily Rappleyea

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Ran out of time, but one of the things I wanted to also include was trying to figure out how I can teach this to my students and classes.

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I forgot to discuss what I am left wondering. I am left wondering about empathy fatigue particularly in our current climate why our families and students are being directly impacted within our schools. I am left wondering how I separate myself when those situations are so close to home.

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I ran out of time but ended on saying how thinking about people who have forgiven me makes me want to offer more grace to others. Also that forgiveness is not reconciliation. I just need to forgive before it turns to hate.

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Also! (This was a biggie for me as a new-ish educator; one that's guilty of staying way too late, trying to do all the things... and then not having any "spoons" left over for my own kids.)

Care - but not too much.

Cultivate a kind of detachment.

Practice a form of letting go.....

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A quick response to cultivating compassion...was trying to be quick but thorough as the two minute warning worried me! :)