Counselor's Corner

  Community Conscious: I do my part to support my fellow community members, honor diversity and take care of our shared space.   Last Thursday afternoon, the fifth-grade students gathered to assemble “giving bags” for people who live on the streets. It was their third year of working together to accomplish an impressive feat – 84 bags in 20 minutes.    Twenty-four hours later, Angel, Giovanni and I were stopped at a traffic light in San Antonio, approximately one mile from our hotel.    “Hey, Mom! Let’s give one of our bags to that guy!” I looked to my left and saw the man who stood on the corner with a sign. I handed Angel a bag from the front seat and he rolled down his window.    The man put down his sign and approached our car. He seemed about 10 years older than I am, though it is hard to tell what impact street life might have taken on his aging process. He had a contagious smile. I found myself smiling back at him and felt my own grin expand to mirror his as Angel handed him the

“These are the characteristics we hope a Rawson Saunders School student possesses.” The faculty development director handed me a piece of paper one summer day in 2018. We, along with a few members of the administrative team, were meeting to discuss my upcoming lecture to the faculty at the end of their in-service week. On the piece of paper, there were a light green character wearing a cape in the background. The foreground had an 11-word acronym that spelled “SUPERHEROIC:” Self-Advocating, Undaunted, Proactive, Ever-Evolving, Reflective, Hard-Working, Empathetic, Resilient, Open-Minded, Inquisitive, Community-Conscious. I voiced my appreciation of the acronym (I LOVE a good acronym) and said that it was a beautiful representation of what all parents want for their children. After the meeting, I returned to my job at a primary care clinic in downtown Austin and tacked the piece of paper on my bulletin board.    Fast forward a few months and Angel and Giovanni were tucked into third gra

  Fatigue. Lethargy. Lack of motivation. No energy. Who cares? I give up. Meh. Exhaustion. Shut down. Trapped. Powerless. Whatever (insert shoulder shrug & eye roll).   Sound familiar?    Many of us are quite familiar these words and phrases.    I gave the same presentation last week to three very different populations: A group of high schoolers, a group of parents, and a group of department chairs and administrators. It was on a topic that most of us find uncomfortably familiar as our pandemic continues and as a challenging academic year draws to a close: Burnout. Unsure if you’re burned out? Read the ten sentences below and ask yourself if it reflects your current reality. Give yourself a point for each positive response (don’t overthink).    1.       I’m finding myself worrying more than usual or worrying about things that typically wouldn’t bother me as much as they’re bothering me right now. 2.       I’m more forgetful than I usually am. 3.       It’s harder for me to pay atte