Maintaining Balance for Learning During Crazy Times: A Thoughtful Guide for Parents and Educators

Photo by KT on Unsplash

Have you made your 2021 New Year’s Resolutions? Are you looking for strategies to deepen your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual bodies? Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants who completed the initial series in November/December, Dr. Aili Pogust and Dr. Spike Cook will be hosting another 5 part weekly series in January 2021 on maintaining balance during these crazy times.

There is no cost for the workshop and if you are interested you can sign up here. We are asking those who are interested to commit to attend all 5 sessions as they are all integrated for you to optimize balance in your life.

About the series 

Your children and your students are counting on you. Before you can help them you have to help yourself. This series will offer you some thoughtful tools to get started. Here’s something to consider. Our western culture has focused intensely on the physical and mental aspects of our lives, yet our emotional and spiritual bodies also need to be integrated for a well balanced approach to life.

Dates and times  (Each session is one hour and 15 minutes)
Tuesday on January 5, 12, 19, 26 and February 2. Time: 7:00 PM EST (All sessions will be on Zoom)

Registration ends on January 2, 2021 at 5:00 PM. We are asking you to commit to the entire series when you register. Register here.

Promo Video 

Here’s what they said… 

I loved every single exercise. I often did not realize how much I needed them until after the session.

The different exercises were very helpful, each in their own way. After each session, I felt more calm, clear and focused. I like the fact that we experienced the topic of each week through more than one way.

I would just like the series to continue. I really appreciated being able to share my thoughts and feelings and hear others. Everyone in my house knew that was “my time” and I wasn’t “bothered” for that hour. That was nice 🙂

I am able to focus on different aspects of my life separately. It’s still not perfect, but I am definitely more aware after this series.

I feel that I am able to say that I have strategies to have a work/life balance.

Overview of each week 
January 5

  • In this session, Dr. Aili and Dr. Spike will introduce the series and provide time for participants to share where they are currently. Throughout the session, you will assess how you utilize the four aspects of your life physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually as well as use a four-step balancing process: Set intention. Self assess. Select options. Survey progress.

January 12

  • In this second session, we begin with a whole group share out based on what you applied from the previous week. In addition, you will explore and practice tools to balance your physical body and continue to use the four-step balancing process. At the end of the session, small group time will be provided for you to talk about your insights.

January 19

  • In this third session, we begin with a whole group share out based on what you applied from the previous week. In addition, you will explore and practice tools to balance your emotional body and continue to use the four-step balancing process. At the end of the session, small group time will be provided for you to talk about your insights.

January 26

  • In this fourth session, we begin with a whole group share out based on what you applied from the previous week. In addition, you will explore and practice tools to balance your mental body and continue to use the four-step balancing process. At the end of the session, small group time will be provided for you to talk about your insights.

February 2

  • In this fifth session, we begin with a whole group share out based on what you applied from the previous week. In addition, you will explore and practice tools to balance your spiritual body and continue to use the four-step balancing process.
  • Since this is the concluding session, a longer small group time will be provided for you to talk about your insights regarding the entire series.

Register here for the series

About the Presenters
Dr. Aili Pogust 
Aili has been an educator for over 40 years. She has taught elementary, middle and high school grades as well as graduate school. As an educational trainer, consultant and coach she has focused her work with educators on supporting effective practices in teaching literacy, communicating well and infusing curriculum with the social/emotional aspects of learning. Her focus as an educator is centered on the process of learning rather than the process of schooling. Aili received her doctorate from Temple University. She authored the book entitled: Communicating With Clarity: A Pocket Guide for Humans.   Aili is the co-founder of The Pogust Group: Mining the Gems of Human Potential.

Dr. Spike Cook
Spike Cook, Ed.D., Principal, Lakeside Middle School, Millville, NJ. In addition to being a Principal, Dr. Cook published two books through Corwin Press (Connected Leadership:It’s Just a Click Away; Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader). He is the co-host of the popular PrincipaPLN podcast and his blog, Insights Into Learning, was recognized as a finalist for Best Administrator Blog by the EduBlog Awards. Spike earned his Doctorate from Rowan University and is featured in their Alumni Spotlight. Dr. Cook is also on the Education Advisory Board for Whole Health Ed. Connect with @drspikecook via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.

10,000 Steps a Day: One Step At a Time for 6 Months!

Get ten thousand steps wherever you can.

On June 6, 2020 I made a promise to myself to integrate a walking program into my life. Previously, I have tried so many different exercise regimens into my life and accomplished a few things along the way (finished a marathon, few half marathon, 5Ks, triathlon etc.) but these all happened a few decades ago and often lead to injuries. To me, walking was just a way to get from one point to another or something that I did when I was “hiking.”

My new walking companion, Rico. He doesn’t always make walking easy.

I approached walking 10,000 steps differently because I was looking for different results. I wasn’t looking to lose weight, set any records or to get myself ready for anything else. I just wanted to walk to ground myself, maintain balance, experience weather changes and practice mindfulness. In reality, I just wanted to enjoy the walk and I did.

As I got closer to the 6 month streak I started to reflect on the magnitude of steps. I went through my Setpz App and analyzed the data (I use the free version). I walked an average of 11,000 steps a day for 189 days which is about 2,079,000 total steps since June 6. Prior to starting this journey, I never imagined that I could have walked that many steps.

This was when I was walking in a Nor’easter

Walking 10,000 steps a day required patience and time management. I learned a lot of things along the way. Here are 10 insights about my first six month streak walking 10.000 steps a day:

  1. Don’t chase steps – The earlier you get your steps in, the better. I definitely had some times where I was trying to get my steps in later in the evening and that lead to stress.
  2. Break up the walks – You don’t have to get all your steps in at once. I rarely had walks longer that 6 or 7 thousand steps. I liked chunking the steps throughout the day.
  3. Communicate to friends and loved ones – Let the people you spend the most time with know your goal. This helps with accountability and even a conversation.
  4. Invest in good sneakers – I wear running shoes that I get from the South Jersey Running Company. They specialize in matching shoes with your specific biomechanics.
  5. Be prepared for the weather – I walked in the rain, heat, wind and in the morning, afternoon and evening. I paid a lot of attention to the weather to see when the best time would be to walk.
  6. Vary your path – I am fortunate to have a bike path near my house which makes walking very easy, but I get bored. I like changing it up by walking other places.
  7. Park far away from your destination – If I am going to a store I usually park away from the entrance. Not only do you get more steps, but you avoid all of cars trying to get in and out of spots.
  8. Make calls – Nowadays, almost everyone who talks to me on the phone asks if I am walking.
  9. Listen to music or a podcast – When I first started out I listened to a lot of podcasts and music. As time went on, I found myself just enjoying walks without my ear buds in.
  10. Look up at the sky – Since it is getting dark earlier, I get to see a lot more of the stars and planets. In one walk this month (December) I was able to see Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with the assistance of a Star Map app.

My next goal is to make 10,000 steps a day for an entire year. I have 6 months to go, but I know I just need to take one step at a time.

Drop a comment if you plan or have embarked on a walking journey!

A hike with my son, Henry in Virginia.

About the Author

Spike Cook, Ed.D., Principal, Lakeside Middle School, Millville, NJ. In addition to being a Principal, Dr. Cook published two books through Corwin Press (Connected Leadership:It’s Just a Click AwayBreaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader). He is the co-host of the PrincipaPLN podcast and his blog, Insights Into Learning, was recognized as a finalist for Best Administrator Blog by the EduBlog Awards. Spike earned his Doctorate from Rowan University and is featured in their Alumni Spotlight. Dr. Cook is also on the Education Advisory Board for Whole Health Ed. Connect with @drspikecook via Twitter.