Between a conference, the end of the year insanity that happens to all teachers and graduation, I'm just now sitting down at my computer after three weeks away. Thanks for the emails asking about how I was doing, and I promise to be back to normal now! Summer is my favorite season. I adore the beach, the sand and especially the time off from work! Another thing I love about summer are all of the outdoor activities available to me.
One suggestion I always make to my friends is to try something new every summer. While you don't have to become a pro, with the extra time you have on hand you can learn a new skill, take up a new sport or get involved in a new volunteer activity.
This summer two of my children (the oldest) are getting involved in a Tai Chi class. I've taken Yoga and Pilates for some time, so I'm really hoping they love Tai Chi. My youngest is focusing on volunteering at our local hospital two mornings a week. He'll be unloading boxes from delivery trucks. It's not the most glamorous of volunteer obs, but for a young man who has always wanted to go to medical school, it will give him a new perspective in the inner workings of hospitals. (and it's the only volunteer job they let 15-year-olds do!)
According to
this articl e in New Horizons for Learning and this article on
Succesful Aging of the Healthy Brain, we need to constantly teach our brain new tricks. Both articles support that our brain needs to stimuli during our entire life to help it stay healthy.
... we need NEWNESS, new pursuits, new ideas, new activities in our life.
For me this summer, I'm taking up knitting. While I know it's going to be hard to sit still for the 30 minutes a night I've committed to this new skill, I think it will be a great way to help keep my brain fresh while I'm learning the valuable skill of relaxation.
Between a conference, the end of the year insanity that happens to all teachers and graduation, I'm just now sitting down at my computer after three weeks away. Thanks for the emails asking about how I was doing, and I promise to be back to normal now!
Summer is my favorite season. I adore the beach, the sand and especially the time off from work! Another thing I love about summer are all of the outdoor activities available to me.
One suggestion I always make to my friends is to try something new every summer. While you don't have to become a pro, with the extra time you have on hand you can learn a new skill, take up a new sport or get involved in a new volunteer activity.
This summer two of my children (the oldest) are getting involved in a Tai Chi class. I've taken Yoga and Pilates for some time, so I'm really hoping they love Tai Chi. My youngest is focusing on volunteering at our local hospital two mornings a week. He'll be unloading boxes from delivery trucks. It's not the most glamorous of volunteer obs, but for a young man who has always wanted to go to medical school, it will give him a new perspective in the inner workings of hospitals. (and it's the only volunteer job they let 15-year-olds do!)
According to this articl e in New Horizons for Learning and this article on Succesful Aging of the Healthy Brain, we need to constantly teach our brain new tricks. Both articles support that our brain needs to stimuli during our entire life to help it stay healthy.
For me this summer, I'm taking up knitting. While I know it's going to be hard to sit still for the 30 minutes a night I've committed to this new skill, I think it will be a great way to help keep my brain fresh while I'm learning the valuable skill of relaxation.