Flexibility is the ability to change or be changed easily according to the situation, and resilience is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. During the past few weeks, the entire Maayan community has demonstrated both of these traits, as well as care and compassion….and that includes you! Our teachers have gone above and beyond during these past few weeks of illnesses that surged through our school like a tsunami. Shifted schedules and duties have been met with a, “Sure! I can help with that!” attitude. The community has pitched in when parents were too sick to pick up their own children, and the students have been practicing their coping skills with support from their teachers.
These skills, together known as adaptive flexibility, are much less measurable than math facts or spelling words. And yet, they are critical to our ability to function in the world. It’s important to realize that not every day or project is going to run smoothly. There will always be missteps, miscalculations or external circumstances, (like the flu!), that may knock us off course. People who have developed flexibility and resilience are those who can shift gears at a moment’s notice and can engage in more than one specific responsibility. They can adapt. We have had plenty of opportunities these past weeks to practice our adaptive flexibility!
Dr. Sharon Pollin
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