Thom Stecher and Associates is dedicated to assisting schools, educators and students in achieving their highest level of potential. We strive to foster open relationships where the sharing of ideas, philosophy, knowledge, beliefs, values and passion is channeled into creating constructive solutions. We aim to build healthy communities where we grow as instruments for positive change.
We are being looked after and loved unconditionally every moment of every day.
Let those you love know how much you love and appreciate them. Let them know that their love has been a ray of light in your life.
"The great lesson is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard." - Abraham Maslow
Life is so full of beauty and magic. The changing seasons, the stars at night, the warmth of the Sun, and the glow of the moon. Nature is a full blown mystical explosion of endless possibilities.
I am married to Sandra, the most curious person I have ever met. She wants to know everything. Why this works? What makes that happen? Who is that and what else did I see them in?
She sees beauty everywhere. Life is a gift and Sandra is the greatest miracle in my life.
I am constantly grateful.
We live in the lives of all those whose lives we have touched. I have often felt the presence of those I have loved and those who have loved me. I have also felt the presence of of the many who have shared classes and speeches with me.
I feel my daughter’s presence with me everyday. I also feel the presence of authors, teachers, artists, and mentors I have never met.
We experience a spiritual communion with friends and colleagues not in our immediate presence. When I see my old friends after long periods of time, it is as if no time has passed. We are always with each other in spirit.
The spirit has no walls, no obstacles. There is no time, space, or physicality.
So, my dear friends close your eyes, breathe deeply, and be together with the ones you love.
Choose to be with your communion of saints.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Emerson
Our vulnerability, authenticity, and courage will assist us in our need to connect. To fully connect, we must be in the present moment. Detach from technology, give yourself a mini technology vacation. Feel the joy of living life untethered. Breathe fresh air, feel the sun on your shoulders, view the great and endless art of nature, person to person, with your fellow human beings.
Let your life be your message. Be open, authentic, vulnerable, and courageous.
Social Emotional Learning prioritizes the needs of the whole child, both curriculum and connection. The human being needs relationships to survive and thrive. How can the needs of safety, value, respect, and support be debated?
Our work in SEL values the neuroscience which teaches us that integrity, empathy, responsibility, and compassion are essential to be a healthy human being and community.
The teacher student relationship has emphasized the dual task of teaching content and cultivating character since the beginning of human development.
Social Emotional Learning embraces academic achievement as a component of social and emotional development. In integrating Social Emotional Learning with academic achievement we focus on building knowledgeable and responsible citizens.
Families join with educators in knowing our children need to feel safe, values, and connected. Families want their children to be interested and engaged in their education. Social Emotional Learning is an integral part of building a classroom and school wide community. We establish norms of physical and emotional safety. We learn how to give and receive specific, descriptive, and observable feedback and we learn how to resolve conflict and forgive.
It is essential that social emotional learning strive for trusting relationships between students, teachers, staff, administrators, and families. Social Emotional Learning is not only what we do, it is who we are.
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The past three years have tested our strength and our ability to bounce back. Our experiences of uncertainty, grief, and loss have taught us much.
Our lives have been shaken to the foundation.
From these heartbreaking experiences comes, if we are fortunate, the experience of empathy and compassion. From our suffering, we feel a new wonder at the beauty of the world.
We are all a part of this beautiful world and nothing is in our control. We can only respond with love and understanding. Knowing we are in the hands of unconditional love.
I still talk to her as I visit all the places she loved. The gardens, the beach, the swamp, the museum. In each of these environments, there is something missing. Or is it? Just because I can’t see her doesn’t mean that she’s not here. I know she hears me. I often get subtle messages from her spirit.
She is part of the never ending universe. She is moonbeams, she is starlight, she is the gentle us, breeze, and she is even the downpour.
She is all life.
She is pure love.
I walked with you today Ashley. As we walked, I felt the breeze that brought you smiles and sounds of joy. I talked with you softly like I always do. Loud and harsh just doesn’t work for angels.
My heart flew open as I saw you in the cardinal, the deer, and the chipmunks. There is one pink flower that is thriving this summer. I speak to it and call it by your name.
I feel the warmth of the sun on my back and I know it is you blessing me. I never want to stop walking with you.
Each moment is sacred.
I pray for more.
Human beings are by nature social, emotional, and spiritual beings. We are born with an awareness of meaning, value, and sacredness for life. We are born with compassion, empathy, cooperation, and a sense of fairness and justice.
These capacities must be supported or they will be lost.
Every individual has unique gifts and talents and must be treated with dignity and respect for those gifts to shine. Our birthright is love and freedom. We are each worthy of caring and safety.
Our communities must be places where all of us, in our uniquenesses, feel respected, cared for, understood, and loved. We must create places where we all feel a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose.
We must all open our hearts and minds and see the light that shines in every individual.
Let us form meaningful relationships, learn from each others perspective and experience and serve our community as responsible individuals in a goal of never-ending growth.
Let us all have the courage to speak our love every day, every minute. Do not fall into the trap of believing there is a tomorrow.
Now is the time to say "I love you".
We need to love ourselves. Not in an egotistic, narcissistic way, but in a whole, healthy, and complete, knowing that we are good, caring people.
We are all emanations of the Divine. In each of us is perfection and unconditional love. You are the love, kindness, generosity, beauty, and creativity of Divinity, God is good. Life is good. Each of you, as children of God, are good.
Embrace and accept all of who you are.
You are a unique expression of Divinity.
My spirituality is an awareness of the sacred in all life. The sacredness of the blossoming spring, the sacredness of the dying colors of autumn, and the sacredness of the blanket of snow. The sacredness of the relationship with each other, and the relationship with the Divine in our fragile humanity.
To face the loss of life; yours, or a loved one, is to be fully engaged in the sacredness of life. Constant thoughts of our loved one's life after death, our future communion with them, and our own fragility, all have a sense of urgency.
My awareness of Divinity as unconditional love, infinite kindness, and creativity, brings me great comfort. I know I am loved, I know I am cared for, and I feel comforted.
My faith brings me comfort in all that I cannot see.
In quiet reflection, rest in the comfort of unconditional love. Allow the sacredness of life to run like a movie through your mind. In your journal, record your reflections, and feel comforted.
