THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

Imagine this as a massive data repository, storing every thought, word, and action you've ever experienced. Like a computer hard drive, this information can be accessed at any time. It's the part of your mind that brings back a forgotten childhood song or lets you ride a bike years after your last ride. But, it also reflects your self-perception and feelings about others and situations, visible in:

- Your energy level and mood

- Your physical appearance

- Your body language

- Your actions and behaviors

- Feelings of sadness beneath an upbeat façade

- Dressing sloppily when you usually take pride in your appearance

- Avoiding eye contact

- Frequent disagreements and conflicts

If you recognize these traits surfacing in your life, your subconscious mind may be holding onto something that is disturbing your peace. In such cases, speak with someone you trust about these concerns to begin your journey toward mental clarity and emotional liberation.

THE SUPER-CONSCIOUS MIND

Yet to be mentioned, but far from forgotten, is the super-conscious mind. This component serves as our inner compass, guiding us toward our purpose, toward our highest potential. It's the part of us that is innately connected to a bigger picture, providing us with intuition, creative inspiration and an understanding of our most authentic self.

Understanding these three aspects of the mind, and learning to navigate them effectively, is a profound exercise in self-empowerment. As we grow and evolve, so should our ability to use these mind powers to maintain our resilience, our grace our "girlswag," if you will—and to build the happy, fulfilling life we deserve

Remember, you are more than a professional title; you are a powerhouse of potential. You have the power to consciously choose positivity; to access and to heal your subconscious; and to connect with your super-conscious so that you can discover and live out your true purpose. Use it well, use it wisely.

With strength and love, Chloé

A CONVERSATION WITH THE PEOPLE’S PRINCIPAL

Paula G.:

Doctor Hosey, we first spoke in March of 2020, as we were on the threshold of a pandemic On my podcast platform, you shared some valuable information for parents on how to keep their children academically engaged. You also talked about keeping your staff engaged. We are now three years beyond the initial impact of the pandemic Where are you today with your students and your staff?

Ashley:

It's currently my third year at the middle school, but it's really my first normal year at the middle-school level And people here are thinking, "Well, technically you've been here two years." Yes, I've been here two years but this is the first year from start to finish that we've had a normal start, meaning that there was no "virtual" option We started face to face We have not had any quarantining We didn't stop. And all affairs continued as a normal school year.

Paula G.:

That's huge, what you've said. I just want to sit here for a minute, because I think it's hard for those who are not in education to understand the magnitude of starting a middle-school career at the height of a pandemic. This is the first year that you actually have what we would consider a normal school year So, coming into the middle-school environment, brand new at the top of a pandemic, what was that like?

Ashley:

It was different! I was at an elementary school for three years I got them through the pause of the pandemic, introduced them to online classes, basically got them comfortable with that, and we were about to close out the school year when I got the call to go to the new school. So I was at a new school, at the height of the pandemic We can't forget how the pandemic was when we first were in it Everybody had on masks on if you actually got to meet people face to face.

So, my first meeting with my staff was on Zoom That first year certainly was interesting to say the least Some people I probably would not know if they came up to me to speak to me because for students and staff, I only knew them from the nose and eyes up, with the mask. I knew their voices, but not actually what they looked like That's very hard for building a relationship. Starting at a school, you normally have a Meet and Greet the Principal event. Parents never got to do that. It wasn't until my second year that I actually started meeting parents in a small setting Zoom meetings and things like that Right now, I feel great, because I can actually meet parents and talk to them and see them.

They can come into the school, and we're having programs So, for two years running this school, when people knew you, but they didn't know you that was a very interesting dynamic. I rely strongly upon building community, on forging relationships with people. It's hard to build relationships with people when you can't be in the same room with them It's hard to team-build with a staff when you can't be in the same room with them.

And so, it required me to learn some new skills. I had to be more intentional with my conversations, with my motivations, with my strategies and with my presentations more intentional in my focus than I ever had in any of my years in education.

Paula G.:

It sounds like, whatever was placed in front of you, whatever the situation was, you looked at it, analyzed it, figured out a way to navigate it, and simply went forward with it. Back at the beginning of the pandemic, none of us really knew anything So, everybody was masked up, and we had gloves and shields and all that sort of thing What was it that got you out of bed every morning? >

Ashley:

Well, I love what I do! My job of educating children and students and helping them reach their potential that doesn't change. The format and the programming changed; it changed our jobs. I love problem-solving And it was a problem that needed to be solved Some of it was very spontaneous and creative, which is right up my alley So having to come up with creative ways to keep the staff motivated so that our kids could learn and get some educational benefit that was my motivation. Because remember, before the pandemic, people were always saying, "Education needs to change. We have to do something different. We have to try something different "

So guess what? In one year, education changed completely to something that we had never done before. Many people thought that we all already knew how to use distant learning. No, we didn't! We'd never used that! It was not used! And Zoom became the thing I remember when I first discovered Zoom I remember introducing it to my elementary school teachers The were like, "You can do that? This is awesome!" So, for me, it was finding ways to make the teachers' job easier. And trying to keep them motivated was my motivation for doing my job. It changed what I had to do. Finding ways to engage them I was making sure that they knew what they were doing, that they were getting the training. Checking in with them very frequently in virtual meetings was another way of getting to know them. We played music in our virtual meetings and different things such as that. That was the only time that I could see everybody without their mask without that barrier

Paula G.:

I think it is worth noting for anyone who has not been in a school building in awhile that you oversee teachers across the spectrum. That is, brand-new teachers coming out of college, veteran teachers, and everyone in between And normally when things change in a school building, perhaps with technology let's say, probably some of those veteran, more seasoned teachers might have befriended the younger teachers, and they would help them along with whatever it is And as a principal, you would not necessarily have to put your hands on that, because they're helping each other. And you've got the department meetings to attend. But in this foreign environment, there you were, having to navigate all new territory in a sense to meet everybody just where they were >

Ashley:

Exactly! That was difficult Because you couldn't put everybody in the same room. You couldn't have mentor meetings. And when I came in, the staff was pretty much the same because people were so uncertain, people just stayed where they were I did have to hire a few people, but learning to hire people on Zoom, that's a different interview process from meeting with someone face to face.

Paula G.:

Right! And you were at the beginning of it, where nobody knew anything In addition to finding ways to reach your staff, and train your staff and be there for your staff, just like the students, you're having to learn these things at the same time. Who knew what Zoom was three years ago? I would dare to say, not every school principal or administrator successfully navigated through this whole experience as well as you have. As you look back and reflect, what would you say was the key to your success?

Ashley:

I was very patient. I realized that I could get an email in the morning from the district at 8:00 AM saying, "We're doing this. . . " and then by 9:00 AM, it may be something different, and something else by 12:00 noon By the end of the day, that's how quickly information was rolling out

Keeping teachers informed was one of the things that was most important. I would let them know right away. As soon as I knew something, they would know Also, I think one of the successes was finding things and saying, "You know what, don't even worry about that." I realized that teachers were stressed out as much as the kids were. Not only were they trying to do a job, but they were also dealing with their own mental health around this pandemic You can't go anywhere You can't do the things that you usually do for stress reduction. You can't do the things that you like going out and doing. For awhile, we couldn't go outside because they shut down the parks at one point And the gym

So, overall, I was being very patient with people letting them know, "It's, OK," and "Let's reset."

We changed our bell schedule to give teachers more time The second year was the hybrid year where we had some kids face to face, and some kids virtual. And teachers had to teach both of them at the same time!

Paula G.:

Because of this experience in education, what changes have been made?

Ashley:

One of the biggest things, Paula, I think that happened, is that we realized some things about all the stuff we were doing it didn't matter. Let me give you example. Here in the state of Georgia, we were really big on the CCRPI [College and Career Ready Performance Index] how we graded schools and all those things Well, for three years, we didn't get a CCRPI score And guess what? Schools kept going! That stress, and all that emphasis that we'd put on that score, was stressing teachers out. "Do this, do that." Was it all really necessary? The second thing that I think we found out is that there are ways of doing things that are more efficient I often tell people that you can't work harder; you need to work smarter.

We really focus on our kids. We realized that kids were going to have some issues coming from covid-19 But of course there are always going to be issues But the whole experience brought back into the conversation SEL Social and Emotional Learning and we build support for that, which is so vital for kids. To build social skills It goes hand in hand with coming out of the pandemic We have to consciously build our schools around that. Because these kids are missing some parts of socialization.

I also feel that for teachers, it's OK to make time for self care Before the pandemic, if you’re a teacher, you're supposed to be working all the time, staying late, getting in early, and volunteering all the time. But the importance of self care came up during the pandemic, and that conversation continues. I still make sure it's part of what I talk about with my staff Now, self care doesn't mean you don't have to come to work. You have to come to work. I need you to work. Self care has its limits. But self care is important. We are talking about life balance. >

Paula G.:

Until you walk in the shoes of an educator, you won't understand the fullness of the situation. I know often there is a lot of criticism about how teachers are doing things, or complaints about the education system, or what have you. To those critics, to those people who may not have set foot in a school building and yet have so much to say, what do you want to tell them?

Ashley:

You’re at home teaching your kid and helping them. People learn really quickly. Teachers do a whole lot What I hope people will understand is that it is a much more complex job than most people realize.

People need to be patient. Education is still evolving. We will continue to catch up to the gaps that happened during the pandemic. When I talk to kids, I have to calculate in my mind think back "OK, what year was it?" Because they missed some things during that particular year of school, and I recall the gaps. So we need to recognize those things and be patient with teachers. Teachers are finding other careers, doing different things, because the pandemic has broadened their horizons. They find that they're qualified to do some other things.

So, to any critics out there, I say, "Come into the arena. See what's going on. Pick up a bat, pick up a sword, pick up a shield Come on in " At my school, we're still defining and redefining how to get this job done differently.

Paula G.:

I appreciate you always bringing such insight to the field of education how it evolves, and how students evolve doing things smarter, not harder. There is constant evolution. We are a changing world. We are a fast-evolving world. And if we are to prepare the leaders of tomorrow, then indeed we must continue to evolve to meet them where they are We have to effectively teach them what they need to learn in order to be productive citizens moving forward.

Ashley:

Yes It's no longer about knowing dates and memorization of facts What skills are we teaching kids? We have to teach our children to be successful. What they need from us is to learn the skills to understand what they're seeing, to navigate what they're seeing the skills to adapt, and to connect to the people around them And that's in addition to math and social studies and science and all those things.

Paula G.:

You are a triumphant warrior, winning on the battlefield of education The People’s Principal, Dr Ashley B Hosey <

I am Paula G. Voice: lifestyle/commercial model, voiceover artist, host of the TV talk show My Journey with Paula G and author of My Journey to Lady Wisdom After Midnight