How Are You Feeling Today ?
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND FREEDOM THROUGH FEELINGS
This year , CPA partnered with counselor and author Dr . Chip Dodd to produce a children ’ s version of Dodd ’ s bestselling book The Voice of the Heart : A Call to Full Living . The result – How Are You Feeling Today ?, a guide for young children to explore , identify , and ultimately be empowered by their God-given feelings .
Associate Head of School for Education Dr . Marcia Sutton ’ s passion for consistent and social-emotional learning for students PS-12 paired with Dodd ’ s years of counseling expertise fostering mental , emotional , spiritual health propelled this new book project into motion . With clear and creative dialogue , the book reinforces biblical truth that God did not make a mistake by giving us our feelings . God created us to be living , breathing , feeling creatures , and each of the eight core feelings bears with it an impairment , a truth , and a gift . Ushering children through the journey from impairment to gifting , while keeping relationships with God and others central to the process of empowerment , is critical in the onslaught of today ’ s emotionally crippled world .
In his note to “ grownups ” reading How Are You Feeling Today ?, Dodd writes :
“ All of us are created as people who feel and think . We are also created to find fulfillment in relationship with others and God . All of us , older people and children , feel . When we lose connection to our feelings , we become impaired . We remove ourselves from gifts we were created to have in truthful and genuine
We live in a world where wonderful things happen .
We live in a world where painful things happen .
Feel your feelings . Tell the truth . And give it to God .
relationships . By facing , naming , and sharing our feelings , we can experience the fullness of living as God created us .”
The book contains helpful depictions of feelings : glad , sad , hurt , fear , lonely , anger , guilt , and shame . The cadence of gospel truth is evident , helping children remember , “ We live in a world where wonderful things happen . We live in a world where painful things happen . Feel your feelings . Tell the truth . And give it to God .”
This text will be used as a central teaching tool for the Academy ’ s PS-12 social-emotional learning curriculum . CPA hosted a special event to introduce the book and encourage parents as they are the primary source to model emotional health and regulation in the lives of their children . A panel of Academy leadership including Head of School Nate Morrow and Associate Heads of School Dr . Marcia Sutton ( education ) and Matt Moore ( operations ) joined Dodd on stage to share how they ’ ve benefited from the acknowledgement , acceptance , and empowerment of the eight feelings both as school leaders and also as parents , spouses , and friends . Audience members received free copies of the book and also heard words of wisdom from Dodd as he walked through the beauty and truth of each emotion .
With commitment to emotional and spiritual health at CPA from the executive leadership level all the way down to the preschool and kindergarten classrooms , faculty and staff are equipped to guide students in God ’ s plan for them to live freely and fully in His truth .
CPALIONS . ORG 13