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...to understand
the validity of their
feelings and their
responsibility for
their actions.
Our feelings come upon us from complex
causes: our health, how much we slept,
what we ate, what happened recently,
what someone said to us, what
expectations we are presented with,
and so on. We don’t choose our feelings,
nor can we control them. We can, however,
choose our actions, which in part proceed
from our feelings. We must model this
concept in our own behavior as well as
help students to practice, reflect upon,
and understand it.
“There’s no ‘should’ or ‘should not’ when it comes to
having feelings. They’re part of who we are, and their
origins are beyond our control. When we can believe
that, we may find it easier to make constructive choices
about what to do with those feelings.”
—Fred Rogers