What you Feed will Grow!

What does that mean you may ask? Let’s start with defining “Feed”. The definition of Feed is to give; cause to move gradually and steadily. Now let’s define “Grow”. Grow is defined as (of a living thing) undergoing natural development by increasing in size and changing physically; progress to maturity. In the field of education, everyone experiences some form of feeding and growing. We do not want our students, teachers, administrators, community stakeholders and parents to stagnate as they progress through their careers. We want everyone to grow into the best versions of themselves by increasing the size of their knowledge, wisdom, patience, love and support (to name a few). In addition, we want those that have influence on everyone before mentioned to be fed the knowledge, wisdom, patience, support and love to pour into others, gradually and steadily.

What you Feed will grow! Into what?

Which one are you?
Are you a Rose?- Roses are the masterpiece of all the flowers as it emits beautiful positive feelings. The thorns deters predators and creates an anchor by wrapping itself around a solid foundation to protect itself from negative elements. Rose thorns have been recognized for a long time as a symbol of adversity as well as sacrifice. As humans, we like to avoid both these things.

OR


Are you Poison Ivy?- Touching any part of the poison ivy plant can cause red, swollen skin, blisters and severe itching, sometimes within hours after exposure. A poison ivy rash usually resolves on its own within a few weeks. If you have ever been in contact with anyone that has poison ivy, do you want to be around that person or have your young children in contact with that person? Probably not!

What are you feeding your child, parents, colleagues and most importantly, yourself?!

If you feed yourself Doubt, you will grow into being doubtful. If you feed your anxiety, you will grow to be anxious. If you feed yourself fear, you will grow to be fearful and afraid. If you feed yourself love, you will be loving. If you feed yourself happiness, you will grow into being a happy person. You get the picture while hopefully understanding that you can interchangeably remove yourself with: child, spouse, friend, or colleague.

Did you know…
Gut bacteria are key players in your mood and mental health. They can relieve the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, but they might also make them worse.

Your colon is home to trillions of bacterial cells which make up a unique ecosystem called the gut microbiome. As well as allowing nutrients to enter the body and keeping opportunistic pathogens locked out, their activities also influence your brain (Liu, L and Zhu, G. Gut-Brain Axis and Mood Disorder, 2018)

This is what Harvard Medical School suggests (Uma Naidoo, MD, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing, 2019)

    •    Eat whole foods and avoid packaged or processed foods, which are high in unwanted food additives and preservatives that disrupt the healthy bacteria in the gut. 

    •    Eat a balance of seafoods and lean poultry, and less red meat each week. 

    •    Add a range of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet, and consider choosing certain organic produce. 
Although this refers to what you physically intake, the principal is still the same. What you intake will affect your mood, your thoughts and inevitably, your actions! As you think about your practices at home, school or in the community. What you say matters, but everything you DO is important! What you Feed will Grow…so watch what you eat!

Anthony Bronaugh Sr., M.Ed., BCBA is originally from Dayton, Ohio. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a Bachelor’s degree in English Education, a Master’s degree in Administration & Supervision and a National Board Certified Behavior Analyst, (BCBA). 
Mr. Bronaugh is currently the owner of AB Education & Behavior Consulting LLC. AB Education & Behavior Consulting LLC utilizes over 20 years of educational experience as a teacher and administrator. Mr. Bronaugh has over 2 years as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst assisting schools and organizations to achieve at their highest level using applied behavior analysis techniques. Mr. Bronaugh is also an Adjunct Professor at Bowling Green State University teaching two sections of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood Education.


https://abeducationbehaviorconsultingllc.com/