With the dawn of a new school year upon us, now is the time to really picture how this year is going to look. It is going to definitely have its ups and downs as all school years do. Students, colleagues, and even administrators are going to surprise you and disappoint you. Some days are going to be brutally long and there will be others where there won't be enough time in the day to get everything done. With that being said, I challenge everyone to start this year taking Jon Gordon's Positive Teacher Pledge. In particular, I would point directly to 3 statements in this pledge that if all teachers in a building pledged to follow, would significantly improve the climate in your school.
I promise to be positively contagious and share more smiles, laughter, encouragement and joy with those around me.
You all know the folks in your building who have enveloped themselves in a bubble of negativity. In fact, you may be this person sometimes as well. When the going gets tough, it is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hard to stay positive, but you need to force yourself to do so. If you find yourself sitting in the teacher's lounge or your planning area and the conversation with your colleagues turns negative, do yourself and your colleagues a favor and CHANGE THE SUBJECT IMMEDIATELY. Don't be an accomplice in hurting your work environment. Stand up and tell your colleagues that you don't like it and that you expect more out of them. It is difficult, but as my good friend Nate Eklund says, "Punch the shark and tell folks that you don't want to work in a caustic environment."
I believe that being positive not only makes me better, it makes my students better.
Whether you believe it or not, when you are in a negative mood or upset, your teaching suffers and your students notice it. Commit to yourself and your students that no matter what is going on in your life, you are not going to let it affect their learning. Do whatever it takes to put your personal baggage aside and make each and every day count. Even if you have to repeat Stuart Smalley's quote in your rear view mirror before you enter the building, do it for your kiddos.This is not only a lesson for teachers, this is a learning opportunity for students as well. Talk with your students about your failures and how you have bounced back from them. Students need to know that you are human and that you make mistakes. In fact, the more that you talk about learning from failure, the more comfortable students will be in taking risks of their own knowing that they can and will fail forward with the support of their teacher.
All in all, this year WILL BE amazing and you WILL HAVE a phenomenal impact on students and colleagues because you will choose your attitude. Positivity is contagious but only if you want to catch it. For the sake of everyone you work with, don't seek out antibiotics. Positivity is one bug you NEED to catch.
Have an awesome year. I look forward to learning from you all.
Posts
