Just recently I have decided that I need only 3 rules for my classroom:
#1 - Have a good attitude.
#2 - TRY.
#3 - Have fun! (Okay so this last one is silly, but I like it and think it's still important.)
No. 2 has been an unofficial rule for most of the year, something that I have continuously pounded into my students' heads. But the first really only occurred to me after today. Attitude is important! Of course I knew this; so do most people, if only in an abstract, back of the mind sort of way. It may go by a different name or phrase -- we routinely admonish the kids to "make good choices".
This week my kids have had a free-draw day, earned each 9 weeks through good behavior. But today's 1st graders have had somewhat appalling behavior since Christmas, and as a consequence, they lost their free day. Now, as it so happens, I had nothing planned for this eventuality. So I got out a quote on attitude, one that my college mentor teacher gave to recalcitrant students to copy. I had the children sit quietly with their heads down while I explained to them exactly why they didn't get free day. Then I read the quote:
And then they spent the rest of the class copying that quote.
Now, having thought back about today and how thoroughly I lectured my students, I've thought about how this all applies to me, not just in my teaching but in my life. Attitude really is one of the most important things in life, and I think it's something that one should always try to keep in mind.
As an instructor of small children, I know that how I feel has immediate effect on my students. If I am unenthusiastic, so will they be. I've noticed that my students are always more difficult to keep on task if I'm feeling low energy or low on excitement. And it makes it hard. But I also know that if I just take a few minutes before class to breathe, and to do whatever I need to do to change my attitude, the whole day just brightens. Both my students and I will have much more fun. Sometimes, I just need to do something utterly silly like wave my hands wildly in the air and jump up and down or have a quick stretch. It wakes me up! (Sorry, theater person here; we do crazy warm ups like that.) Or maybe I'll read a bit of an interesting article or funny anecdote. Sometimes I start the class speaking with a silly accent; giggling kindergartners can really lift my mood. But if I ignore my less than wonderful attitude, I end the day feeling disillusioned, exhausted and put out.
It's something to think about. If I police my current attitude and try to keep to a positive outlook, will things go more smoothly, even when they don't? I'm not sure, but I think that it will at least make me feel better, more productive, and more fulfilled.
#1 - Have a good attitude.
#2 - TRY.
#3 - Have fun! (Okay so this last one is silly, but I like it and think it's still important.)
No. 2 has been an unofficial rule for most of the year, something that I have continuously pounded into my students' heads. But the first really only occurred to me after today. Attitude is important! Of course I knew this; so do most people, if only in an abstract, back of the mind sort of way. It may go by a different name or phrase -- we routinely admonish the kids to "make good choices".
This week my kids have had a free-draw day, earned each 9 weeks through good behavior. But today's 1st graders have had somewhat appalling behavior since Christmas, and as a consequence, they lost their free day. Now, as it so happens, I had nothing planned for this eventuality. So I got out a quote on attitude, one that my college mentor teacher gave to recalcitrant students to copy. I had the children sit quietly with their heads down while I explained to them exactly why they didn't get free day. Then I read the quote:
I feel that this quote is something of a truism, and I was really getting into it. After reading it aloud, I further expounded upon how important having a good attitude was. I'll admit I was on a bit of a tear (they've been incredibly frustrating for months now--talking, sniping, arguing, tattling, the list goes on). I wasn't shouting, but I was loud and rather vehement, gesturing and pacing through the room. And I'm not sure why (or even if I wasn't imagining things), but it seemed to me that for once the kids were actually taking in what I was saying instead of letting it go in one ear and out the other. Time will tell, I guess.The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes. -- Charles R. Swindoll
And then they spent the rest of the class copying that quote.
Now, having thought back about today and how thoroughly I lectured my students, I've thought about how this all applies to me, not just in my teaching but in my life. Attitude really is one of the most important things in life, and I think it's something that one should always try to keep in mind.
As an instructor of small children, I know that how I feel has immediate effect on my students. If I am unenthusiastic, so will they be. I've noticed that my students are always more difficult to keep on task if I'm feeling low energy or low on excitement. And it makes it hard. But I also know that if I just take a few minutes before class to breathe, and to do whatever I need to do to change my attitude, the whole day just brightens. Both my students and I will have much more fun. Sometimes, I just need to do something utterly silly like wave my hands wildly in the air and jump up and down or have a quick stretch. It wakes me up! (Sorry, theater person here; we do crazy warm ups like that.) Or maybe I'll read a bit of an interesting article or funny anecdote. Sometimes I start the class speaking with a silly accent; giggling kindergartners can really lift my mood. But if I ignore my less than wonderful attitude, I end the day feeling disillusioned, exhausted and put out.
It's something to think about. If I police my current attitude and try to keep to a positive outlook, will things go more smoothly, even when they don't? I'm not sure, but I think that it will at least make me feel better, more productive, and more fulfilled.
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