On Thinking Positive

As teachers, it’s all too easy for us to focus on the negative. Or perhaps that’s just me — after every lesson, every day, I tend to look at what I didn’t do, what I could do better, what the children still need to master.

Or I go to colleagues to get advice on one thing, and end up feeling overwhelmed about something they’re doing that I’m not (yet).

Or I start adding to the never-ending to-do list and become paralyzed with all the things I have left to accomplish.

It’s inevitable, of course, as good teachers always want to be better, and there’s never going to be a point where you think, “This is it! I’ve arrived!” But it’s not the healthiest way to live.

Our fearless leader from Samara, Danielle, told us one year, “You will always have things left to do. That’s the only thing you know for sure in this career.”

And I remember Carmen Fariña telling my teaching fellows cohort that first summer to always reflect on one thing you did well that day (along with one thing that didn’t go so well, and one thing you’ll change for tomorrow). But to start with the good.

So I’m leaving the to-do list up and doing what I can. And I’m forcing myself to choose positive. To see the glimmers amidst the chaos.

What’s going well?

• The kids are LOVING Thinking Maps. This morning I’ll introduce the final one, the bridge map, for seeing analogies and relationships. One of the hardest, but I think they can get it!
• They’re a friggin’ FUN, funny, and loving group. They make me laugh! And they gives lots of hugs.
• I’m starting to catch sparks of ideas for projects in what the children say, and I’m remembering to note them down.
• My associate teacher, Kim, is a rainbow in my cloud and helps me to notice the little things that are going well, too.
• The kids are happy. What more could we hope for?

Happy Friday, and here’s to a long weekend to rest and reset!