6 Simple Things We Can Do to Make This A Better Year

8 days.  8 days and I get to do what I love the most outside of being with my own kids.  8 days and I get to finally meet those kids that will become “my” kids as the year progresses.  8 days and school starts again, and yes summer has been incredible, but the school year beckons and I cannot wait.

We get to teach the future of the world.

We get to protect the dreams of our students.

We are awash in positive thought as we start and there are a few things we can do stay that way.

Choose positive.  I start every morning by plastering the biggest smile on my face.  Every child (or adult) that I see deserves a smile and a greeting.  Yes, it is exhausting at times, and yes, sometimes it is a fake smile, but you know what?  Fake smiles still  spread, and they are free, so if you want to be surrounded by positivity; smile.

Seek out new people.  This is my second year in my building so I know a few people, but I also know there are new people joining us, so why not seek them out?  We have all been the newbie wondering where we fit in and who we would get to know.  Rather than wait for them to come to you, go to them and invite them to sit with you at lunch or meetings.  Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

Try one new thing.  Notice I didn’t say every day.  Try one new thing, perhaps for a day, perhaps for a week, perhaps for a month, but push yourself intentionally.  Find something new to try that makes you ever so slightly uncomfortable so that you do not become stagnant in your own professional development.  Do something that makes you a little bit nervous so you can remember how it felt when you first started and everything felt like a risk.

Plan for fun. Plan for movement.  Plan for speaking.  Plan for listening.  Plan for writing.  All classes should have all of these every day, well almost all classes anyway.  We cannot expect students to be enthusiastic about what we teach if we do not offer them chances to move, to speak, to listen, to write, and to have fun.  And yes, having fun in school is not just something reserved for special days.

Stay realistic, not pessimistic.  Yes, there will be days where everything goes wrong.  There will be days where new ideas are introduced that seem to make no sense.  There will be days where it feels as if the whole world is against you, we all have those days.  Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and focus on what went well.  Allow yourself to dissect a situation and then move on.  We are so quick to let outside factors determine how we feel, why give something like that any power.  If you can’t control it, then focus on the things you can.

Do small acts of kindness.  There are so many small things we can do that makes someone else’s lives easier and happier.  I start the year by buying flowers for our secretaries and bringing donuts to our custodian.  Thea’s teacher and busdriver get a small gift.  I fill the copy paper (and clear the paper jams), hold doors, bring up mail to my teammates, and anything else that seems like it is no big deal to me, but it may be to others.  I offer to cover classes when I can and I support when I have something valuable to give.  That doesn’t mean I have less time to do my own things, it simply means that I care about other people.  It is not hard to do either, but the payoff is amazing.

These ideas may not seem like much, but the intentionality with which we can go through our day is what makes a difference.  Every day we make a choice of whether we want to make others have a great day or not.  I know what I choose every single day, what do you choose?

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge.