Month: July 2017

I haven’t written this week.  I was waiting to be inspired.  I kept thinking something would come along, some thought or connection, and I would immediately come up with the right words.  Nothing came along.  So I remained uninspired.  Until that inspired me.

Every day, we ask students to be creative, collaborative, and communicative, whether they feel like it or not.  What if they aren’t inspired?  What if they’re tired?  What if they have nothing to say?  What if the assignment is boring and it leaves them unmotivated to complete it?

We expect them to do it anyway.  We expect them to perform, regardless of motivation or inspiration, whether they feel like it or not.

There are days when I don’t feel like I have it all together.  There are days when my ducks are not even in the same pond, let alone a row, and I’m expected to still be interesting and engaging.  There are days when there are things going on outside of school and my mind is on those things instead.  What then?  What do you do when you’re uninspired?

You do it anyway.  You model perseverance.  Resilience.  Faith and hope. You admit that today is difficult.  You don’t fight the feelings you have–those can’t be helped.  Instead, you spend your energy moving forward and overcoming, rather than fighting the feelings.  Acknowledge the feelings; give yourself some grace.  And move on.

When you’re uninspired, it doesn’t have to stop you.  Use it as your springboard.  You just might find some inspiration where you least expect it.

 

I’m sitting outside, watching my child play, and reveling in the simple joy a water table can bring in 90+ degree heat. As I have been watching and interacting with him, something has been reverberating within my spirit and I decided to share.

Children believe what they are told. My son is three and believes what I tell him, and although I know that this belief can dissipate as children age, for the most part it’s true.

Children who are told that they will succeed, or that they are important, will believe it. And the same is, unfortunately, true for the opposite approach: children who are told that they will not amount to anything will believe it.

What kind of voice are you giving to the children in your life? If you speak negatively of a child in front of him, he will internalize what you say. When you think they can’t hear, or don’t understand, they can at least recognize the tone.

I’ve heard teachers gossip about students–about children–as they stand in the hallway or as they eat lunch. What are they teaching the children who overhear? What are the children believing because of those words?

There is life and death in the tongue.  I’ve seen the power of words. Think about how often the mere 140 characters on Twitter has encouraged you, inspired you, or incensed you. How can we, as teachers, underestimate words, having experienced their power? How can we deny that we have the power to speak life and death to a child, to make a difference, whether positive or negative?

We shouldn’t deny it. We should reflect upon this power. Take it seriously and use it in a positive way. Whether we realize it or not, we are influencing children with our words.

We say a lot of words in the course of a school day and school year. What words do we want them to remember?