How do you make yourself focus on the positive things that your students accomplish rather than dwelling on the negative? I have decided to try to focus a lot more on the positive, because the worrying about behavior/academic issues is starting to make me feel burnt out. I really need to remember the positive things that happen in my classroom, and there is so much to celebrate/be proud of. However, I seem to brush the positive aside and focus on what went wrong/what I should be doing to help a student.
When I realize I'm focusing on the negative, I immediately find something positve to focus on and will announce it. If Bobby is off task and is pulling Cindy off task too, I will say, "Wow, Thank you Susan for working so hard. I really appreciate how quiet you are." That ususally snaps Cindy into behaving so that she too, can be recognized. Then when Cindy does get back on task I will recognize her too. Then Susan feels good, Cindy feels good and I do too. Just remember, in a class of 24, not all 24 are off task and making bad choices--someone is doing what they're supposed to! If that's true, then just focusing on the positive won't be enough!!
At the start of every grade level meeting, teachers select two students to discuss their strengths. We document what is said and then move onto other business. It has translated to anything we discuss, start with the strengths and go from there.
This is a wonderful idea! So often we spend our time focusing on what our students can't do instead of thinking about what they can.
I keep a file of positive notes, pictures, drawings, letters, etc that students give me throughout the year. It always makes me feel better when I'm down or when I start focusing on the negative.
