“Say “yes.”

When children hear “no” all the time, they become accustomed to it, and sometimes stop hearing it and just continue doing the wrong thing. Instead you can say “yes” and offer some choices. For example, when a student makes a request to do something inappropriate you can say:

“Yes, I can hear that you want to do that. It would be inappropriate right now. What else can you do instead?”

You are still saying “no” but in a much more positive way. Students can hear you better and listen more.

Have a great day and a wonderful week-end and do something great for yourself. You deserve it. You are a difference maker.

Maryln

“Change the channel.”

Children need to learn how to quickly calm themselves. Have a remote control in your classroom. It is not hooked up to a television. It is instead a prop that children use to change their moods. The child who is angry or sad or out of sorts, gets the remote, pushes the pause button while taking some calming breaths to feel better and then changes the channel on the remote to signify a brand new mood.

Have a great day.

Maryln

“Stress can be like a rocking chair.”

When you sit in a rocking chair, you rock back and forth going nowhere. When you get stressed and do nothing about it, it’s the same as sitting in that rocking chair just going back and forth in your own mind thinking about all the things you have to do. Instead of it making you feel better, it can make you feel worse.

Here’s a solution for you. Make a list of all the things you have to do. Then prioritize the list, and one by one, do them. As you do them, scratch them off your list. At the end of each day, take time to relax and unwind.

Do something nice for yourself. You deserve it. You have an awesome job and a huge responsibility. You are in one of the most important professions in the world—teaching children! Pat yourself on the back, and instead of thinking of all that is left on your list, think about all you already did.

You are a difference maker.

Have a great day.

Maryln

“Establish connections.”

The first weeks of school children are learning about you and about others in the classroom. Play games that facilitate connections. One game is to place the children in groups and within the groups they come up with all the things they have in common. This helps them to get to know each other and focus on their likenesses rather than their differences.

Another fun activity is the line game. Make a line down the center of the room. Ask a series of questions. Children respond to the questions by going to one side or the other side of the line. For example, if children have pets they go to one side of the line. If they do not, they go to another side of the line. Have questions that are meaningful, but also have some fun questions like, “If you had a hard time waking up this morning, go to this side of the line.” The more the children get to know each other, the more connections are facilitated!

Have a great day and a great school year. You are a difference maker.

Maryln