Teachers often call the kids they teach "my kids". It reflects the special bond we develop with them through thousands and thousands of conversations and lessons. I don't blog about 'my kids' or my classroom, or anything too specific about my paid employment as a teacher. It is not something I can or want to showcase here on this blog.
This post does however, include things I have and would say to any class.
I think so often these days we share what we are doing, what we are buying, making or creating. Little is shared of the most powerful instrument we have in our repertoire of strategies. Our voice and how we choose to use it.
As a teacher, we need to think about when, how and what we say. We need to encourage our students to do this too. We need to teach them that it matters.
Your voice, your message and your attitude are freely available. Completely. You won't need to stay up to midnight tonight searching for it, planning it or documenting it.
What are some of the things you have told your kids this week - this month - this year? Here are five of mine.
I tell my students all the time, that as learners, when we make a mistake, we make stronger connections and paths in our brains and we get clever-er. Well, I make it sound better than that, but you get the picture. I might even draw a little picture of a brain, and some brain cells and show how making a mistake makes us go back and think things through, revise, refine and strengthen.
The closest and most appropriate way I can convey to my students how much I love my job and how much my heart almost explodes with big mushy mushy pride every day is to tell them that I treasure them. And care for them. And that they matter.
We all need to hear this from time to time. It's like a verbal gold star and when said at the perfect time, makes a big impact on a child.
All the genuine feel-good stuff is great but I like to balance it out by encouraging my students to wholeheartedly work hard, think of their brain as an elastic band, and to gobble up knowledge and new things while they can. I tell them that the first ten years of their life is a 'golden time' of learning and that they will never get this chance again. Together we make a decision that we are not afraid of hard work and we aim to be our very best!
When things go wrong, or poor choices are made - we 'shake it off' as best we can and clean the slate ready for a new day. I tell them that if peers are holding grudges and waiting on their every word or action to pounce and be critical, then they need to find more positive people to be surrounded by.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I would love for you to leave a comment and share something that you have told your class this week.