Celebrating Perspective

This week has reminded me to question perspective. There were some things in my life causing me stress or sadness. I decided to write about them. Seeing things from a different perspective and questioning my perspective turn into lightbulb moments for me. I'm choosing to believe that everyone has a story and is doing the best they can. I'm reminding myself that I, too, am doing the best that I can.  With my students, we created mission statements to focus our perspective during class. I can't tell you how amazing it is to hear the words that they wrote being read aloud, every single day. Here's one class sharing their mission statement:  

We begin our time together reminding ourselves of our goals and our potential. Yesterday started out as a dreary Friday. In my communications class, the first class of the day, there were yawns and sighs and not much energy. We decided to change our perspective. In the morning news, we heard that it was Random Acts of Kindness day. We brainstormed ways we've shown kindness or been shown kindness and we decided to share kindness in our school. 

The students grabbed sticky notes and wrote compliments and positive thoughts on them. 

We got up and snuck down to the seventh and eighth-grade houses and began to spread kindness. 

It worked! When we returned to the classroom, there was a pep in our step. Students decided to spread kindness to the sixth-graders too! Even the most cynical student announced, "That was fun." Watching the students find the sticky notes brightened the day and changed our perspective. 

Teachers and students were finding sticky notes all day. Some created their own and added to the fun! I am a huge fan of Parks & Rec, so a teacher friend put these sticky notes on my classroom door.

What a day of sharing kindness! Certainly, something to celebrate. 

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for providing this space to share our celebrations. Please join us and share your own!

Kindness Warrior

I'm celebrating kindness today. This week a friend called me a "kindness warrior". I love that and I am claiming that title by recognizing and celebrating moments of kindness. I have so many moments spent with students this week that are filled with kindness! * Students collaborating and creating class mission statements * One class spontaneous bursts out singing when they hear anything close to a song lyric. * Students helping each other out and offering encouraging words * Laughing with students * Sharing new book titles with each other and listening to their work as writers. * One of my favorite moments: I was pointing out that the work we were doing with our class mission statements was revision. And revision is messy and hard, sometimes loud and fun, but always worth it. A student raised her hand and asked, "So, is teaching like revising?!?!" YES! Yes it is!

Other moments of kindness from this week... * A co-worker listening to me through my tears and helping me see my way through * Text from mom checking up on me * Lunch with a friend * Encouraging words * Cuddles from Bella * A night out with friends * Notebook writing It's the little things that need to be celebrated and noticed. It's the laughter we have to harness and the joy we have to see. It's out there. As a kindness warrior, I will search it out. Will you join me as a fellow kindness warrior? We need all of the warriors we can get!

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for providing this space to share our celebrations. Please join us and share your own!

Connections

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers.

Have you ever struggled connecting to a student? During these past two years of teaching, I have specifically focused on making connections with my sixth graders. Learning doesn't happen without connecting...at least consistent and powerful learning.

I have one student in mind from last year and I failed him. Something happened and I was never able to connect and it sticks with me. I regret that so much. This year I promised myself that I'd do better. As the year began, I found myself presented with quite a few students who did not trust teachers and did not like school. Patience.

We are well into the second quarter and I'm seeing changes. I notice students who never spoke to me, coming up and starting conversations about books and blogs and TED talks. I notice students who never looked me (or anyone else) in the eye, looking up and even sometimes smiling. Yesterday, a student who never responds to my greeting of good morning, walked into the classroom, smiled at me, looked me in the eye and said, "Good Morning Ms. Haseltine!" In that moment, my day was a success.

WHY? Connecting with students means that we show them that we SEE them and that we CARE. Some of them have never experienced that in a teacher and they are very distrustful of that promise. They make me earn it. I think making connections is an obvious necessity for teachers and students. When I feel like an administrator cares about me, I perform better. I'm willing to go the extra mile and my attitude improves. When I feel like I am ignored or misunderstood, I become resentful. I work from fear and that never works for long.

HOW? How do I connect with my students? There are lots of ways... I greet them at the door. Say their name as I speak with them. Smile! I'm goofy and we laugh. Ask them how they are. Conference with them...conversations that happen in conferences are priceless. (Students are asking to conference on a daily basis...and students I wouldn't expect.) Sometimes I leave notes on their desks. I always look them in the eye and show them that they are seen! Listen to them. Listen to them. Listen to them. Remind them every single day that they are the reason why I am there. Finally, show them & tell them YOU MATTER.

It's hard work. It's building trust. Do I mess up sometimes? Yup! Do I apologize? Yes! Doing this work is hard. Doing this work in the scary world we live in...hard. I want my students to know that we will work on being readers and writers and we will get better at those things...but what's most important to me is them! Who they are!

Wouldn't it be nice if the world was like this?