This is my daughter's list to follow upon getting ready for school every morning. It is all in her handwriting, though the last line could as easily have been an add-on by yours truly. Proof that she has been listening and learning all these years? You bet! "Drop the 'tude" is a line that we live by in the Maccaroni house. By "dropping the 'tude", we open ourselves up to positive experiences as well as to all the wonderful that comes our way regardless of where we are.
Last week I had the honor of leading two incredible groups of educators through a professional development session that I entitled, "Meeting the Educational Needs of Children Living in Challenging Home Structures". During our time together, we defined the plethora of challenging/stressful home structures our students encounter, compared these student experiences with our own and then listed the special needs we must consider when engaging and teaching children who spend time in challenging home environments. We focused on children of divorce, single-parents, homelessness, poverty and dysfunction. It was an enlightening, if not disheartening session that culminated in a few ideas for heading into the classroom this week with a positive outlook and new demeanor. And it is there that I wish to focus this post. For as simplistic as it may seem, I believe everything we decide to do with and for our students must start by us "dropping the 'tude" of negativity and adopting an attitude of kindness and optimism.
ATTITUDE
This simple word as an answer to the many challenges faced by our children? Absolutely! In fact, a positive attitude from a teacher might be the only positive some students get to enjoy each day. To drive my point home with participants, I highlighted conversations I had with my children and students regarding attendance at Professional Development. After my own children told me that some teachers were stating how they were dreading that we had to attend PD on Wednesday, I decided to ask around a bit. Without fail, the children I asked stated in one way or another that some teachers described PD as "a waste of time". Teachers were painting a very negative view of the upcoming PD day, and therefore without even realizing it, they were creating a negative view of teaching and learning. Putting my own bias aside and trying not to feel offended (I generally teach PD), I tried to unpack these comments. I stated the importance of framing learning in a positive light...At all times...In all ways. At every turn we should be touting our craft, honing our skills and bragging about how awesome it is to be in the classroom, whether teaching or learning. Don't we want our children to want to learn??? Imagine a car salesman speaking ill of the car he sells...My belief is if you don't believe in what you are doing, then it is time to move on, sell a different car, OR get busy making things better! In other words, "Drop the 'tude".
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| Adopting a positive 'tude at PD |
And so, there it is...every positive day begins with the right attitude! I never attend a PD session without walking away with something new. Never. Not because every PD is enthralling and filled with useful ideas to start right away, but because if I am not presented with new information, then I am instead analyzing how presentations are prepared, I am networking with colleagues or I am digging deeper to find the seed that is hidden so that I might grow in some way. I simply refuse to not learn! That is an attitude! And that is how I teach my children and my students to approach each day. And if teaching only happens when learning occurs, then in my classroom, one might say that I simply refuse to not teach! In every day, in every lesson, in every situation, there is something for students or teachers to learn. It is all about attitude! And in order to maintain a positive attitude, perhaps daily we need to remind ourselves as my daughter does to "Drop the 'tude" of negativity. Before you leave tomorrow, follow my 16 year old's advice and "Drop the 'tude". Arrive at school ready to greet your students with the attitude of "I have something great to sell! Come on in and let's unpack it together! Learning is awesome and I'm ready if you are!"
