Thursday, January 15, 2015

It’s a New Day

Yesterday might have been a bad day. A student was disrespectful to me. Another student misbehaved. One student almost got in a fight. Some students didn’t do their homework. Some students didn’t understand the concept that I was teaching. A colleague and I had a disagreement. The principal was not happy and when he isn’t happy, no one is happy.  It was an example right out of the book from “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!”

But today is a new day.

The disrespectful student may have been having his own bad day. Maybe he had an argument at home. Maybe he didn’t get enough sleep or food to eat. Whatever his reason, today is a new day. I will give him a clean slate and we will start fresh. I won’t hold a grudge. He gets to start again today.

The student who misbehaved may have felt justified in doing what he did. Maybe he was bored or maybe he couldn’t focus. Whatever his reason, today is a new day. I will not hold yesterday’s behavior against him. He will have a chance to start anew.

One student who was so angry she almost got in a fight. I will not stay angry with her. It’s a new day. I will help her set her own anger aside and start today in a more calm attitude. It is hard to learn when you are angry and angry thoughts cloud your mind. There isn’t enough room to let in new learning.

For the students who didn’t do their homework, today is a new day. They will have a chance to show improved responsibility. I won’t hold it against them but I will hold them accountable. Failure is not an option with homework so if it wasn’t done at home, it will be done first before anything else is started. They will learn that they will have to do it one way or another and that it is much easier to just do it at home as required.

For the students who didn’t understand the concept I was teaching. It is a new day. I need to figure out a different way to explain it. I need to help them learn in the way that is best for them and not for me. It might include having a peer explain it in a way they understand. Whatever it takes, it is up to me to help them figure it out and put our frustrations aside.

The colleague who disagreed with me may have been right. I will consider the argument and possibly look at my own opinion differently. But today is a new day. We work together and will put this disagreement aside and move forward.

If the principal isn’t happy, I need to figure out what I need to do to change this. It is a new day. I need to do what is expected and if I don’t understand or know, it is up to me to find out. I don’t need to hold my own anger or frustration up for the world to see. This is blocking me from doing what I need to do. I need to start the day with a clean slate and move forward.

Do you give others a clean slate on a new day? If so, please share.

Image: 'School House
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15704220@N00/3415741500
Found on 
flickrcc.net





No comments: