Five Ways to Stay Positive During the School Year

What's going on everybody, I hope this finds you striving and thriving and doing absolutely amazing. My name is Brian Martin. I'm a second grade teacher and hosted the teaching champions podcast. Now this week was my last week off before school starts up. Because next week, we have two in service days. And then the following week, we are up and running in full gear. And the week started off very special, I had the opportunity to give my first keynote tonight amazing district, and it was a lot of fun, everyone was fantastic. And it was all about creating a stronger school family. And that's important. Because we need each other, we need to be there to support each other during the tough moments of the school year. And we need to be there to support and encourage and celebrate each other during those great moments as well. Now, this time of year, there's a lot of positive vibes float is everyone's amped up for the new school year. But a few weeks from now, when we've settled into that daily grind, and we really start buckling down on curriculum, that spark begins to fade. And I've always found that the school year gets going. And there's an ebb and flow to it. There are moments when everything is flowing really well, things seem to be running like a well oiled machine. And then there are other moments there, that are just a struggle. And this ebb and flow can vary from day to day, especially when you're doing the work that we do, where you're constantly pouring into others. And when you're doing this with people, young and old, there's always going to be a lot of variables that we can't control. And these variables often can affect us. So this episode is all about a few things that we can do to make our days a little bit better. And I was listening to a gentleman by the name of Sean Aker on a podcast the other day. And he's the author of The Happiness Advantage, as well as several other New York Times bestsellers. And he said, we always ask that age old question of whether you look at the glass as being half empty, or half full. And he said, that's the wrong question, though. He said, We need to recognize that it doesn't matter whether your glass is half empty, or half full. It's about recognizing that there's a pitcher right next to the glass. And at any moment, you can pick up that picture. And you can pour into the class. And it's about recognizing what are the things that you can do to fill yourself up. And it's not saying that you're automatically going to have a great day, it's recognizing that there are things that we can do on a daily basis, they can take those bad days, and make them a little less bad. That there are things that we can do to take those soso days, make them good. Take those good days, and make them great. And take those great days and make them even a little better. Make them last a little bit longer. So I'm going to share with you a few things that you can do to make your days a little better. But the big thing is to think for yourself. What are the things that you do right now that make your days better? What are some of the habits? What are some of the routines that you can put into place to make them a part of your daily ritual, so that you're gonna have them at your disposal when you need them. Now, here are five things that you can do today to make your day a little better. And the first is to grab your joy. It's being conscious that all around us there are small moments of joy happening. Those moments when you greet your student at the classroom door. The Times in class when something happens and everyone laughs It's those times you work with a champion one on one. And you see that hard work that they're putting in that growth that's taking place. And the joy that they're finding in the process, a moment of joy can be just having a conversation with a colleague, and running into a former student. For me, a moment of joy during the school day, is sometimes just having a cup of coffee on break, or taking a short walk at lunchtime. There's joyful moments around us all the time. And it's important that we take time to see them. Because it's easy to get caught up in the To Do lists, to get caught up in thinking about everything that needs to get done, how much we still have to cover, and just the hustle and bustle of the average work day. Because of that, we don't always see those special moments that are happening right in front of our eyes. And it's not good enough just to see them now. Because if we want to get the benefit and the joy, then we have to take a moment and feel these moments as well. Take a second and really appreciate what's going on. I know a few ladies who had lunchtime, when they finish their lunch, they share something that they're grateful for that day. It's taking that moment as you walk out of school at the end of the day. And you consciously reflect on a moment that made you smile. It's taking time at the dinner table to share the special moments from your day with the ones that you love. Because if we take time to pause, if we see the joy that's happening all around us, and then we feel that joy that's happening. How do you think that's going to affect you internally. And the second tip is to make a point to celebrate each and every single day. Because when you celebrate you feel better, you feel more motivated, those around you feel better. And who doesn't want to go to a workplace that makes celebration a part of their culture. author John Gordon says that you can tell the culture of an organization by what they celebrate. And what they tolerate. Taking time to celebrate doesn't mean that we have to have something that's grandiose and over the top, a celebration, it can be a simple High Five of fist bump, a nod. It can be, I'm proud of you. One of my favorite sayings that I pull out for the young ones is always go, let's go. It's just a short little announcement. And when we give those small little acknowledgments, it can go a long way for you. And it can go a long way for those around you. And what you're going to find is, the more that you celebrate, the more things that you're going to be seeing all around you to celebrate. A third way that we can look to have better days is through a little PD day, a little public display of appreciation, little things. Thank you. I appreciate you. That really made a difference when you there are so many small things that we can say that can truly make the difference for someone. I'm 43. And to be honest, if I'm open about it, it feels pretty darn good. When someone goes out of their way to let me know that they appreciated something that I had done. Think about yourself. How do you feel when others go out of their way to recognize you? How do you feel when someone lets you know that they appreciate you for who you are. Even as we grow older, we all just want to know that we're seeing that we're heard that we're valued by those around us in showing that appreciation is just a small way that we can truly do that. And if you fill up the hallways a year school if you fill up your classroom with appreciation before you know someone else will be showing others appreciation as well. And then another colleague another Students will be doing that. And who doesn't want to work in an environment where appreciation is such a big piece of that culture. Fourth way that we can look to have a better day, it's just to have fun, to not take yourself too seriously, to let down your guard to not be so laser focused on what's next on that to do list, then you forget the most important thing. This moment, we work in schools, we show up every single day with young people who are filled with so much potential, who are filled with so much joy. And yes, there's always going to be those hard moments. But there's also so many opportunities for us to share laughter inside our classroom, in schools. So create, embrace, fill your classroom with it. And when people are having fun, and are engaged, they're going to want to be in your space, in our days, a little more enjoyable when we're having fun. And the last tip is to pay attention to the people who make up your tribe. Surround yourself with those people who fill you up with laughter, those people who lift you up, who, after you walk away from them, you feel a little bit better. There will be moments this year, that are going to be tough. That's just the nature of the beast, there are going to be those days, when it's hard to get out of bed. And rolling in the school with a smile on your face isn't easy. So know the people that you can lean on that when you're having one of those days, you can feed off of their shine, there are going to be times when you need that extra boost that extra encouragement. And then when that member for your crew is struggling, you're gonna be there to lift them up to encourage them to support them to be that person. So be there for one another. And these are five things that we can do to make those bad days, a little less bad. Those soso days good, those good days great. And add on to those great days. And always remember, it's not about whether your cup is half empty, or half full. It's about recognizing that there's a pitcher of water, right next year cup. And you can pick up that pitcher anytime and fill your cup back up. So this year, make a conscious effort to grab your joy. Look for those special moments and feel them take time to celebrate the fact that we've been blessed with another sunrise is cause for celebration all on its own. But also think about the work that we get to do. Think about the difference that you get to make. There's things each and every single day that we can celebrate, show appreciation. Those words like thank you, I appreciate you. You're amazing. The little words, but boy, do they have a big impact. Remember to have fun. Our days are better when we're having a good time. So remind yourself to let down that guard a little bit. Be in that moment and have fun. And last, be sure to surround yourself with those people who make your day a little bit better. Those people who make it light shine a little bit brighter. And if you do these little things, they're gonna have such a positive impact on your day. And my challenge for you this week, is the thing about some things that you can do to make yourself feel a little bit better. Be specific in trying to implement them into your daily routine. And pay attention to how they impact your day. Thank you for being here for being part of the teaching champions community, you make a difference. And hit me up on social media. Be Martin real on Twitter, and let me know what are the things that you're doing to make your day a little bit better. And if you think anyone would benefit from this message, please share. We're all about supporting, encouraging and lifting each other up And always remember, whether you're from rural America to urban America, to Canada to Spain to Bahrain. We're all on that same team. We're all on that same mission. And we're always better together. Keep being amazing, my friends, and as you go out into the week, May step into your strength may step into shine, and let's build our champions up. Have a great week, everybody