Do you allow all of the negative Nellies to drag you down and emotionally beat you up? Do you find yourself occasionally (or often) sucked into negative conversations? Gripe. Moan. Groan. Complain. Whine. Zig Ziglar, one of the great motivation speakers calls all of this negativity "stinkin' thinkin". Negative thinking leaves us in a dark place. It eats away at our souls and destroys our happiness.
I choose to be happy.
I choose to be positive.
I choose to move forward with enthusiasm.
I've recently experienced a number of personal difficulties. I'm sure you've heard that old saying that when it rains it poors. Well, it stormed. A lot of things that were out of my control happened to me (and my family) within a short three week period. I'm exhausted from the emotional and financial drain. I've had my moments, but in the end, I realized that the only person who can control how I think and react to situations is me.
And that's why I've decided that I need to surround myself with positive energy and enthusiasm. I remind myself on a daily basis that allowing myself to be sucked into negative thinking and conversations will only drain my emotional energy and negatively effect my health.
I choose to go into my classroom with a positive attitude. I choose to have a great school year. I choose to believe that each of my students will succeed. I choose to accept the things I cannot control and make the best of each and every situation.
Happiness is a choice.
Many years ago I was at a school that thrived on negative energy. I fought my way through each day with enthusiasm. I refused to give in, to fall into a dismal trap, to allow the negative people around me to make me one of them. Every morning I plugged in a Zig Ziglar tape (it really was a tape back then) and repeated motivational quotes to myself. I focused on the positive. I allowed positive thinking to feed my soul.
Are you going through a rough patch? Have you caught yourself griping about the administration, parents, or the kids in your charge? What good has the griping accomplished? None at all. Throw your "stinkin' thinkin'" into the garbage can. Focus on the important things in life. Focus on the needs of your students and find positive ways to approach each and every day. Stop surrounding yourself with negative people. Plug in positive thinking and allow the power of it to transform you inside and out. You will feel better, do better, and be healthier for it.
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. The surprise ending gives the kids a little laugh and a chance for me to see how my new students behave and react during a read aloud.
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. Every year I pull this book out during the first week of school to read aloud. Amber lives on a mountain where there isn't a school. One day a new girl moves to the mountain and sets her mind on teaching Amber to read. This book not only focuses on the struggles of learning to read, but it gives you plenty of great lines to repeat when kids get frustrated. My favorite line, "Learning to read is like walking up a wall. You have to set your mind on it." But that's not all! Amber's friend moves away, but Amber sets her mind on teaching herself to write. This book is a lesson in determination and perseverance.
. I fell in love with this beautiful picture book and never miss the chance to read it aloud at some point in the year. This is a story about a girl who searches for her daddy after he doesn't come home one night. It was a common occurrence during the Great Depression for fathers to leave their families after a time of not being able to find work. This historical fiction piece is a rarity set in the Great Depression. Don't miss out on this story of courage and perseverance.
. Did you know that 
. This classic circle story is one of my favorites to help kids learn 
. This quiet story takes you to a another place and time through the use of vivid language and strong memories. I love to use this book to introduce writing details about place (setting). It is packed with fabulous examples to use as mentor text.
. Virtually every child can connect to this simple story of when the relatives arrive. This is a great book to read for text connections, and to expand into a writing prompt. Kids generally have stories of relatives visiting or visiting relatives. This is the kind of book you can 
. This little Caldecott Honor book is packed with surprises. A little girl visits her uncle in the city during the Great Depression (another rare picture book set in this era), and manages to find purpose in creating a rooftop garden. It's a story of courage and kindness and family. There are lots of teaching opportunities with this book from reading to writing to science.
brings our differences and sameness to light in this historically relevant story of two little girls who form a friendship with each other -even though they each live on the "other side of the fence". This is just one of those great read aloud stories you can fit in at any time of the year.
is another favorite picture book. Unfortunately, I've reached 10! I could go on and on, but I suppose there is only so much time in the day and space on the blog. This is a timeless environmental book about a family who attempts to save a tree from dying. It's a story with the type of plot structure, characters, and setting that gives you many teaching opportunities.
ook for the blue Cyber Search buddy button on each blog or website to help you find the Cyber Search Showcase page. Then take a look around and check out the great teaching resources you'll find there. These bloggers have wonderful teaching strategies, tips, and free items in addition to the items they sell on TeachersPayTeachers.
