Be a Better Teacher {10 Questions to a Happier You}

by Laura Gurley on October 19, 2011

Do you Want to Be a Better, Happier Teacher? Do you want to be a more positive person–

Someone a little more glass-half-full and a bit less eeyore-sound-alike?

Here are ten simple questions to honestly ask yourself, which just may hold the key to greater joy, easier smiles, and louder laughs in the classroom and outside of it . . .

10 Questions to a Happier You

1. Have you been thankful today?

2. What have you been thankful for in the last hour? (No, really, can you think of something?)

3. Think of the last time you were in the teacher’s lounge {or chatting with other educators}, did you complain or did you talk about the positive?

4. Have you written down ways you are thankful in the past year, the past 6 months, the past week?

5. Were you thankful for something specific, or a lot of specifics, yesterday?

6. How often do you verbally thank those around you– your students, your colleagues, your principal, your family, etc?

7. Have you stopped and been grateful for your health, your car, your food, your _________ today? Especially those things we typically take for granted, in light of the majority of people who share our globe today?

8. What are the positive things about teaching, this year, for you {and are you thankful for them or do you simply gripe about the negatives}?

9. Would you classify yourself generally as a thankful person?

10.  Like, really, are you? What would your co-workers say?

*Ann Voskamp‘s book is faith-based, but I thought the trailer completely inspirational.

Need more? Check out our Character Education Lesson Idea on Teaching Gratitude in the Classroom, because Happy, spreads.

And in the classroom, that happy generally starts with you.

Generally speaking, the attitude of the followers typically reflects the attitude of the leader. It’s more than economics that trickles-down.

*Laura, a former middle school teacher, educates her kids at home now and blogs at ALifeOverseas.com.

***************

Okay, let’s practice– what are 5 things that you can be grateful for about THIS SHOOL YEAR?

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Tagged as: gratitude, positive, teacher character, thankful, videos

  • http://www.lauraleighparker.com Laura Parker

    I am thankful this school year with my three little students at home for:
    1. after-school activities that get us out of the house!
    2. my husband who comes home for lunch most days
    3. that i don’t have a toddler to entertain anymore– much easier
    4. that my daughter is catching on with reading, easier these days
    5. that i have access to a library with english books!

  • http://www.alicelearningjourney.blogspot.com Alice

    What a perfect timing for me to stumble across this:
    I am grateful for:
    1. That I have a job that I love – even if it is only fixed term
    2. My syndicate leader and other colleagues who are inspirational, supportive and sharing
    3. My principal who supports professional development
    4. My wee girl in my class who gives me a big hug and a ‘thank you’ at the end of EVERY day (and if it’s not been a good day she wishes “that tomorrow will be better”
    5. The progress that all of the children in the class are making and the effort they are putting into their learning.

    • http://www.lauraleighparker.com Laura Parker

      Alice, thanks for “stumbling” over this way! How precious that you have the student of your #4. Aren’t those precious highlights for us teachers who sometimes don’t get appreciated very often?

      Thanks for the ways you are changing the future, Alice, through educating! Have a great weekend!

  • http://itsallplay.blogspot.com/ Karrie

    7th grade thankfuls
    1. that they are willing to learn
    2. they laugh not mean laughs, but kid laughs
    3. they are concerned (comment from student “talk to B, he keeps saying he’s fat and he’s not)
    4. they make mistakes and its ok, they are 12
    5. the best hall mates a teacher could ask for

    • http://www.lauraleighparker.com Laura Parker

      I love this list, Karrie! Thanks for stopping by and sharing– especially chuckled at reason #2. :)

  • http://www.outnumberedmom.com Laura Groves

    Sophomore English “thankfuls”:
    1. That I get to teach what I love.
    2. That I get to teach teenagers.
    3. That some of them are beginning to love Shakespeare.
    4. That some of them are reading a book and loving it.
    5. That I get to teach with colleagues I love.

    I could go on! This is a good thing, Laura. Thanks.

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