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My Positive Day-Part 1

     I discussed the idea of being more positive second quarter, both for myself and my students. I think so far we have done really great. I've been talking to a lot of students about goals for second quarter and they are so impressive. I've also been asking students to think of one positive thing happening in their lives each day. So many students automatically want to answer "nothing." I refuse to believe my students are going every day without anything positive happening in their lives. If that is the case, I need to ensure my students begin looking for positive things to brighten their days up.

     So, my positive moment for today is the fact that NO students received Falcon Fouls! Students can receive Falcon Fouls for negative behavior, being unprepared for class, out of uniform, dead iPads, etc. Today, being the first day back after Thanksgiving break, I was sure someone would forget their ID or have a dead iPad. Nope! Everyone proved me wrong and I could not be happier! Every single one of my kiddos remembered their ID, charged their iPad, and came to school ready to get to work. It was the greatest first day back ever and I hope to see it again tomorrow and the rest of the week.

    Another positive moment from today is witnessing a student drop his accordion in the hallway, papers flying everywhere, and immediately seeing several other students stop everything to help pick it up. The amount of support students give each other every day is one of my main reasons for coming to work every day. They are constantly lending a helping hand and encouraging each other to be better and do better. I could not be more proud to be a teacher to these wonderful, amazing students.

     My third and final positive moment from today is having a student suggest a video for Wednesday's Quick Write. Every day, we do quick writes in class for 5 minutes. Every Wednesday, we watch a short video and then use our quick write to discuss the video. Twice now, I have had students put in requests for certain videos, and twice now I have been amazed at the videos chosen. I love when my students show enthusiasm and get involved in lesson planning. I want students to be in charge of their own learning and know that they have a say in the classroom. The first video chosen several weeks ago was In a Heartbeat. The second video chosen for this week was Farewell. Both videos chosen follow criteria used for previous videos, which shows me students are aware of appropriate videos and are seeking them out. These videos are both so heartwarming and hold so much meaning in such a short time. Both videos require students to think and analyze what the message is and what can be learned from the video. The fact that my students watched these videos and immediately saw a way to incorporate them into classroom lessons leaves me speechless. I could not be more impressed with them.

    I am going to push for positivity every day and share these moments as often as possible. If anyone out there has positive encounters they've had or seen, I would love to hear about them!

With love,
Ms. Haury
   
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