Five Days of Positivity

After the 5th week of school, I'm convinced that this whole positive outlook is really working.  Case in point, I left school today feeling more positive and happier than I have the four previous weeks (and those weren't too bad either!)  Now, I'll admit, I am usually feeling quite happy on most Fridays (no explanation needed here), but I truly believe that the degree of positivity/happiness I am experiencing is higher and apparently climbing by the week.  
I'm riding the wave.

So, let's recap the week and all the positive things that transpired.

As you know if you have read previous blogs, on Monday a fellow teacher gave me a gift to welcome in the new month!  A complete surprise that made me smile.  Kicked my week off to a positive start.

At our staff meeting on Tuesday, I received Rufus (picture a small stuffed dog) which is given to someone who has taken a risk or tried something new.  How exciting! It's so exhilarating to have your peers and collegues recognize your efforts. The only other time I received recognition was when I baked cupcakes for the custodian. This seemed a bit more worthy!  I left the meeting feeling elated and positive.  

Wednesday brought the first official test of 3rd grade.  The Unit 1 Math test (cue dramatic  music...) Although I reminded the students to work carefully and read the directions, as I always do, I added in a little positivity and told them that they were all terrific math students and they were going to do well on this test.  Try your very best!     And guess what?  When I checked the tests that evening, I was anticipating some not so great results.  The students had seemed to struggle with a lot of the material and during most math lessons looked like they weren't hearing a thing.  They surprised me.  Even the student I was most worried about ended up doing pretty well.   Way to go 3rd graders!

Thursday was probably the toughest day of the week.  It was McDonalds day for lunch and my kids were in music until noon.  That means that the normally long line was long X 10 and that's enough to make any teacher grumpy.  Standing in line watching children try to stand in line doesn't do much for your mood.  The noise level is comparable to a 747 taking off outside your house.  But some teachers in line were telling me they liked my blog and it made them laugh and feel better. I reminded them we could all help one another stay positive.  As soon as lunch was over.   We passed the time by catching up, sharing classroom stories, and controlling the crowd.  

Enter Friday and the annual Fun Run!   I started off the morning meeting some fellow teachers for breakfast.  This is something we do throughout the year and it always adds a positive start to the day.  It's great to laugh, eat, and catch up with teacher friends without having to simultaneously keep an eye on your students.  An email from our principal reminded us of the positive in any weather report.  A 30% chance of rain meant that there was a 70% chance of NO rain!  And the rain did hold off.  So, 400+ students and many parents, grandparents, and teachers walked or ran the two mile route this morning. What a great way to start the day.  

In previous years, I can remember most times arriving home on Friday evenings, exhausted, tired, and too often, complaining about the week's events.  Today I came home happy, optimistic, and only a little tired (hey -- it was the Fun Run today). 

Thanks to a teacher friend who posted this TED video about positive thinking on my wall.  If you have 12 minutes, it's well worth the time.  I truly believe it's working for me. 

Happiness Advantage TED

 As I ride the wave, I hope some of you are feeling it too.