Monday Mush -- What are you proud of?

“What are you proud of?”

That seems like a pretty simple question.  But how often do you slow down enough to answer it.  Oftentimes I see  more problems than I do solutions, or I see the glass as half-empty.  But, I don’t take time to look big picture….to see where I have come from….to see things to be proud of.

Don’t get me wrong…I am proud of you guys and the work you do…I am proud to be a part of this team…I am proud of these kids.

But what I mean is I don’t focus on the specifics of what I do that makes me proud.  Maybe we think that is too vain…maybe we just don’t have time…maybe we are busy fixing other stuff.

I think it is a vital exercise to stop and look at what makes you proud.  Look at it professionally and then personally.  It is worth inspection in both arenas.    If you know what you are proud of…you see the good in what you are doing…you see that you are making a difference…you are finding something of value that you can emulate in other avenues.  If you are proud of the way that you build rapport with students, how can you use that to be an even better teacher?  If you are proud of your organization, how can you use that to be an even better teacher?

Are there areas that you aren’t proud of?  What can be done to address those?  Often we try not to focus on these areas because it isn’t fun to think about.  However, making changes in these areas is important to.  If you aren’t proud of the way stress affects your tone, you can find ways to be more aware of that.  If you aren’t proud of your classroom management, then you can find a couple strategies to try this week. 

Focusing on your work is important.  We don’t have the luxury of just going through the motions.  We get bogged down in the details, so we need to be reminded to step back.  If you are looking at a painting, you can admire it from a distance…you can take it all in.  But, if you put it so close that your nose is touching it, you miss out on so much.  Don’t be afraid to step back and look at how far you have come with the kids.  You have made a big difference.

Thanks for all you do – Happy Monday!