Building A Positive Mindset in the Classroom
Today I’m sharing a simple way to build & practice keeping a positive mindset. It just takes 5 minutes at the end of each day to be a happier teacher!
The start of the year excitement is starting to fade, routines are setting in, and student behavior is starting to be less than perfect.
It’s tough to stay positive when you’re exhausted.
But in order to keep that positive mindset, YOU HAVE TO CONSCIOUSLY PRACTICE A POSITIVE MINDSET.
The goal of this post is NOT to add a bunch of stuff to your To Do List.
If you’re reading this and feeling a little discouraged, this is for you!
This is the ONE and ONLY, biggest bang-for-your-buck, 5 minute practice that will help grow your positive mindset and help you feel happier in your classroom every day!
How to Build Positive Mindset with Positive Postcards
Do you ever have those days where get to the end of the school day and just break down in tears because it feels like everything went wrong?
Just me???
It is SO easy to look back on the day and see all the moments that I struggled to be patient, that students struggled to behave, that the learning just didn’t click.
Discouragement sets in. But you don’t have to let it!
A few years ago I decided to quit venting with my coworkers about my all the frustrations of the day, and instead use that time to focus on positive moments.
And it totally changed how I felt about my job.
I became happier, my students became happier, and I ran out of things to vent about (well…. most days!).
How did I do it?
By writing “Positive Postcards.”
What Are Positive Postcards?
Pretty much exactly what they sound like. A postcard where teachers write some positive affirmations about a student, and then mail it home to the parents!
My school had a huge box of blank “positive postcards” already stamped and ready to go. I just had to take the time to write a few sentences about a student, address it to their home, and throw it in the mail bin.
So I grabbed a stack and took them to my room, vowing to write one each day before I headed home.
The incredible thing was, once I started writing one postcard, I wanted to keep going!!
What started out as a goal to write one per day, turned into 3 per day, which turned into 5 per day….
And all of the sudden I was spending an hour after school writing positive notes because I was so overcome with gratitude for all the amazing things that I noticed my students doing day to day!
But you don’t have to spend a lot of time in order to make a big impact.
Set yourself a reasonable goal.
Start small.
Be consistent.
Follow through.
As you do, I know you will find yourself growing like I did.
And your classroom will become a happier place for both you and your students.
Why I love It
Why do I love positive postcards so much?? These are a few of the benefits that I’ve found as my positive mindset has grown.
Benefits For Teachers
- Writing these postcards trains your mind to find positive experiences that happened throughout the day, no matter how crappy and frustrating your day has been.
As you do this daily, your capacity to focus on positives and let go of negatives increases drastically. A positive mindset is like a muscle that need to be exercised each day in order to grow!
- Improves student behavior – even the toughest kids behave better when they know that you might communicate good things to their parents.
- As you focus on one student at a time, it creates a more meaningful connection with them. You begin to notice and appreciate who they each are as individuals, their strengths, and their struggles.
- I honestly believe that it opens the windows of heaven. God will let you know what students need to feel loved today.
To that end, I love using postcards in conjunction with my Daily Exit Ticket Survey. It helps me recognize the student(s) who need a postcard the most!
During the pandemic, I was concerned about students social emotional learning, so I started asking students to respond to a few simple questions in a Google Form each day.
After school, I review the spreadsheet with their responses and it helps me recognize who might need an extra boost!
I have a post on how I use those exit tickets coming soon! But in the meantime, you can download that Google Form or a similar paper version of the survey below!
Benefits for Students
Parents give positive reinforcement at home for positive behavior at school. SO POWERFUL!!
Students feel seen by their teacher. By the end of the year, every student has received at least one postcard in the mail. Every child is personally recognized and appreciated!
Builds a positive relationship with students – #1 of my Top 4 Secrets of Successful Junior High Teachers!
Students develop their own positive mindset as they get feedback about their strengths! The feedback is quick but personalized.
Benefits for Parents
Connection!!! To the teacher, the school, and especially to their children. Is there anything more impactful??
Positive Postcards Template
Click on the postcard below to download the pdf!
They are set up to print 4 on each page, so all you need to do is make sure to select the “print front and back” option for your printer.
Many of my students come from Spanish-speaking homes, so I have created both English & Spanish versions.
I don’t speak Spanish, but I’ve found that Google Translate is generally sufficient for this purpose.
See the next section for examples of what I write in both Spanish and English!
Example Postcards - What Should I Write??
Keep it short, simple, but personalized to the student. See examples for my imaginary students below!
I write fast so there are a couple of mistakes, but that’s kind of the point right?? You can whip these out in just a couple of minutes once you get in the habit.
Be Consistent, Be Happy
I promise that writing these positive postcards will change you into a happier teacher.
It might be hard at first, especially when you have those days where students seem to push all your buttons on purpose.
But as you consistently practice your positive mindset, you will learn to recognize all the positive experiences that are happening in your classroom.
And trust me, they far outweigh the negatives.
Train your mind to focus on the positives and you will find more joy every day of your life, both inside and outside of the classroom!
For more ideas on how to make your classroom a more positive place, see my post “5 Simple Ways to Prioritize Your Teacher Mental Health.”
How Do you Build Your Positive Mindset?
So there you have it! Take just 5 minutes every day to write a postcard or two or three or ten!!
It will make ALL the difference in your life.
