It would be fair to say most of us are happy to see that March has finally arrived. After all, March is a month that celebrates Dr. Seuss day, St. Patrick’s Day, National Women’s Day, and of course, the long awaited spring finally has been ushered in! But did you know March is Optimism Month?
Optimism is the tendency to look at the more favorable outcome of events. Optimism is associated with many positive benefits in life, including better health, happiness, and longevity. The good news is, an optimistic attitude can be developed any time during one’s life. So why not try to teach children to be optimistic?
Strategies for an Optimistic Classroom:
Focus on positives. Intentionally teach students to focus on positive things in their lives. Set a designated time for students to share a good thing that has happened that day.
Thankful journals.Have students write one thing every day that they are thankful for. Intentional thankfulness creates a thankful attitude.
Go on a happiness scavenger hunt. Kids can find things that bring them joy and share with the rest of the class.
Look for students who are using positive words with others and bring attention to it. Intentionally “catch students doing things right” and make a conscious effort to praise them.
Engage students in problem solving activities. Sometimes children aren’t able to put a problem in perspective. Help them do this.
Model positive language with students and let them know they are cared for by you. Make it a goal every day that you have said something positive to each and every student. There is good in every one! Make sure you are letting them know this!
Do you need a role model for the most optimistic teacher ever? Mrs. Wigglebum in the Fuddlebrook science series is the teacher we all strive to be.
What does Mrs. Wigglebum Do Differently?
Mrs. Wigglebum can take any situation and turn it into a “teachable” moment. Read how she does this in the Fuddlebrook book A Case of Attraction or read how she is able to engage the kids in Mrs. Wigglebum’s Love Potion. She has the art of turning adversity into a positive learning experience. Mrs. Wigglebum has control of her classroom while still allowing her students freedom. She also has a way of making her students feel good about themselves…even when their behavior is sometimes less than desirable. Read how she does this in Fuddlebrook’s, A Bad Case of Spots.
While we might not all be able to be just like Mrs. Wigglebum, we can make an effort to grow and help our students become more optimistic young people. After all, don’t we want our students to have happier and healthier lives?
So we know no matter what our age is, sometimes life gives us lemons……let’s learn to make lemonade!
Happy Optimistic March!