I’ve never really been one for New Year’s Resolutions. However, I read an article back in the fall (Mind/Shift: “Changing How Educators See Negative Experiences in the Classroom”), and I’ve been thinking about it non-stop over the past few months. The article is actually excerpted from a chapter of Patricia A. Jennings’ book The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching, and what better time to put ideas into action than the start of a new year/semester? To me, returning from the holiday break is always a time to reset with my classes, try something new, or switch things up from the normal routines we’ve fallen into. 

As teachers, sometimes we are our harshest critics. I personally have had countless days in my career where I feel as if nothing I’ve done went well in the classroom. Oftentimes, my perception of my teaching is way off base from reality. Every now and then, yes, things don’t go according to plan, but it seems to be the exception more than the rule.

The light at the end of the tunnel for me lies at the completion of each of my units. I’m always taken aback when I read my unit surveys; my students are setting achievable goals for themselves, learning, and most importantly, having fun in the process. I constantly feel blown away by their projects, essays, videos, or final exams. They are getting it, they are improving, they are thinking creatively and critically, and they are communicating in French — and it’s because of my class, my curriculum, and my lessons. So why can’t I see the forest for the trees? 

When I first stumbled across this article, I couldn’t help but think it was written for uniquely for me — this is the exact same issue I’m struggling with in my own teaching. But that also means I’m not alone in my imposter syndrome as a teacher: “Evolution selected for a negative attribution bias that makes us tend to dwell on the negative and ignore the positive. During a typical day, 10 great things may have happened and one horrible thing. When we get home and our partner asks us how our day went, typically we focus on the one horrible thing, forgetting about the 10 great things.” 

So how can we change our perceptions about our teaching and day-to-day experiences? 

Jennings offers a simple solution: “Each day, after your class is over, write down all the good things that happened that day. You can even include your students in this process by putting up a paper on the wall and inviting everyone to write good things that happen each day. At the end of the day, look at the list with the class and review them.” 

Since I’m in my ninth year of teaching, enter my teaching resolution (if you will) for 2019. This blog post is the first actionable step I’m taking towards taking time to think about the positive in my daily teaching life. Once we dive back into the routine of the school day, I want to try this exercise personally on a daily basis whether on paper, quietly in my own head, or in daily conversations with anyone from colleagues, to students, to non-teachers in my life. 

My goal is not to drastically change what I do, but to change how I see and evaluate my daily experiences and to feel more empowered and more confident in what I am already doing well. I hope you’ll join me in my quest to dwell in positivity this year!