Be A Positive Teacher
Focus On The Positives!!

I have always tried to be a positive teacher, even though there are so many problems that occur that we tend to focus on the negative side of teaching and learning.

Research does reveal that successful people build upon their strengths, not their weaknesses.

Let's look at some ways that we can say or write to our students and their parents to build upon the positives students are demonstrating in the classroom.

Let's discuss some statements that we can use towards our students who

A. do everything right.

B. need praise and urging.

C. need recognition and specific advice.

These statements will help us become and remain a positive teacher. These comments can be used on report cards, notes to parents, or verbally said to students and parents alike.

A. The student who does everything right:

1. Samantha is very enthusiastic about reading and writing with self-confidence. She is increasing her fluency, comprehension, and basic vocabulary, and using new skills in independent reading.

2. Robert co-operates in group activities, takes initiative in enforcing rules, and is often chosen as leader because of his good ideas and ability.

3. Sarah is mature, accepts responsibility well, works independently and thinks for herself.

B. The student who needs praise and urging:

1. James learns quickly. He should be encouraged to keep his level of work high.

2. Mary enjoys art class. She has an aptitude for design; her compositions are strong and dynamic. She could be more punctual in getting to class.

3. Neil contributes much to the class from his outside experiences and can be challenged to achieve more.

C. The student who needs recognition and specific advice.

1. Alicia is a good student. She tries to be well-liked, co-operative and reliable. A good goal for her is to improve her listening skills.

2. David shows enthusiasm for numbers and does a wonderful job of volunteering. He needs to remember, however, not to interrupt when someone else is speaking.

3. Ruth's work has been very satisfactory and he is developing a well-rounded personality. He needs to work on his spelling.

The positive teacher is quite aware that praise is an effective motivator. There are six goals that we urge students to work towards after giving words of praise:

1. Strive to maintain present high standards - strive for excellence not perfection.

2. Check and recheck work carefully before handing it in.

3. Presenting book reports and projects is always a new challenge.

4. Continue to use the dictionary/thesaurus to increase your vocabulary.

5. Learn to accept criticism.

6. Urge students to try and be more relaxed and enjoy school more ( I guess we should practice what we preach).

As well as in the classroom, these goals will help students in life later on!

As a positive teacher, we must make sure that the efforts of good students are recognized and appreciated ( which is their greatest emotional need). Our task is to make sure that your students don't falter.

Never under estimate the power of a kind word or deed.

" There is something that is much more scarce, something finer far, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability." - Elbert Hubbard

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