The Power of Positivity

The Power of Positivity

This week as I was beginning to plan for my staff's first day back, I was reflecting on how much I love the beginning of the school year because everyone is excited, energized, and positive about what the new school year will bring. Last school year was an exciting year for all of us as we opened a new campus, established a warm, inviting climate for our students and community, and built relationships with each other. It was fairly easy to remain positive and keep the momentum going throughout the year, but of course there were a few challenges that arose as with any school year. Challenges can at times make us feel like we are not effective or that "everything is going wrong" when in fact neither is true. The key to overcoming challenges and creating a place where everyone wants to be in order to be the most effective for our students is to always remain positive.
At a conference I attended this summer, one of the speakers made a great point. She said that, "the greeter at Walmart cannot have an 'off' day; neither can educators!" No matter what is going on in our personal lives, our kids deserve the best of us every day. The best example of this that comes to mind for me at this time is my dad. He was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer over a year ago. He had to have surgery to remove part of his colon and now has a colostomy bag. He undergoes chemotherapy treatment every other week in order to keep the cancer from spreading. This will more than likely have to be his routine for the rest of his life unless our prayers are answered for a cure. Every time I talk to him, he says, "I'm doing great!" He posts pictures of himself as he is losing his facial hair on Facebook and makes jokes about it.  He now has a blood clot in his leg and has to take yet another medication for that. Not once has he complained or talked about, "why me?". He is my hero and a true example of the power of positivity no matter our circumstances.
I am currently reading What Connected Educators Do Differently by Casas, Whitaker, and Zoul. In this book, they state that, "you are not going to be able to control everything that happens to you on a daily basis, but you can control how you let it affect you and your demeanor. It is your decision, and yours alone whether to strive for greatness each and every day. Make the choice." (pg. 65)
I am going to choose to be positive and give my staff, students, and community my best everyday in 2015-2016! What will you choose?