Positive educators have the power to transform lives and inspire young minds to believe they can and will change the world. Positive parents have the power to make themselves better by making others better. A positive person has the power to influence who they encounter on any given day. Consider the following tips for how to be a positive educator, positive parent, and ultimately, a positive person.
Be Positively Contagious
Research shows that emotions are contagious. Sincere smiles, kind words of encouragement, and positive energy can be infectious in the most positive way. On the flip side, a bad mood can be absorbed and spread like a virus. It is often discussed among my colleagues that the student’s at our school may not grasp all of the academic subjects but they hold on to the relationships that they build with the staff, especially those that help them when they are feeling low. Giving off a positive energy will help even the lowest of individuals to feel a little brighter for that moment.
Take a Daily Thank you Walk
Research shows you can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time - so when you combine gratitude with physical exercise, you give yourself a double boost of positive energy. You flood your brain and body with positive emotions and natural antidepressants that uplift rather than the stress hormones that drain your energy and slowly kill you. My boss takes a daily walk - first for health, and secondly for a boost to get through the afternoon. We sometimes struggle with helping our students because their troubles become our troubles (we might care a bit too much sometimes). Taking a walk help to “work out” the troubles that we are carrying for ourselves and others, and also boosts our energy to keep doing what we are doing.
Celebrate Success
One of the simplest and most powerful things you can do for yourself and others is to celebrate daily successes. No matter how big or small the success was, recognize that you or the other person was successful. Try this before wrapping up your day: Think about one great thing about your day. Maybe it is something that happened to you, something that you helped do for someone else, or maybe an item that was checked off from your to-do list. In doing so, you will look forward to creating more successful moments tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and eventually it will be a daily occurrence and a daily success. Encourage your students and children to do the same!
Expect to Make a Difference
When asked why someone becomes a teacher, it is often shared that they want to make a difference for younger generations. If you start by thinking that you will make a difference for a student or for your child, you prime yourself to think more about how to help them, what lessons can be taught, what guidance can be provided, which can lead to positive outcomes for the student or child, and for you as an educator or parent. It’s a win-win.
Believe in Others More than They Believe in Themselves
We are our own worst enemies. We know exactly what to tell ourselves to bring ourselves down. Children and teenagers do the same. They convince themselves that they “can’t” without even trying. Part of what makes someone successful is belief. If they believe that they can, then they will. If you tell them that you believe in them, they will have that much more confidence to help them achieve their goals. You can be that person for your students that believes in them and sees their potential rather than their limitations.
Develop Positive Relationships
One of the biggest lessons that I have learned while working in my current employment is that it is just as important to build a strong relationship with our students, as much as it is to teach them academic and life lessons. In having a positive relationship with your students or children you are reinforcing and stabilizing the foundation by which they will come to you for support and guidance. To develop positive relationships you need to increase two-way communication, build trust, listen to them, make time for them, recognize them, show them you care through your actions and what you say, and mentor them. Take the time to give them the best version of yourself and they will reciprocate.
Show you Care
It is a simple fact. Individuals are inherently able to do better if multiple aspects of their lives if they know that they are cared about by others. The most powerful form of positive energy is love and this love transforms students and people when it is put into action. No two people will express how they care about others in the same way. Create your own unique way to show your students or children that you care about them. You will not only feel more positive, but you will also help to develop positive individuals who will create a more positive world. And we can all use more positivity.
