Mindset is Key

Along with the word that irks me the most: "can't" or when my 3 y/o says it: ke-YA-nt.
Gosh, you gotta hear this child. XD

So, I know it seems like all I am doing is playing games, but I have never attended so many webinars in my life. My husband, my mama, and my sister are questioning why I do this. Next year, is going to be one of the most challenging years and I want to be ready for it. (I think all of August is going to be filled with webinars as well.)

I am the kind of person who tends to be really pessimistic about myself, but optimistic for others. I would never tell anyone to just give up, but I also question myself all the time if I need to give up. 

Last school year was my 2nd year teaching in a middle school but my 1st year teaching 6th grade. I came in excited but also questioning (like always) why I was placed there. I believe that God puts as where we really need to be -- so why in 6th grade?

It was really early on that I realized that there's so many things I cannot do teaching in 6th grade. 

1. I cannot be sarcastic -- oh! If you know Filipinos, you know this is "us". 

2. I cannot give them a set of instructions and expect them to read it all.

3. I cannot just expect that they know a concept that I knew when I was their age or that they should have known.

That's where the struggle began. This is where I knew I should change my mindset. I started to think through that first trimester that maybe I am looking at this the wrong way -- my husband tells me all the time that I'm stressed (the inside joke is that I was born worried and stressed that I won't be able to be born which is why I was born a month early). Here's the thing, I LOVE BEING A TEACHER. There is nowhere in the world I would rather be than in the classroom. I have known this since pre-k, as my cousins who were always pulled into my make-shift classroom.

So I shifted my mindset and really made improvement -- slowly. I had a lot of help from my friends and team (I love them so much, I do think they're my friends too -- I just wanted to specifically mention my 6th grade team).

I was reminded throughout the year that

1. I can practice really choosing positive words to encourage the kids.

2. I can be clear and specific with a step by step instruction so I won't need to repeat later.

3. I can teach and re-teach as needed - because this why I became a teacher. I wanted to impart knowledge and help shape the younger generation for a better future.

I am here to help.

I cannot help if you are unwilling to accept help.

The first step is to accept that you need help -- and then TRY, and TRY AGAIN.

For this school year might be the most challenging not just for teachers but for students as well. But 

We will rise above the challenge 

and change our "I can't" into an "I can".