A President and a Difference

Tonight is an important night. Many people are putting their faith in the outcome of this election. Every election has a HUGE impact on each one of us. Whether the results of the election make you happy or sad, the world will still go on. There will be celebrations and tears. A bad attitude won't change things. My faith is in God and I must lean on Him and not my own understanding.

Tomorrow you will wake up with a new president or we will welcome the other one into another term. You will go to school and face the same obstacles, challenges, and children. Fussing and complaining about it won't really make a difference...although it does help us feel better at times.

In the past month, you experienced the freedom to vote, make a difference, and let your voice be heard.

Tomorrow you will meet numerous people who need YOU to be their difference....the children in your classroom.

About 2 weeks ago, I had a Wal-Mart Greeter kind of day....except I no longer feel as if I could do that job and see all of those wild children out of control...Have I told you the story about the child that was licking the floor in Wal-Mart???!!!???? Kind of makes you want to throw up doesn't it.

I was feeling frustrated. I realized that I have a choice to be reactive....holler, punish, reward the "good" kiddos, threaten with Sad Notes, blame them for my feelings, or let my negative emotions take control.

OR

I could be proactive and tackle the frustrating issues with a plan and remember Conscious Discipline and that nobody can make me angry or upset without my permission. Instead of thinking How can I get this child to stop ______________________ I need to start thinking How can I help this child more likely choose to _________________?

Thinking about how I could handle these problems in our classroom made me think of the election. A president wants to come in and "fix" things We often have to face new challenges that someone tried to fix but are now beyond our control.

I think teachers are often taught quick fixes to solve problems (I know I learned some in college). These quick fixes often don't carry over outside of the classroom. I want to teach my children ways to be problem solvers but more importantly how to be kind and helpful because they want to...not to get a reward or to have their clip moved. When is the last time you got a reward for doing the right thing?

What happens in Washington today, in January, or 4 years from now is not what will make me a better teacher. I have to be the one to decide what attitude I face each day with and more importantly what attitude I use to help each child God has placed in my classroom. Obama or Romney will not make as much difference in a child's life as YOU will. 

I want you to take a few minutes to think about these quotes:

And because I love and treasure each one of you, here are some *freebies*. =)

Click here to grab this quick and easy dice game.

This is a fun spin and graph game.

Hop over here to grab this one. =)

Here is a fun digraph sort.

Grab this *freebie* here.

I hope you enjoy these *freebies*.

I would love for you to tell me about a kind of problem you might be having in your classroom.I know I don't hold the golden ticket answer but I have found many things through Conscious Discipline and my own beliefs that have made a difference. I would love to share them with you too. =)

If you can, please take a few minutes and leave me a heart note...I treasure each one.

Remember, you are more than a president....you are the daily difference who leaves your heart prints on a child.

From My Heart to Yours,