Feel Good File

Greetings Apples,

When you are a student teacher, you are absorbing as much information as possible about everything you need to run your own classroom. But there are little things that cannot be taught or fully understood until you actually are solely responsible for your own classroom.  One of my master teachers along the way taught me to keep a "Feel Good File" to reflect on after those tough teaching days.

So often, when dealing with children, parents, colleagues, and administrators, it is easy to hear about what you are doing wrong, rather than what you are doing right. If you allow yourself to wallow in the negative for too long, it can be really emotionally draining.

My master teacher, Mrs. M, told me that she has a file folder where she tucks away positive notes, kind thoughts and uplifting emails she has received from parents and kids along the way. Then, on a particularly rough day, she can pull out the "Feel Good File" and immerse herself in the good to shake off the bad. I didn't totally understand the need at first, but regardless, I began to hang on to the sweet notes and pictures I was receiving from families in my classroom.

Now … I totally get it! I won't always be able to make everyone happy with the way I run my classroom, but if I ever feel like I am wallowing too much in the negative, I can pull out my "Feel Good File" and remember all of the good things I've done and all of the positive, supportive families I've been fortunate enough to have in my classroom along the way.

Do you do anything to ward off the bad day blues?

Miss H.