Positive Thinking

Over the past month, we have been working hard to maintain a "can do" attitude in our classroom. As part of Ms. Decoteau's colloquium (culminating project), we have spent time discussing and practicing positive thinking in our learning. We have seen quotes that inspire our positive thoughts, created word clouds with personal, positive characteristics that help to encourage us, and read books whose characters are persistent and resilient. 

As a class, we have agreed that positive thinking helps us to be successful and tackle challenges in our learning. We have been working to replace our negative thoughts with more positive sayings such as "I can do it", "I'll keep trying", and "I won't give up because this may take time". Our Star Jar has really helped us to recognize when we are thinking positively. Each time we catch ourselves being positive in our learning and working through challenging activities, we independently put a star in the jar. We decided that the reward of putting a star in the jar is not a prize but rather the sense of pride we feel when we bravely take risks.

Since we started this unit on positive thinking, we have been tackling challenges with less hesitation and more determination. This has been especially helpful in learning about balance - sticking with an activity even though it was frustrating! We also encourage our friends with positive talk. Ask us what we say to ourselves when we are having a tough time!

Positive thinking can be practiced at home, too! We have used books to recognize characters that have been persistent and resilient. Here is a selection of books that also talk about perseverance - they may already be on your shelf! If you're interested in learning more about persistence, resilience and other grit habits, check out this mindset blog.