Good Things

The one small delight in my day that I always look forward to is the beginning of my classes when we share "good things".  Our district follows the "Capturing Kids' Hearts" program by the Flippen Group and so every teacher at the secondary level is expected to spend 3-5 minutes at the start of every class by asking students to share good things.  Student responses in most classes are voluntary and spontaneous.  In my ESL classes, however, since we have fewer numbers than in regular classes, I ask every student to share something good.  I tell them from the first day to expect to share something even if it's simply saying "I'm alive".  After all, being alive is good.  As long as we are alive we have hope for a better tomorrow.  I will share something good as well. 

While this activity is designed to help us connect with our students and capture their hearts before we capture their minds, I use it as a daily reminder (for me as well as my students) that no matter how dark and difficult our life may be, there is always something good to celebrate, no matter how small. After all, it's all those little good things that make our life grand and it's in recognizing them that we shut out the negativity. 

#BestYearEver