The Power of the Positive

I think a lot of people are too negative in this world. I think I am one of them. I am starting to learn how powerful kind word, a smile, a positive thought can be. I know I am 28. I should know this. . . but I am the first to admit being positive was never my thing. I went through high school depressed, and quite a bit of college too. I was fortunate enough 6 years ago to live with 2 of the most positive people I know. I know they had their bad days. I know they had days where being positive wasn't going to happen. But I know overall they were happy and being around them changed my outlook too. Over the last 6 years I have started to get this change. In the last 2 months I have realized how much it affects everything. I have been trying to raise my positive ratio in my classroom. As I have been doing this I have noticed a major change in behavior in the room. I have seen kids who I have struggled with all year SHINE! I have seen my classroom behavior SOAR! This morning I was at school at my normal time, but due to some circumstances I walked into my room after the bell had rung. My SmartBoard wasn't up. I wasn't in there. But I came into a room of 25 kids, ALL of them on time, with their notebooks out, working or at least starting to work, some were talking, but they were ALL sitting. I made sure I POURED the positives on them, in hopes that tomorrow it will work the same. In hopes that in two weeks it will be the same. I have noticed happier kids in the classroom. I have noticed a happier teacher. I really noticed this last night as I was talking to some of my friends and I knew I couldn't stop smiling. I noticed it this morning when I was getting some paper out of the workroom and ran into my principal and I just smiled and said, "I HAVE THE BEST CLASS!" Then his shocked look on his face. Being positive has made all the difference. I know this. I feel this. While it would have been great to figure it out when my roommates tried to teach me I am so happy I figured it out now at 28 instead of 40 years from now when it would be harder to change my character.