2/7/23: ABI: Always Be Improving!

Hello, Fellow Superheroes!

We’re back again this week to get in a good headspace so we can serve our students, our families, while taking care of ourselves, too.

But First, A Chuckle!

One of the funniest memories I have in my teaching career with a student named J who was struggling with figuring out how to spell a word and from what I remember, it didn’t not resemble the correct spelling of the word in the slightest.

In classic teacher fashion I quickly suggested that she use a dictionary and pointed to my classroom bookshelf. (I still proudly have my collection of hardcover, unabridged dictionaries because they have been a lifesaver when the wifi goes out!)

And without missing a beat, J said, “But, Sir! How am I supposed to look it up if I don’t know how to spell it in the first place!”

I almost fell out of my chair laughing. She kinda had me, lol.
Do you have any hilarious stories from your teaching career? Please  reply to this email and we may feature it in future emails!

I hope that remembering these funny and memorable moments helps us realize that a bad day, week, heck, even a bad school year, doesn’t necessarily mean we chose the wrong profession!

Helpful Stuff

In the spirit of getting better little by little every single day, here is a continuation of the “little tweaks” list from the last email; small changes that I have made to increase my overall productivity and reduce my stress level.

• Making my breakfast shake the night before and leaving it in the fridge ready to grab and go (or just drink a ton of water and eat breakfast at school with the food I store in the fridge and freezer)
• Listening to a motivational podcast, video, and/or song, even for just 10-15 minutes in the morning sets me up for success for the rest of the day because I’m in a good headspace
• Choosing my clothes the night before, saves time and is one less decision I have to make for the day
• Doing some cardio, ANY CARDIO, at any point I can in my day, for example, jumping jacks in my empty classroom early in the morning, burpees at night before bed —anything! You can do it, just start somewhere :)
  
  

Recommendations

This week’s recommendation is The Mel Robbins Podcast! This show is another morning favorite of mine to get ready for the day ahead.

Fair warning though, she and her guests can drop the F-bomb every now and then, but it’s done in a way to motivate you to get up and take action.

She is very real, relatable, and vulnerable in her episodes commenting on personal struggles she’s had with alcoholism, her marriage, her anxiety, and specific traumas from her past that affect her today.
It is a very real and raw podcast while at the same time being truly inspiring and uplifting.

She is also the author of The Five Second Rule (linked here with an Amazon affiliate link for which we might get a tiny percentage of the sale price :-)) in which she recommends counting down from five like a rocket and launching yourself to the next thing you need to do.

This little hack has gotten her to do amazing things in her career, among them being this podcast, and people all over the world have been able to hack their productivity and motivation by counting down from five, myself included!

A Little Inspiration

Let’s remember that the only person who we should try to be better than is our past self.
Consider that others‘ journeys are not ours to travel, we’re not all going to the same destinations, and that’s OK.
We are individuals with our own different strengths, weaknesses, and goals, and that’s OK, too.
As teachers we sometimes carry so much on our shoulders that sometimes we need a reminder that we are truly doing our best to grow and improve on who we were before.
This is our reminder!

Remember, I’m just an email away and you can reply directly to this email!

Keep changing the world!
Charlie with Shining Scholar Education
P.S. Consider joining our TPT Affiliate Program for 25% commissions here!
​

Want to join our email list?
MS ELAR teachers Click here!
HS ELAR teachers Click here!
And check out our TPT store here!