The Power of the Positive

As teachers we encourage students to write and what is even better is if we encourage students to write well. Yes, and as teachers we encourage, encourage and encourage!

Writing well makes a person’s writing more appealing to a reader, but I believe it also produces more satisfaction to the writer. If a student can be encouraged to see how the “musicality” in their writing does produce satisfaction to them and to other readers, then this is a real win. This is perhaps the greatest incentive to write well, even perhaps more than the mark they receive on the page.

I believe it is helpful to encourage students to write poems freely with musicality, colour or feeling. This helps them in writing interesting prose. Such writing, I believe, should not be too constrained by rules but should focus on feeling.

Certainly, writing today often requires presenting information or a point of view and can, but not always, drift into using a very sterile form.

I know that the above comment may be controversial, but I think it’s worthwhile presenting it to students and encourage them accordingly.

One of the great joys of teaching is when you can turn a student’s “I can’t into “I can”. A smile on a pupil’s face is so welcome to see as is the rise in their confidence which you may or may not see. How positive is the job of an educator which is so dedicated to turning the “can’t” into “cans”. Doing this often demands persistence, determination, imagination and reflection. What a wonderful lift in self-esteem for both the pupil and the teacher when this happens.

I was always disturbed by some students who were often the ones with behavioural problems and reply to my question, “tell me what you are not so good at.” Usually, I would mostly likely and instantly get a whole list. I would follow this with “Now tell me what you are good at.” From this more often than not I would be given very little. I guess that highlighted part of their problem. Then the challenge is to draw out the good points they hadn’t recognised. This process should never be ignored.

Now I have written about analogies before, but I think it is valuable to mention it again. A well-considered analogy is a worthwhile tool, which attracts attention and which students are likely to remember and consider.

I have former students reminding me of analogies I had used for it was one of my frequently used tools. If meaningful students would remind me of them years after they had left school. I think the analogy is best understood and remembered if it’s related to a picture, including a good word picture, story or object. I had an office full of interesting but often quirky objects I could use.

Don’t forget to ensure that the school’s grounds have items of interest, including plants. I ensured there were lots of story boards, quirky creations, meaningful rocks with a story and shaded places for people to sit, maybe interact etc. There is little helpful about a sterile school yard.

Another exercise is to get students to write down what the school motto is and what it means to them. It is a pity if they don’t know.

Always remember it is not enough to say something once. Don’t be afraid to repeat and repeat something positive over time.

So, schools should be positive places of meaning, where “can’t” can be turned into “cans”. Schools should be places of positive learning, positive interaction and certain safety. Schools should aim to be happy places which students value and enjoy.

Written by Chris Tudor