Attitude

As a Special Education teacher I help students with learning challenges. Many of these students have behaviors that impede their learning. Some of these behaviors are bad habits. The kids have learned that they like to make people laugh, and often their jokes are at the expense of other’s feelings. I have two rules in my classroom.
1. Work Hard

2. Be Kind

We talk about what it looks like to work hard, and what it looks like to be kind. This includes being kind to each other and to things. One form of kindness is in the attitude a person has. One of my students has a poisonous attitude. It is like the saying, “One bad apple will spoil the whole bunch.” I asked him to do something yesterday so he would have his homework ready for today. He told me he didn’t care, and he was determined to be uncooperative. He reeks a tough-guy aura, which is especially interesting since he is the size of an 8-year-old. All the students watched this little scene play out. I sent Mr. Tough-Guy outside for a time-out. Words and attitudes are very powerful. They can inspire and they can destroy.