What If

The following thoughts are from Beth Sherry, one of the fabulous teachers at my school.  She wrote this for our weekly faculty newsletter and I thought her question should be shared with others... so here it is

What If...

Every day, we are presented with a fresh, new opportunity to help our students grow. And each new day has the potential to be life-changing for our students. Ultimately, the opportunity and potential begin with our mindset as educators.

What if we began each class period by letting ALL of our students know that we are glad to see them (even the students who can be difficult at times)?
What if we gave ALL students a clean slate EVERY DAY (even if they acted terribly in class the day before)?
What if we maintained high expectations for ALL of our students EVERY SINGLE DAY (even for the students who maybe haven't done a single thing all year)?

These "what ifs" cost us nothing at all; however, these "what ifs" could make the difference between a good day and a bad day, a completed assignment and an incomplete one, a developing relationship or a crushed one. These small "what ifs" right now might determine whether a student drops out of school or graduates high school. 

Every day, we are given a fantastic opportunity. 

What if we took advantage of it? 

Think.  Achieve.  Succeed.

Jeff