Sticks and Stones

Wait…What?!?

Isn’t this the craziest thing to say??

Who came up with this saying in the first place? Not sure about you, but I was raised on this saying and guess what? It’s all WRONG! Negative words ALWAYS hurt. It doesn’t matter who you are.

Shouldn’t it say…

 

 Of course, words hurt. When others cut us down with negativity, it hurts…a lot.

Let’s consider words on a different plane…

Have you ever thought about your own negative words and the effect they can have on you?

As Walter E. Jackobson. M.D. states….

He goes on to explain….

 

As I grow and learn about the power of positivity, I am inspired. How powerful might it be to teach children at a very early age about the strength of affirmations? What if children grew up talking positively to themselves? What it they were shown the power of positive self-talk and were taught strategies to turn negativity into positivity? Wouldn’t this alter the course of their lives dramatically?

I SAY YES!

Is this easier said than done? Let’s be honest. Talking to yourself in the mirror can be terrifying, uncomfortable and downright scary! When was the last time you actually stared into your own eyes in the mirror? If you haven’t tried it in a while, you should. And while you’re at it, try telling yourself something great! It doesn’t have to be a big thing, or anything profound. Start small!  “Looking good!”… “You are a good friend”…”You can do hard things.”  You may notice a strange and wonderful feeling. You may even laugh out loud at yourself!

Why does this feel so strange and silly?

Guess what? To kids? It DOESN’T! Have you ever seen Jessica’s affirmation video? Check it out…

Jessica’s Affirmations

Kids are great at affirmations. And as adults, the more you look into your own eyes and tell yourself how awesome you are… the more comfortable you’ll be with it.

After all…

As a first grade teacher, I try to teach my students the power of the mind and the strength of the positive word. I  teach them about affirmations and how they directly and scientifically effect the brain. I set out on day one of first grade introducing the Habits of Mind to begin to develop my classroom culture for the year ahead.

 Hopefully, when they leave my classroom, they will be more empowered than when they arrived. If I can achieve this, then I will be able to look myself in the mirror and say with all sincerity, “Job well done, Ms. Fitzpatrick.” At the end of the day, that is what I hope for.

Go ahead, give yourself a thumbs up in the mirror. You’ll be glad you did!

 

***Coming up in the next “Words Glow…Minds Grow”, look for

Affirmation Application

Building a classroom culture around a positive growth mindset!

Be on the look out for my first children’s book…

“Words Glow…Minds Grow”…

teaching kids about turning negative words into positive words,

..due out in October!