Jenny Yurky- the Secret of Attitude

I think that this section on attitude was very appropriate for teachers.  I believe that having a good attitude is an important aspect of everything we do, not just teaching.  This chapter included a lot of good tips on how to make sure you have a positive attitude because sometimes it really is hard to make sure that you ALWAYS have a positive attitude.

The first tip that I really liked (and it is so simple and obvious) is to simply avoid negativity.  It is so easy to be negative when others around you have a negative attitude.  Therefore, by avoiding situations where others are negative and by avoiding negative people, you avoid the hard task of remaining positive around negative people.

I also really appreciate how the chapter mentions the importance of establishing positive contacts with parents.  My placement, Titusville, does a really great job at ensuring the teachers are having positive contacts with parents.  The students all have an advisor who makes scheduled ‘check-ups’ with parents to discuss positives and negatives of the student’s academics, behaviors, and other school related topics.  In addition, Titusville has a system where they make sure each students’ parent receives at least one positive note home in the mail every school year.  I think this is really important because it keeps the parent involved in their child’s education, and it does make it easier when you have to contact the parent about something negative.

One final tip that I took from this chapter involved modeling.  The chapter mentioned the importance of having a good attitude because our students will model our behaviors.  Behaviors are learned, so students will truly learn to develop a positive attitude simply by being present in a classroom with a teacher who has a positive attitude.