Watch Our Words

 Happy and enthusiastic students give us a far better learning environment, therefore we need to be mindful of the words we choose to use during our time with them.  We might say things like:

"This looks hard" 

   Don't plant seeds of doubt, instead use words that apply to them, like "let's tackle this together", they will stay more focused this way.

"You won't like this assignment" 

Never predict that a student won't like an assignment, we want them to like it. When predicting something negative, students will usually prove you right.  So make it a big deal of how important the material they are working on is and how it will help them later down the road.

"You don't have enough time to finish this"

 You have now given your student a reason to close their books and minds and get ready to go home.  Try to plan your evening out where you get the amount of work done that seems resonable.  If you don't get to everything its OKAY, they can do the rest of their homework at home.  But if you leave a piece of work unfinished, it is much harder to get back to and can be frusturating.  Always start with the most important items first.

Our words need to be positive and productive and they will be if we keep our actions motivating and uplifting.  A "can do" approach is always the better way to go!