This newsletter will illustrate the power of positive thinking. I will do this through a true story about a friend of mine named “Mr. Jefferson” (not his real name).
Mr. Jefferson started his career as an 8th Grade History teacher at Anytown Middle School (not the real school name…ha!) He was asked to help coach football because the assistant coach quit five days before the first game. “Sure!” Jefferson replied. He had never coached football before, but he did his best.
The Principal wanted to start a “History Fair” team, and Jefferson was the first to volunteer his services as History Fair sponsor. He worked with his students after school and on Saturdays to help them produce great, historically accurate videos, tri-fold boards, and other cool projects. A few of his students won the district History Fair title, and advanced to state competition.
When the Superintendent of the district visited the Middle School, most teachers hid in their rooms…hoping he would not visit their classroom. Jefferson heard about the Superintendent’s tour, and met him in the hallway. “Come see what my students can do!” Jefferson exclaimed. Jefferson made the Principal look good, and that helped him later in his career.
What also helped Jefferson’s career was his positive attitude. Usually when community members asked teachers from the Middle School how things were going, they would reply “Awful”, “These kids are driving me nuts!”, or some other negative comment about the Principal, the school, the kids, or the state of parenting in our society. Jefferson’s reply was usually “Great!”, “I love my kids!”, or some other positive remark. Word got around that Jefferson was an awesome teacher. How could he be this positive about the kids, his school, and teaching in general if he was a bad teacher? Soon, parents began requesting that their child have Mr. Jefferson for History class.
By the time Mr. Jefferson has finished his third year of teaching, he had finished all the coursework required to earn his Master’s degree in Administration. In November, word leaked out that the Assistant Principal of an Intermediate school in the district was retiring…a replacement would be needed. Jefferson applied for the job, and told the interview committee about all of the great and positive things that were happening in his school. His Principal gave him a glowing recommendation, and parents heard all the positive stories about Mr. Jefferson that were floating around the community. He got the job!
Three years later, Mr. Jefferson’s Principal left to take a job at another school. Jefferson interviewed for the position, and got the job! He was Principal for five years, and applied for what he called his “Dream Job” – Assistant Superintendent of Personnel. He told the interview committee about how awesome the district is, and how he has been privileged to work with such great teachers, students, and parents for the years he has been Principal. Do I have to tell you what happened? He was hired. He now goes on “recruiting trips” to college campuses, and convinces graduating teacher candidates how great it would be to start their career in his district. The interview committee could think of no one better to promote their district than Mr. Jefferson.
Jefferson has only been in the educational profession for 20 years, so he has ten or so years left before retirement. Will he become a Superintendent? Will he start his own educational consulting firm? Could he just stay in his “Dream Job” for the next ten years? The answer is yet to be written. Mr. Jefferson’s options are wide open.
How did he achieve such success? Was he smarter than everyone else? Was he a better teacher and administrator than others he was in competition with? I think you know the answer by now…he became a star because of his positive attitude. YOU can be a star if you stay positive, work hard, learn from your mistakes, and never let the negatives of this business get you down.
Don’t sit around in the teacher’s lounge complaining about how our society is going down the toilet, or how parents can’t control their kids, or how things were different in the “Good Ol’ Days” of education. Do the best you can with what you have, where you are…and don’t bad-mouth students, parents, your school, or your administration. You will reap the rewards if you follow this plan! I guarantee it.