Please note: If you want some inspirational quotes for your classroom, just fill in the form at the bottom of this post.
I think we can all agree, teaching is not for the faint of heart. Being a successful teacher takes a lot of courage, passion, and self-care. I know we’ve all been there – Laying awake at night thinking about our students, the pile of grading we have, or the parents we need to call. There’s a mental load that teachers carry with them all the time that nobody really understands unless you’re in the career field. If you’re new to teaching, things can be extremely overwhelming. To help take some of the pressure off your mental load, I want to share 10 positive affirmations with you for the upcoming school year. After many years of experience in the classroom, I firmly believe these are all things you have to acknowledge and reassure yourself with on a daily basis.
- Today is going to be a fantastic day.
There are some days that are just plain easier than others, but the two things that set us up for having a great day are gratitude and a positive mindset . I promise – being grateful for all the good in your classroom will bring you a moment of bliss every time you’re facing something challenging. Focus on ANY good things that have happened in your classroom in the past or that day. It can even be as simple as all of your students being present for the day! When you continually look for the good, you will be amazed at how much better your day will be.
- I am becoming a better teacher every day.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the classroom, you can always improve as a teacher every single day. One of the best ways to measure your personal growth is by reflecting on learning opportunities in your past. What kind of teacher were you like before you had your own classroom? What were you like as a student teacher? Or, how have you improved from those first few months or years of teaching? Self-reflection and learning from our past is so important.
- I am a competent and capable teacher.
If you haven’t completely thought on your feet for a split second or just tried to “wing it” a time or two, are you really even a teacher? 😉 You have to trust and believe in yourself. Take a deep breath, use common sense, and trust your intuition. Always stay true to who you are and never be an imposter. You don’t always have to have an answer for everything, but if you act like you’re unsure of yourself, kids will catch on to this quickly and think you are a fraud until you truly convince yourself that you CAN do anything.
- I treat all of my students with kindness and respect.
We all know some kids are easier to love than others, but all kids NEED our love, no matter how they ask for it. Treat all of your students with the same respect. Your kids will recognize this, respect you for it, and lead with the same respect for others as you do. When an altercation occurs in the classroom, treat both sides with respect and turn it into a teaching moment. Show each student how they were disrespectful of the other.
- I am always doing the best that I can.
If you had to learn absolutely everything there is to know about being a teacher and the types of situations you’ll experience before getting into the classroom, we’d never have any teachers at school! It’s okay to not know everything yet. In fact, it’s impossible. Even the most experienced teachers are still exposed to situations they’ve never handled before. You WILL make mistakes and when you do, focus on what you learn from them and how to improve in the future. Dwelling on the past isn’t going to change anything. If you’re always worried about “not failing,” this will affect your demeanor and self-confidence.
- The work I do each day matters.
Being a teacher is one of the most noble professions there is and you can’t lose sight of that. Every high five, smile, laugh, or pat on the back help your students. There will be kids who are rude to you. There may even be kids who don’t like you. Don’t take these things personally, though. You may be the only adult in some of your students’ lives who actually listens and talks to them. If you continually treat each child with equal love, respect, and firmness, they’ll eventually come around. 😉
- I am capable of figuring anything out.
This affirmation is SO important to believe! You are smart. You are educated. And you can figure out any problems that arise. Anything can happen in a classroom – like anything! Fire drills, kids getting sick all of a sudden, student meltdowns, confrontation from parents – you name it, it could happen! You have to have the confidence and reassurance in yourself that you can act accordingly when a problem arises.
I have my own memory of this from my teaching past. I was in my first few years of teaching and wanted to show my class a DVD that went along with a lesson I was teaching. It obviously required a TV and our school had two of them with a VHS/DVD combo, but on one of the TVs the DVD player didn’t work, so of course I had to choose the only one that did work! As I was getting the TV set up in my room, an older teacher came into my room and wanted the TV that I was using simply because she didn’t know how to use the VHS player on the other one available. This other VHS player worked, but she couldn’t be bothered to learn how to use it. I was so furious in that moment because I knew I couldn’t make a scene in front of my students, but also knew I couldn’t teach the lesson I needed to without this specific TV I needed! I gave her the TV, came up with Plan B for my students, and went along with the day. These are the moments that can stick with us forever, but how we learn from them and move forward is what matters most. 🙂
- My work is important.
Every day may not feel like your best, but you can always come up with something to feel good about that got accomplished in your classroom. Try sitting down at the end of every day and come up with at least one thing that made you feel proud. Bonus points if you can come up with more than one! 🙂 You could be proud of your students, your lessons and teaching, your classroom management, or just proud of the day as a whole.
- Everything happens for a reason.
You may believe in God or a higher power. You may believe in positive thoughts or good vibes. I personally believe in karma. If you do good things, good things will happen to you. No matter what you believe in, there will always be things out of your control. And when those things happen, you have to believe that there is a purpose for them. In time, you will find out what that purpose is.
My first 4 years of teaching were at 4 different schools. Every year I left I always knew I would miss everything that brought me so much joy in those places. But every time I moved, it was always to a better situation, and it makes me so grateful to think about what I’ve experienced because of those moves. It’s very freeing to know and believe that your work will take you places you need to go for a reason.
- I am patient with myself, and I am kind to myself.
I always tell my student teachers to focus on what is in front of them, not what has happened in the past. Your lessons may have to fall apart in order to get you to try new things and think on your feet. Great teachers make tons of mistakes along the way. It’s what you learn from it and do differently in the future that makes you a better teacher.
Write these positive affirmations down and leave them on your desk to look at often. Or better yet, print them out and frame them! The more you remind yourself of these things daily, the happier and more at peace you will be.
What is a positive affirmation you tell yourself every day while teaching? Feel free to share in the comments below!
And if you want some inspirational quotes for your classroom, just fill in the form below.
