The classroom is where it all starts. Teachers need to create a safe space, develop critical thinkers, leaders, ensure students have a love for learning, and speak words of truth (like using I am successful affirmations). Times have changed, and in order to prepare our students for 21st-century success, our classrooms cannot look like the classroom of yesteryear.
Students are growing up in a “Google it!” generation and have endless information at their fingertips. The four walls of the classroom no longer limit learning, and the role of the teacher has shifted from the main source of knowledge to the facilitator of learning. The goal of all instruction should be student success in every area of learning and in life. Keeping our classrooms student-centered can ensure their success both now and in the future.
5 Principles To Help Create Successful Students
We can actively guide our students to success by applying the following five principles to our classroom instruction.
#1: Create a Safe Environment
Relationships are central to all that we do in education. Relationships have to come first in our classroom because kids need to know that they are loved and valued! This also means that routines and rules are given and maintained in love. Kids flourish when they know the expectations and have someone in their corner who can help them reach them!
#2: Develop Critical Thinkers
I didn’t want my students to be able to spew out a ton of information and not be able to discern, defend, or apply what is true. As teachers, our job as instruction guides is to equip our students with the strategies they need to be critical thinkers, innovative problem solvers, and respectful and responsible people!
#3: Prepare Leaders
To prepare leaders, teachers must model and teach a growth mindset with timeless values, such as respect, responsibility, integrity, and perseverance. It’s also important to provide student leadership roles in the classroom so that they have opportunities to grow as leaders. For example, in my classroom, every student had a classroom leadership role or job (such as iPad Guru, Smartboard Technician, Librarian, Center Manager, etc.) They hold this position for a month, and then they are responsible for training the next person with that job. The kids loved this and it helped them develop critical interpersonal skills, even as a first grader!
#4: Inspire a Love of Learning
We want our students to become lifelong learners. We can encourage this by modeling a love of learning, utilizing best practices, and making learning FUN! Our kids need to see us excited about learning and know that it is OK to make mistakes because we learn from our mistakes.
#5: Speak Words Of Truth: Use I Am Successful Affirmations
The words that we speak are powerful! What we think affects how we feel, which in turn affects our actions. The words we speak to our students become their inner soundtrack! We can teach our students mantras, or affirmations, that will speak truth into their heart and life to help them feel confident and positive about who they are and what they can do! Here are some special affirmations that you can teach your students and have them repeat to themselves every day:
1. I am loved and nothing I do will change that!
2. I am smart and will always do my best!
3. I am kind and will treat others the way that I want to be treated!
4. I am brave and can try new things!
5. I am strong and can do hard things!
6. I am grateful and will look for things to be thankful for each day!
7. I am a lifelong learner and see my mistakes as opportunities to grow!
8. I am a problem solver and continually ask, “How can I make this better?”
9. I am one of a kind and have a special purpose!
10. I am respectful, responsible, and ready to learn!
Words have power! Training our brains to think positively takes work, modeling, and consistency! These I am successful affirmations are just another one of the tools that we can give students to have in their toolbox! So, that no matter what they face they can tackle it with courage and strength.
Times have changed and in order to help our students be successful for the ever changing 21st century we need to create a safe learning environment, develop critical thinkers, prepare leaders, inspire a love of learning, and speak words of truth with mantras like the “I Am” affirmations. Using these 5 principles will help students be successful not only in school, but also in life!
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