Recently my school had a rough day, probably the most difficult of the year so far. Many students had rough issues that took a lot of time, staff, and outside resources to help deal with it. Students that did not have issues that day were visually disturbed and saddened by the day's events. However, as the week must go on we had to bounce back from that day and turn it around for the next. Here are some ways both staff and students helped turn this week around.
1. Praise the Positive - At the end of the day at my school each class takes time to reflect on the day and send praise to people that made positive choices. Even if your class does not normally do this it may be particularly important to take time to reflect on a rougher day. Praise the students that made positive choices and kept calm throughout the day's events. You could also give students the option of praising each other for making positive choices.
2. Start Again - Remind yourself (and possibly your students!) that tomorrow is a new day and it's normal to have a bad day once in a while. One bad day does not mean things will go wrong all the time. If you talk to your students or individual students, remind them that this is an opportunity to start over and encourage them to take advantage of that.
3. Get Support - In the past we have written an article on why it is important to get support from your colleagues and family/friends. That is particularly important after a rough day. Talk out the events and come to terms with what happened.
4. Reflect - Not everything that happens in the classroom is something we can control. However, sometimes we can make changes that can make a difference in the future. Reflecting on what happened and if anything can be prevented or changed in the future is one way to help turn your week around.
5. Take a Break - After a particularly rough day, don't spend the rest of the evening only thinking & talking about what happened. It's very necessary to take a break and do something not related to school to help take your mind off things. Try to get plenty of rest so you will feel more refreshed and ready to start the day tomorrow.
We all have bad days from time to time. How do you handle it? Let me know in the comments below.
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