Success Journaling - Part 1

What is Success Journaling?

A few years back, I was in a slump.

A while back, I was contracted to teach at a ‘one-room’ school. I was thrilled to take the job. I even moved so that I could be closer to the job. Problem was, I thought that I would have my happiest teaching moment teaching that multi-grade class.

Instead, I got a good story:

I’m not going to tell you where this teaching experience was because I don’t want to scare away potential teachers for those types of schools.

On day one, I waited for my students to arrive with jittery, yet joyful eagerness. Ready to be the wise teacher, the role model, and idolized by young, shaping minds.

Instead: I was humbled in the first minute.

These kids entered with the oldest boy giving the range of aged kids directions. Immediately, every kid had found a desk and moved, without even a glance my way. Then they sat.

At least they landed in organized rows. They were just where they thought they should sit.

Okay. I’ll let them have that one. I knew that I was standing on eggshells. One wrong move, and I’d have a bunch of rebels for the entire school year.

I was pre-warned that I should lock up everything because these kids steal. I scoffed and let myself put out paper, pencils, and other school items. By the end of day one, stuff was gone.

Lucky for me, my years of teaching had taught me that the best way to get a rowdy class on your side, was to get to know the leaders in a more personal way.

My tactic was to find ways to chat with the lead kids outside of the class.

I started with some casual eye contact and a friendly hello. When I could sense that the student was ready for more, I’d add a ‘how are you?’.

Soon after, I could ask a question: How was your last game? How are you doing with that piano lesson? How’s your dog? Whatever you think will catch that rebel kid’s attention.

More important: that kids’ willingness to respond to you.

Want to know what my secret teaching weapon is?

Love.

As is stereotyped by some movies, some teachers start their first class of the year as the drill sergeant. To kids, the drill sergeant’s attitude feels like, “I don’t care. I’ve got them behaving.”

Yes. it’s always easier to be a teacher when the kids know that you are in charge and they will respect you if they feel they are learning; however, they will respect you more if they feel like you genuinely love them as if they were your own. Kids need heroes to look up to, someone to role model, someone to be like when they grow up, and someone to feel motivated and inspired by.

To help me get the students onto my side, I started an evening group guitar lesson, for free, for the older kids. They showed up. I didn’t have to teach. They were already remarkable guitar players, or willing to learn from their more talented peers. I think that they really enjoyed the casual time together.

Before Halloween, I had the older kids meet me after school to organize candy bags for the younger kids. As we stuffed the bags in an assembly line, I watched their hands closely. Making sure that no one stole. After we were done, we sat around and chatted. Once they were relaxed and casually talking, hands around the circle were crinkling cellophane as they unwrapped candies.

How?

I was amazed. It was like they were all trained by a magician.

By Christmas, I let the kids build their own stage. Literally. The school didn’t have one, so the boys got donated wood and tools and started hammering in the gym. Lights were added. Some kids donated decorations, and we made more decorations. Each grade learned poems, songs, and skits. One sat by an electric fireplace as the narrator, the youngest ones got to wear costumes of lambs and angels.

Before the show, I had brought a variety of drums and percussion instruments to play while they were singing, “Little Drummer Boy”. I was told that some of the kids snuck to the school while their families slept. I was told that they boomed the drums so loudly, that they could be heard kilometers away!

Since the instruments were my personal collection. I made an act that a drum tom had gotten broken and even feigned a tear of two for extra effect.

That night, I went to see another community’s multi-class Christmas pageant. They were great, and I felt gregarious after the show. While mingling, I casually invited the community to come and see our show.

The next morning, I was passed by one of my school community’s wives, who told me, “You shouldn’t have done that. Now we have to prepare more food!”

For hours, I was concerned about what I did. It never occurred to me that the community would have to play host to the visiting community by providing food and drink. Don’t you not wish that your street, apartment complex, or community did the same? Luckily, the visiting community also brought food. I was a full house with parents even in the hallway listening.

I know someone who coordinated a neighbourhood barbeque.

If you want to do something good, just do it.

Whoops, I forgot that I was talking about Success Journaling. How about I do that for the next blog? This one’s already too long. I hope that you enjoyed what was once a nerve-wracking experience for me.

FYI, After Christmas, most of the children and community members accepted me. I still get invited to have lunch or supper whenever I visit.

What we think are bad experiences, eventually become lessons to help us to shine up our souls.