Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations can be extremely useful.

Negative and Positive Thoughts: Here’s an example of a technique to use for changing negative thoughts to positive. A common feeling for teachers is not feeling good enough. First acknowledge it, it means you care. Think of a negative thought you have had regarding your teaching practice. Eyes closed imagine someone you care about standing in front of you. They’re telling you that same negative thought about themselves. What would you say to them? What positive words of encouragement would you use? That person is fading now and in their place you’re looking into a mirror. Repeat those positive words but now you’re saying them to yourself.

This same mirror technique can be adapted to the group you are working with.

You could also ask them, if it is appropriate to the audience, to consider something they are nervous about that is happening in the near future. For example, this could be with trainee teachers who are going to teach a class for the first time. Get them to picture themselves stood at the door of the classroom. Really picture all the details. Ask them to walk in and look at the children, eager to learn. You are starting your class now and you are standing tall in front of them, full of confidence. The class is going really well. You can take this further with details too. Then you tell them, the class has nearly finished now, it’s passed by so quickly and went really well. Even the parts where the children didn’t work as you’d hoped, you adapted and it went really well. Slowly open your eyes. Ask them to repeat this technique themselves in the run up to the event that is happening.

Positive affirmations can also just be short sentences or phrases, mantras such as ‘I am good enough’, ‘I am strong’. You could also get people to write their own.