Today I read a New York Times article on choosing to be grateful. It emphasized the fact that being grateful doesn't always have to be genuine. Acting grateful can lead you to becoming more grateful in an authentic way. The article encourages being grateful for the important things in live along with the less important things.
This article really stood out to me because I try to live my live in a positive, grateful way. I notice myself feeling better when I find something to be grateful for in every situation. Recently I was in a minor car accident on a highway going at least 65 miles an hour. The car that hit me was a big SUV and I was driving a small Honda Civic. The other driver went to switch lanes without looking and hit the side of my car leaving a huge wheel mark and dent on my drivers side door. While this situation was obviously not ideal and I had every reason to dwell on the negative and be very upset, I thought about how grateful I was for what happened. I was going 65 miles per hour, and had the other driver hit me anywhere else on my car I may not have been able to keep control of the vehicle and things could have ended up much worse. I was grateful that the man was willing to accept full responsibility for the accident and pay for the repairs to my car. It is easy to be grateful when things are going well, but it is hard to stay grateful in a bad situation.
I can see myself using the principles of this article in my future classroom. It is a good idea to encourage positive thinking in students. I might use a wall of my classroom and title it "Things We're Grateful For..." I would leave a stack of colored index cards near the wall and encourage students to write down the things they are grateful for and post them on the wall. I would emphasize the fact that it could be something as small as being grateful it was a sunny day or something as large as welcoming a new brother or sister. My hope, would be that students finds things to be grateful for every day and they focus more on the good things in their lives, rather than focusing on the bad.
I really love the way you worded this post. It's unfortunate that you got into a car accident, but I like the positive spin you put on it. I absolutely love the idea of the "Things We're Grateful For..." wall in the classroom I think this is great for encouragement especially in schools that have low level students with less then pleasant circumstances at home.
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