Hands-on, Practical Guidance for Educators

From math, literacy, equity, multilingual learners, and SEL, to assessment, school counseling, and education leadership, our books are research-based and authored by experts on topics most relevant to what educators are facing today.

Look Inside

Lucky to Be a Teacher

Life-Changing Affirmations for Positive Classrooms

Second Edition
By: Louise A. Chickie-Wolfe

Renew and reinvigorate your commitment to teaching!

Positive affirmations guide the brain to positive thinking. This gem of a workbook expands on motivating themes to help readers establish goals, deepen self-understanding, maintain a positive perspective in their work, and reinforce their commitment to excellence in teaching. This resource is an ideal gift for teachers to help them build the necessary resilience to stay in the field. Features include:

33 updated affirmations to encourage teachers in their pursuit of a positive classroom
Guided reflection questions with room for response
Writing prompts to help teachers write their own affirmations

Full description

Look Inside

Product Details

Grade Level: K-12
ISBN: 9781412972628
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2009
Page Count: 96
Publication date: November 06, 2012

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

"There is no more exhilarating, exciting, or downright demanding job than that of a teacher. Chickie-Wolfe has captured many of the dispositions and attributions that great teachers have possessed or developed in the process of becoming great. Using this workbook to elaborate, reflect, and act on these and other such affirmations will help you be a great teacher."
—Robert Rivers, Dean, School of Education
Purdue University Calumet

Renew and reinvigorate your commitment to teaching!

Positive affirmations guide the brain to positive thinking. This gem of a workbook inspires educators at all grade levels and points in their careers to strive for excellence every day. Louise A. Chickie-Wolfe expands on core motivating affirmations to help readers establish goals, deepen self-understanding, maintain a positive perspective in their work, and reinforce their commitment to teaching as a profession.

The second edition of Lucky to Be a Teacher is an ideal gift for teachers to honor the essential work they do and help build the necessary resilience to stay in the field. Features include:

33 updated affirmations to encourage teachers in their pursuit of a positive classroom
Guided reflection questions with room for response to accompany each affirmation
Writing prompts to help teachers write their own affirmations

Reignite the passion and drive that drew you to teaching as a career and reap the benefits of a positive outlook, an energized classroom, and joyful students!

Key features

New in this edition:

33 updated affirmations to encourage teachers in their pursuit of a positive classroom
33 extensive elaborations that describe how to make each affirmation a reality in your classroom
Guided reflections of the elaborations that encourage teachers to create a positive mindset
Guidelines and prompts for writing your own personalized affirmations with room for responses

Author(s)

Louise A. Chickie-Wolfe

In 2008, Louise A. Chickie-Wolfe retired from classroom teaching after 35 years of experience. She taught general education, gifted children, and students with serious learning and behavioral problems. Her experience covers elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels. Chickie-Wolfe has also informed, inspired, and motivated educators and parents at workshops across the country. She currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at Purdue University Calumet, where she has worked for more than 30 years. She trained and supervised student teachers at Peabody College, where she also taught courses in special education and managing academic and social behavior in the classroom. Named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Indiana chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children and again by the Inland Steel/Ryerson Foundation, Chickie-Wolfe was also named The Times 2008 Woman of Merit, received a Master Teacher Endowment, and spoke at the International School Psychology Association’s 2007 Colloquium in Tempere, Finland. In that same year, she received a grant to create and sponsor a junior historical society in her community for students in Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8, which keeps her busy and maintains her involvement with students. She is the co-author of the book Fostering Independent Learning and co-authored a chapter in Best Practices in School Psychology V on study skills. She is the educational and behavioral consultant and speaker/trainer for Schoolhouse Treasures Ink, Inc. She earned her doctorate degree at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Special Education and Human Development.

Through these varied experiences and with the love of her family and friends, Chickie-Wolfe has developed a teaching and personal philosophy that is positive, sensitive, and highly successful.

Table of Contents

List of Affirmations

Preface

About the Author

Introduction

What Are Cognitive Affirmations

Your Brain Believes What You Tell It

Brain-Compatible Instruction

The Nature of the Message

Practice Makes Perfect

How to Use This Workbook Effectively

References

The Affirmations, Elaborations, and Guided Reflections

Affirmation 1. I Believe in the Inherent Worth of Each Student

Affirmation 2. I Make a Difference in the Lives of My Students

Affirmation 3. I Create a Safe and Friendly Atmosphere in My Classroom

Affirmation 4. I Smile a Lot and Am Very Positive in My Work

Affirmation 5. I Say Exactly What I Mean and Mean Exactly What I Say

Affirmation 6. I Am Fair and Considerate of My Students' Feelings

Affirmation 7. I Am Creative and Competent

Affirmation 8. I Realize That Teaching Is a Profession of Utmost Importance

Affirmation 9. I Believe That Children Are Our Most Important Natural Resource

Affirmation 10. I Am a Lifelong Learner and My Students Know It

Affirmation 11. I Am Organized and I Plan Ahead

Affirmation 12. I Believe That Teaching Is Satisfying and Rewarding

Affirmation 13. I Am Not the Same Teacher I Was Yesterday Because Each Day I Learn and Experience More

Affirmation 14. I Remember How Much It Hurts to Fail and I Am Patient and Understanding With Students' Difficulties

Affirmation 15. I Do Not Take Personally Anything Said to Me in Anger by a Student

Affirmation 16. I Am Consistent and Knowledgeable in My Field

Affirmation 17. I Know My Students' Abilities and I Have Realistic Expectations for Each of Them

Affirmation 18. My Students and I Become a Family

Affirmation 19. I Celebrate Every Milestone--Even the Smallest Ones

Affirmation 20. I Help My Students Find Academic and Personal Success

Affirmation 21. I Model Honesty and Dependability

Affirmation 22. I Encourage My Students to Think

Affirmation 23. I Enjoy the Diversity of My Students

Affirmation 24. I Share Positive Moments From My Class With Colleagues

Affirmation 25. I Know How the Brain Works Best and I Teach Accordingly

Affirmation 26. I Make Personal Connections With My Students

Affirmation 27. I Help My Students Make Personal Connections to What They Study

Affirmation 28. I Incorporate Service Projects Into My Teaching

Affirmation 29. I Welcome Change and Handle It Easily

Affirmation 30. I Seek and Find Peace in My Workplace as I Help Build a Better World

Affirmation 31. I Respect My Students and They Respect Me

Affirmation 32. My Students and I Have Fun Together

Affirmation 33. My Students and I Learn Together

Guidelines for Writing Your Own Affirmations

Workspace for Writing Your Own Affirmations

Reviews

"There is no more exhilarating, exciting, or downright demanding job than that of a teacher. Chickie-Wolfe has captured many of the dispositions and attributions that great teachers have possessed or developed in the process of becoming great. Using this workbook to elaborate, reflect, and act on these and other such affirmations will help you be a great teacher."

Robert Rivers, Dean, School of Education
Purdue University Calumet

"Chickie-Wolfe captures the essence of what it means to be a teacher through the values that permeate these affirmations. At the heart of her message is the deep belief that the world of ideas is of central importance to us as teachers and as human beings. She not only gives us the rare opportunity to shape our thoughts, which give substance to our beliefs, but offers us myriad possibilities of becoming happier and more successful in all that we do, which is the sign of a remarkable teacher."

Mari Koerner, Dean, College of Teacher Education and Leadership
Arizona State University

"In my current role, I would encourage teachers and principals to utilize the positive affirmation questions to begin staff meetings and facilitate meaningful dialogue. Too often, we don’t take the time for reflection, which is imperative to our growth. Our goal is to create a positive and nurturing environment for all of our children to learn and grow. The reflective nature of the workbook can help create this reality."

Shannon O'Brien, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
School City of Hobart, IN

Other Titles in: Teacher Induction | Teaching Methods & Learning Styles | Learning Styles

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.