Prosperous Teaching Prosperous Learning is the beginning of an educational shift. This shift is about educators actively embarking on a journey that allows them to discover their power in fostering genuine individuality in the children that we teach. Now is the time to embrace this paradigm shift that will be the inspiration of teaching for all of our children for years to come. It is time for us to be the heroes of the 21st century . . . Let us take back our power as educators and show the world that we know what is best for our children!

Prosperous Teaching Prosperous Learning

Inspirational Thoughts for an Educational Paradigm ShiftBy Andrew S. Palumbo

BALBOA PRESS

Copyright © 2011 Andrew S. Palumbo
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-3499-2

Chapter One

Prosperous Thought

Prosperous teaching is about making every student feel important regardless of his or her circumstances. A prosperous teacher inspires students and teaches them to know that they are worthwhile. Prosperous teaching helps students to discover who they are and what their role may be in society and life.

Prosperous Thought

Write down your strengths as a classroom teacher and read them at the start of the day. End each day with thoughtful reflection and appreciate all that you do for children. Always remember that you are an important part of their lives.

Prosperous Thought

As you enter your classroom, picture in your mind the student that you struggle with the most. Find one thing positive about this student and refer to that thought as you move through the day. If you do this consistently, it begins to shift the energy of negative thought patterns, and a new pattern will emerge where positive attitudes and outcomes begin to flourish for you and this child.

Prosperous Thought

Children have an innate sense of what is and is not genuine. Know that they can intuitively feel the energy that is radiated from you. Be who you are as a person and bring the "you" into your instruction. For example, if you have a passion for music, then through the use of music, bring your excitement and enthusiasm to the lessons that you teach.

The Prosperous Classroom

Visualize yourself bringing your passions and hobbies to the lessons that you teach. See your students learn with enthusiasm because of the joy that is emitted by your teaching.

Prosperous Thought

When your class or a student is not on task and is misbehaving, instead of figuring out what the students are doing wrong, ask yourself, "What am I doing that may be causing them to react in this manner?" So often, children are simply reflecting back to us the energy that we are emitting. Check in with your internal self to get to the root of their behavior. For example, if you are not prepared when delivering a lesson, the students will also be discombobulated, and it will reflect in their behaviors.

The Prosperous Classroom

When you realize that the class developed a lack of focus for something as simple as pacing, organizational deficiencies, or lack of preparedness, you will also realize that you, as a teacher, can affect their focus. See yourself making the necessary changes in future lessons. This will make you a better teacher and improve students' behaviors.

Prosperous Thought

Instead of trying to force a child with a disability into the conformity of your classroom, conform your own thinking and actions to those of the student!

The Prosperous Classroom

Make a conscious choice to accept students with disabilities in your classroom. See yourself tolerating the students who need to self-stimulate by making noises or moving freely around the classroom while you deliver instruction. Embrace their needs and work with them from where they are in their learning styles.

Prosperous Thought

Actively seek out the dominant intelligence (logical/ mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, linguistic, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic) in your students. Offer opportunities within your classroom to enhance these intelligences.

The Prosperous Classroom

Design your classroom so that areas are set up to engage students in the various Multiple Intelligences. Develop and deliver lessons that tap each of the intelligences.

Prosperous Thought

At the end of a lesson or the day, tap the students' understanding by having them close their eyes while you talk them through everything they have learned in that lesson or day. Visualization is a very powerful tool that can reinforce and tap intrinsic learning for students as well as all other people!

Prosperous Thought

Once a week, lock into your consciousness a vision for each of your students. See them as being productive members of society. Factor in their strengths and skills as you visualize them in society, thriving and contributing. For example, picture a student that you have taught who shows strengths in mathematical logic. See this student designing a new tool for an engineering firm or teaching mathematics to college students.

The Prosperous Classroom

See yourself sitting down to write out your weekly plans. Be cognizant of your students who demonstrate an interest in the various topics being taught. See if there is a way to foster their interest to greater degrees on the subject being taught. All of our students have their particular niche, and it is our job to consciously foster their interest and understanding of that niche.

Prosperous Thought

Know that you are a powerful force in the lives of your students. The energy that you radiate in your teaching can define a student's potential for success in your classroom as well as society! Tell your students what their strengths are and how these can be used as they proceed in life.

The Prosperous Classroom

See yourself genuinely engaging your students in conversation. Initiate individual discussions with students to get to know them more personally. Share your experiences and interests during these informal talks to let the students know that you are much more than just their classroom teacher.

Prosperous Thought

We as teachers need to refrain from making judgments about parents, administrators, students, or other staff. People's complexities may not be recognized through surface appearances or interactions. It is really easy to form false perceptions about people if you don't genuinely interact with them and get to know who they are as individuals.

Prosperous Thought

Think back to when you were in school and try to remember when you had an interaction with a teacher that really made a positive impression on you. Think about how you felt and what the teacher did that made you feel that way. Try to do the same for a student in your classroom.

Prosperous Thought

Discover or rediscover what makes you great as an educator and person. Make a list of your positive attributes and qualities. Once you have a grasp of your greatness, then you can turn to your students and help them to discover their greatness.

The Prosperous Classroom

Throughout a school day, see yourself actively telling your students that they are working hard, being kind to each other, sharing, displaying empathy toward each other, and so forth. Notice the change in the feel of your classroom as you make this interactional shift.

Prosperous Thought

We, as teachers, need to learn how to deliver instruction that fosters and promotes self-actualization for our students. The students need to know their internal mechanisms that will assist them to become productive members of a community where they work, live, and play. Until we are able to do this, we have not fully...