I have been thinking a lot about happiness and what it means to me and maybe even to others. As many of you know, I have created a conference for educators that is called The Happy Teacher Conference which will be in Orlando this November. The reason why I called it The Happy Teacher Conference IS because, after I had developed the three-day program, I realized the name needed to be what my wish was for all of the participants after they had left me and the three-day event. Be Happy. We all want to be happy whether at work or at home. So why not make a declaration and put it out there.
MAKE A DECLARATION TO BE HAPPY.
Actually, I think that sometimes just saying what you want begins the steps towards achieving it. It’s no surprise to anyone that the past year has been difficult for many people, including and especially for teachers, because of COVID. But the reality is that being in the education profession can be very stressful and overwhelming even without an added pandemic or state of emergency. I think a lot of this boils down to that fact that teaching is not just a profession, but it is what some people would say is a vocation. A calling.
BE A TEACHER. BE HAPPY.
So, when we get frustrated on the job it is because we take the responsibility and the act of teaching very seriously. After all, we are working with the next generation and finding ourselves creating opportunities in our classroom to learn and grow. I recently read an article that talked about finding happiness, and it turns out it’s not as easy as it may seem. The overall message that I took from the article is that happiness is something we can create inside of us and to remember that the outside things don’t give us happiness—if they do, it will only be temporary. I want for myself, and for you, to start listing the things that make you happy inside and then make room to feed that happiness, so it becomes ingrained in us.
“Feeling good doesn’t mean that no negative thoughts cross your mind. Instead, it’ll be a more difficult place for them to grow.”
– From Exploring Your Mind
“Happiness Is a State of Mind” by Exploring Your Mind gives us two take-aways:
- If happiness is a state of mind, then your thoughts are the main actors.
- Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions
- Create ways to stop the negative script in your head
- Try to find the positive
- Many people think that happiness is well-being, while others consider it balance.
- Define happiness for you
- Mindset is key: Happiness can be permanent
Needless to say, we are not always going to be happy, but it would be great to learn that we can control how much happiness we want inside of us. Think about what makes you happy and start today with making that happen. I promise that you will see some changes just because you are being intentional. I bet your students will notice too and then they will learn by example.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION AND
BUILDING A NETWORK OF FUN
& INNOVATIVE TEACHERS?
HOW DO I KNOW IF THE HAPPY TEACHER CONFERENCE IS FOR ME?
- I love working with students and sharing a passion for learning
- I’ve lost a little bit of love for teaching
- I’m looking to reboot/re-energize my professional career
- I could use a reminder about finding a balance with my personal and professional life
- I want to network with other teachers to find a community of support