Warm Fuzzies

Give someone a compliment. I dare you. Tell them they have a cute top on or that you liked how hard they worked on that last project. What do you see? Most likely you see a smile, and hear a "thank you". A few months ago I was fortunate enough to attend a phenomenal training called Capturing Kids' Hearts (CKH). One of the main theories behind this model is that you have to capture a student's heart before you can capture their minds. Think about it. How many teachers did you have that you absolutely despised growing up? Did you do as strong of work in their classes as you did in the classes taught by your "favorite" teachers? Most likely not. While this is taught specifically to teachers, I think the concepts are ones we can apply to all aspects of our lives.

One of the major pushes in CKH is to give affirmations. We practiced this at the training by creating "affirmation bags" and giving them to each other over the next few days. It's amazing how much more confident you can become in yourself, and your teaching, when someone is complimenting you on it. This past week our principal had us create affirmation bags to place in the office. Over the span of three days we were supposed to affirm our coworkers. This came at a perfect time since many have completely checked out thanks to our impending break.

Many thought it was silly (and I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes now!), but it's amazing how far those affirmations lifted me this afternoon. With each affirmation that I read, the warm fuzzies in my tummy grew (I promise I'm not 3 years old. . .) I felt like I could accomplish anything in the classroom with these people's support. I can assure you that I am a much more productive worker when I feel appreciated and supported, and I'm sure many of you are too!Though it was tough not reading them all, I did save a few for a rainy day when I would need a pick-me-up.

I challenge you to affirm someone. Give them a compliment about their work or their outfit. Tell them you admire their grace and poise. Show someone how much they mean to you. It can be as small as "great job today" or as great as "you are an incredible worker and this company is lucky to have you. Affirm at least one person a day for a week and watch the change that happens. It will blow your mind!