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UNIT 5: CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDEDavid St. Germain told his class, “When you get up in the morning you put on your attitude, just like you put on your clothes.”

We all choose our attitudes and, like our clothing, some attitudes work better than others. They impact how we perform as well as how others perceive us. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to blame external forces for our less-than-productive attitudes: “He made me angry!” “She didn’t give me a choice!” As educators you hear this all the time in the classroom and even in the staff lounge. But while we cannot always control circumstances, we can always choose the way we deal with them. As Scott, one of the students from Chaska High School, says, “No one chooses your attitude for you. You choose your own attitude.”

Choose Your Attitude is not an order: “You better Choose Your Attitude or else!” It is not a value judgment: “You need to choose a better attitude.” Rather, it is awareness—that attitude is a choice that belongs to you alone. Choose

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This unit is part of the FISH! For Schools Guided Journey.Visit www.fishforschools.com or call 800.328.3789 to learn more.

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Your Attitude describes what psychologists say is the key to healthy relationships—taking responsibility for your responses to what life throws in front of you.

There is a difference between feelings and attitudes. If someone cuts you off as you drive to school, your body produces a physical/chemical reaction—adrenaline. You feel scared or threatened. What happens next is your choice. You can take a deep breath and proceed safely to school—a calm attitude—or you can swear, make hand gestures, and tailgate—a defiant, “I’ll show you!” attitude. We do not control our feelings. They are our innate reactions. We do control our attitudes—our chosen responses.

There are times when seemingly negative attitudes like anger, melancholy or sorrow are not only appropriate, but also healthy. The question is not “Do I have what others consider the ‘correct’ attitude,” but “Does the attitude I’ve chosen help me/us accomplish what I/we hope to accomplish?”

As you watch this unit’s video, consider these questions:• What attitudes do I usually bring to school?• What triggers them?• How do my attitudes impact my students, my

colleagues and me?• How do the attitudes I choose help me to be the person I

want to be?

WatchVideo Unit 5: Choose Your Attitude

What stood out for you in the video?

Record your thoughts:

Discuss and Reflect“Dress” for Success• What socks did you put on this morning?

Why did you choose them?

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• When you got out of bed this morning, what attitudedid you choose to wear?

• What factors contributed to your choice?• If you were to start your day again, would you make the

same choice? Why or why not?

BECOMING MORE AWAREDavid St. Germain says, “You’ve always got an attitude. Could be a nasty attitude, a bad attitude, a cranky attitude, but you’ve always got an attitude. The point here is: Is that the attitude you want to choose?”

Consider the five situations listed below. How do you typically react? How do you usually feel? What words do you use? What actions do you take?

Situation: A student who often talks in class and does not participate comes in without her homework assignment. Reactions (Feelings, Words, Actions):

Situation: A cooperative student informs you that he does not have his homework.Reactions (Feelings, Words, Actions):

Situation: During your prep period, a student asks to speak with you about a problem.Reactions (Feelings, Words, Actions):

Situation: At conferences, a parent blames you for his child’s poor performance. Reactions (Feelings, Words, Actions):

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Situation: You get a memo telling you that there is an extra staff meeting being added after school next Tuesday. Reactions (Feelings, Words, Actions):

Examine your list of reactions. Which of them help make the situation better? Which of them do not?

For each of your reactions you judge to be “unproductive,” what might be a more helpful response?

MORE THAN ACADEMICSNancy O’Malley of PS59 observes, “You’re not just a teacher, you’re a counselor, you’re a nurse, you’re a referee—so you’re constantly doing things that you don’t necessarily think you’d be doing. But you have to move through them to actually get to the teaching.”

Sometimes it’s easier to choose a productive attitude when you are prepared for what is likely to come at you. List some of the roles you are typically asked to play that go beyond teaching or administration. Next to each role

list an attitude that might help you to play that role more effectively, and the impact your choice has.

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ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTWhy do people tend to act in ways that confirm how we perceive them? One reason may be the way we treat them. For example, if a student we like comes to school in a grumpy mood, we may ask if there’s something wrong or offer to help; we may just be more patient. The emotional support that a student receives helps turn things around, and we feel an even greater connection. But if another student, one we perceive as troublesome, arrives in a grumpy mood, we may chalk it up to their personality and not offer the same type of support. The student remains grumpy, perhaps causing additional disruption, and we have helped to reinforce our own belief.

• Are there any of your students you may treat differentlybased on your perceptions of them? What attitudes haveyou adopted toward them as a result?

Role Attitude Impact

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• What attitude might you choose that would have a morebeneficial impact?

THE POWER OF PERSPECTIVEDaryl Yarmolovich says that when he’s having a bad day, his colleagues help him regain his perspective. “They help me see the good things that happened; even though I don’t think it was a good day, good things did happen.”

A perspective driven by awareness helps you pull back and see that the things that upset you, in the bigger picture, are smaller than they first appear.

• What or who are you most thankful for in your life?At school? How can you stay more aware of thisthroughout your day?

• When you think about all the good in your life, howdoes it influence how you think about the not so good?

CONSCIOUS CHOICEJulie Howard: “It’s a conscious choice about what kind of

teacher you want to be and what kind of school you want to have.”

• What kind of person do you want to be in theclassroom? In your life?

• What kinds of attitudes help you to “be” that person?

• When you consciously choose to be that person, what isthe payoff to you?

Do1. Wear Your AttitudeUsing a nametag or makeshift badge ormasking tape, choose an attitude and wear

it for a day. See what reaction you get as you wear it in class and around school. Ask your class to evaluate how consistently you live that attitude. You also can post your attitude on the board. Invite students to post their attitudes as well and see how well they live them. Negative attitudes are allowed; the point is to acknowledge and take responsibility for your choices. If your choice isn’t working for you, you can always change it.

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2. What Do You Admire?Think about your most challenging student. List three things you admire about the student, and share these observations with him or her. Continue to hold these thoughts in your mind when working with this student and see how it affects your relationship.

3. Gratitude JournalWhen you are grateful for all you have, it is easier, when confronted with something you do not have or a situation you do not necessarily want, to respond thoughtfully. Keep a gratitude journal. At the end of each day, record five good things that happened during the day.

4. Class Gratitude JournalTogether with your students list three good things that happened in class each day. Your students will start looking for the positive!

5. Stress Be-GoneWith your students, brainstorm strategies to let go of outside concerns so they are better able to choose an attitude conducive to learning. As a class, practice some of the strategies over the next week. Discuss the impact.

6. Breathe for 3If you feel your attitude is not what you’d like it to be, before you do or say anything else, try this. Inhale to a count of three, hold it for a count of three, and exhale

to a count of three and pause for a count of three. It will slow your heart rate and give you time to consider your response.

7. Read one of the following FISH! For Schools educator recommendations:The Best School Year Ever, Barbara Robinson. Hilariously written for elementary students but with a message for everyone.

Schools of FISH!, Philip Strand, Andy Halper and John Christensen. Heart-warming and practical stories about educators who use The FISH! Philosophy to make a difference in the lives of their students—and in their own lives.

To Know as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey, Parker J. Palmer. Exploration of how heart and mind together contribute to stronger education.

8. Words = AttitudeIn Unit 1 of the Guided Journey, you considered the power of your words to influence your thinking. To practice being more aware of the words you use—out loud or in your head—for the next few days write a word or two that describes how you are feeling today about:

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ACTION DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 Getting ready for work Driving to and from work Motivated students Unmotivated students Paperwork Discipline issues Colleagues Family Family responsibilities Finances and bills Plans for the evening

• Do you see any patterns?

• What did you notice as you wrote your feelings onpaper?

• How did it affect your perspective or choice of words?

• Did it change from Day 1 to Day 3?

9. What’s More Important?For one week, before you deal with a disagreement orcrisis, ask yourself: Is this problem more important thanthe relationships that will be affected by my reaction to it?

10. Giant Attitude GraphChoose 6 to 10 attitudes that reflect the typical range ofattitudes of your team or staff. Create a graph (see examplebelow) and post it in your staff lounge or central office.Invite people to initial the attitude they brought to schooleach day. Laminate the graph or use a white board so itcan be erased and completed each day (and so people canchoose to change their attitudes throughout the day).

OUR STAFF ATTITUDE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28

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