All my daffodils are blooming. Seeing them reminds me that sometimes it takes a while to see the full outcome of your work. I planted new bulbs in the fall, alongside bulbs from prior years. When you plant bulbs, you have to hope that they are planted at the right depth - or they won’t grow. Too shallow and the squirrels will dig them up, and leave them half eaten, just to spite you. And, along with watching for the first shoots to poke up through the leaves and snow, It is always fun to see daffodils popping up where I know I didn’t plant any at all. To be a gardener requires some degree of optimism, a lot of patience, and some trial and error to learn what works best for the plants in your yard. It’s that patient optimism that carries us through the winter as gardeners, knowing that there is joy in all of the steps- from picking out what to plant, doing the planting, tending the beds, watching the growth, and enjoying the blooms.
Shawn Achor was one of the keynote speakers at the ASCD conference this year. His research focus is happiness, and how to increase optimism through interconnectedness. The lessons he shared are essential and relevant to educators, to students, to parents, to board members, and to district staff members. I encourage you to look at the resources I have linked below. The brief information I can share through my reflection this week should spark your interest in learning more.
Lesson 1: If you always process the world through the same lens, you get cognitively stuck and you can’t adapt. Building connections to people who can walk alongside you as you approach problems, and suggest solutions or options from a different lens pushes you out of this “stuck” mindset. Think about your classroom style - do you always teach the same thing the same way? Do you fall back on the same assessment tools, the same engagement ideas? Who can you reach out to that will push on this, give you a new perspective or add new strategies to your toolbox? How can we give students the opportunities to push out of their own academic comfort zones?
Lesson 2: Meaningful Work does not prevent burnout. Making statements like “ If only I had or could do _____________, then I would be happy. All this does is postpone happiness. And, according to Achor, your brain will always continue to move the bar as it constantly works to reframe success. Instead, happiness that is shared can lead to success. He shared a study that demonstrated an individual looking at a steep hill saw it as almost impossible to climb. Two individuals, when looking at the hill together, saw it as less high, less intense, and climbable. The research outcome, including another brain makes your perception of overcoming a challenge more positive. Sooooo many ways to think about this in our professional lives, personal lives, and in our classrooms.
Lesson 3: Shared Positive Mindsets fill your cup and lead to agility in thinking, improved performance, increased creativity, and increased empathy. The research is compelling. Happiness can break down the systems that are leading to depression, anxiety, and stress. All of the work around mindfulness, breathing, exercise and movement, social cohesion, and developing empathy is not “just another thing” or “time away from core academics”. Use Achor’s work to plan parent nights, board presentations, and community messaging to talk about how these living skills are necessary if students are going to be prepared to take on the world in front of them - and be innovators, analytical and critical thinkers, and be happy.
Lesson 4: It is possible to reshape your brain to scan for positivity in the world around you. To do this, you must find NOVEL things you are grateful for for 21 days in a row. And, for good measure, spend 2 minutes a day to give sincere praise or a thank you to one person a day, at least 3 days in a row - really try for 8 days in a row. This shared gratitude will reframe the way you approach your day. And you will have a ripple effect on those around you.
Because I have continued to explore how to work with ChatGPT, I thought about how ChatGPT might be used if you are working to see the world through a positive lens. Again, ChatGPT is not human, and can’t replace the empathy that comes along with working with colleagues. With that in mind, I gave it this prompt:
You are an optimistic bot. I am going to give you a scenario and I want you to respond with 3-5 questions that will help frame my solution thinking in a positive way.
ChatGPT: Sure, I'd be happy to help you with that! Please go ahead and give me the scenario.
Me:I have a project I have wanted to work on, but I just can’t find the time. I don’t think it will ever get done.
ChatGPT: I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling stuck. Here are some framing questions that can help you approach the situation more optimistically:
How important is this project to you? Why is it important? Consider the long-term benefits of completing this project and what impact it might have on your life or work.
How can you break the project down into smaller, more manageable tasks? Consider setting achievable goals for yourself, such as working on the project for a certain amount of time each day or week. This can help make the project feel less overwhelming and more achievable.
Can you delegate some of the tasks involved in the project to others? Consider whether there are other people who might be able to help you with some of the tasks involved in the project. This can help reduce your workload and free up time for other important things.
Is there a specific time of day when you tend to be most productive or creative? Consider scheduling time to work on the project during this time, and use this time to focus exclusively on the project.
Finally, remember that progress is progress, no matter how small. Celebrate the small wins along the way, and be kind to yourself if things don't always go according to plan. The most important thing is to keep moving forward and stay motivated.
I tried some classroom scenarios too - and ChatGPT responded with similar, appropriate questions.
Resources To Spark Your Thinking:
Shawn Achor’s Homepage - Includes links to both of his books (also available as Audible books)
TedTalk - The Happy Secret To Better Work
YouTube - The Happiness Advantage
Why Compliments Make Us Feel So Good - And How to Get Better At Giving Them
Do Compliments Make You Cringe - Here’s Why (Harvard Business Review)
And…my own personal reminder that positivity can result in change - I have the Chinese proverb - “The man who moves a mountain starts with a single stone” in my office, along with the basket of stones I have moved. What drives you to see problems as solvable and challenges as learning opportunities?