Dear Teacher,
“Brain-based learning” and “brain research” are some of the current buzzwords that I am sure you hear a lot of, and possibly use yourself. I have been on the brain-based bandwagon for the last year, and I have to say that understanding the teacher-learning dichotomy and how the brain fits into it has helped me become a better teacher, and I have done a lot of research and reading to keep me on that path to better teaching.
One of the concepts that keeps coming up the more I read, research, and experience in my classroom is that of mindset. Our students need to have the mindset of success and achievement so that they can push themselves deeper and deeper into understanding what we are to teach them. This kind of mindset helps them continue on when learning becomes difficult. It helps them celebrate small successes, and this helps them push even harder for more achievement.
This mindset is something we need to instill in our students.
This is a process that takes time and intentional effort, but it is worth every second of time and ounce of effort when you start to see your students take ownership and start learning on their own. It is a beautiful thing to watch and be a part of! I think we all love watching those light bulbs turn on for our students.
One of the things that we can do to help instill this in students is to surround them with success-minded thoughts and ideas. This year, in my classroom, I put up over thirty quotes based on this. The students have really been reading them and this has helped build some of that mind-set in some of them. I wanted more than just quotes. I wanted some little things that might get lodged in their brains and help them keep the mindset growing.
That is where the Motivational ABCs come in. I made these images to print as 8.5×11 sized posters to put up around my room (I print on colored paper to help them stand out). This is just one more thing to draw my students attention in and help them continue to foster the success mindset. I realized that other teachers may be looking for something similar, so I wanted to make them available on the Teachers Pay Teachers store.
There is a poster for each letter of the alphabet and two extra motivational posters. Each poster has a color and black&white version. Each word has a “definition” in the context of a success mindset.
A-Ambition
B-Belief
C-Certainty
D-Determination
E-Effort
F-Fortitude
G-Greatness
H-Heart
I-Integrity
J-Judicious
K-Kindness
L-Learner
M-Mastery
N-Noteworthy
O-Original
P-Patience
Q-Quality
R-Resourceful
S-Success
T-Tirelessness
U-Unrelenting
V-Vigorous
W-Wide-eyed
X-X-factor
Y-Yet
Z-Zeal
You can print these up as posters, as I have, or there are a number of different ways to use them. These are the jpeg files, so you can use a printing service to make larger posters. You can print them smaller and use them as notes you can write on the back of or hand out. There are a number of different uses that you can probably think of…I won’t limit your imagination!
You are awesome! I know that you do all you can to instill the mindset of achievement. Your students will thank you later! Keep on teaching, Teacher!
Love, Teacher
Dear Teacher/Love Teacher 