I am now in room 22 instead of room 23. I was in a room that was purpose-built as a science lab and now am in a room that was built to be an ELA room. It’s a big change for a teacher to switch rooms. I spent five school years in room 23 and, despite its poor physical condition, I loved working in that space.
Each room in a school is unique and it takes time to be able to use that room effectively - it may not make sense as a student but trust me, that’s the way it is from the teacher perspective.
When Mr. Holtz told me he was changing my room assignment, I went through a lot of different emotions. I was disappointed, angry and sad. For several weeks I was upset. Finally, I realized that all these negative feelings were not productive and would distract me from my mission - teaching science. I had to find a way to let them go and focus on the positive.
So, here’s what I did. I intentionally reframed how I was thinking about the move. Instead of “I’m losing my science lab,” I starting thinking, “I get to build my own science lab.”
Flipping my internal thoughts from a negative place to a positive place has helped me prepare for the new year and the new space. I confess, it hasn’t been perfect. I still have some of that sadness and anger lingering under the surface, but I’ve been trying to maintain a positive thought pattern. It’s been good for me.
This is a strategy you can adopt, too - sometimes, if you get in a dark headspace, one thing you can do is talk yourself out of it. You can literally fool your emotions by recasting your thoughts to the bright side. It won’t be perfect but it would be a step in the right direction.
No one gains from negative thoughts - try to find the silver lining in what has you unhappy or upset.
The past is the past and it’s over. Time to look to the future.
For me, new space = new opportunities.
Wow 5 school years
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