The Power of a Positive Attitude

When interviewing teachers, one of the most important things that I am looking for is a positive attitude. There is so much that we as educators do not have control of (poverty, parental commitment, students' lack of experiences before entering school, etc.) The one thing that we have complete control of, however, is our attitude. If given the choice of hiring a teacher who is skillful at teaching with a poor attitude or a teacher who is lacking teaching skills with a positive attitude, I will always choose the ladder. I've had the privilege of working with educators who embrace a great sense of optimism and it is very inspiring. Teachers who approach their practice in a positive way are very genuine in their love for children. Their enthusiasm spreads like wldfire and it is so powerful! As an administrator, I have seen teachers who view everything as an insurmountable challenge and they constantly dampen everyone else's enthusiasm. It's really exhausting. Give me a teacher with lots of will and I can take care of providing her with the skill to match. As educators, we have a choice. We can view our job as an impossible challenge or we can embrace the career we have chosen by instilling in our kids a sense of efficacy.