Teaching is notorious for being a stressful and difficult job for newcomers. I don’t remember where I read the suggestion to keep a “Motivational Folder,” but it seems like a good one. The idea behind it is that a teacher would populate this folder with pieces of inspirational or motivational objects from teaching. For example, letters from former students, complimentary reviews, etc,; basically anything that might make you feel better when you are questioning why you ever decided to willingly subject yourself to this profession.
I decided to start my own motivational folder during my methods experience last semester. After a couple weeks of teaching, I had my students complete an impromptu critique of me and my teaching. I had them complete the phrase, “One thing you do well is ______ and two things I think you could do better is ___________.” I got some pretty interesting answers (both positive and negative) but one really stood to me:
“One thing I enjoy about the way you teach is you are fun! You mix in jokes and funny words into your teaching! Your vocabulary makes it fun. All of the work you have given us has taught us at the same pace or even faster. I think you should just keep doing what you are doing, everybody needs experience and you’re getting it. So keep it up and if people have problems with you at all…they are dumb!”
I’ll take it 
I’m going to be looking for more of these objects to put in this folder over time. What about you veteran teachers? Do you have a motivational folder? If so, what do you put in it?
I had never heard of this idea until yesterday at a professional development workshop when the speaker (Todd Whitaker) mentioned the idea of an “attaboy/attagirl file,” which I think is comparable. It’s a great idea, in my opinion.
I also like your idea of a quick evaluation – in fact, I have something else I’ve been wanting to do, and that might be easily integrated into it. Thanks for the idea.
[...] January 13 Mr. Spurlin tells of his process of making a Motivational Folder. My motivational folder from my first two years probably would have included things like “The [...]