Starting the New Year Right

If you have been following me on Instagram, you may know this year hasn't ended well for me. It's been rough! Our family suffered a loss and it has taken an emotional toll on me. I learned an important, eye opening lesson though.

A day or two after I got out of the hospital (surgery as a result of the loss) my husband and I went to the store. That day I was feeling so much pain. I was an emotional wreck. I realized walking around the store though that even though I felt completely broken inside, those around me were completely oblivious. They had no idea that I was experiencing one of the worst days of my life. None. As I shared in an Instagram story later that day, it made me think of our students. What invisible pain and heartbreak do they carry in to our classrooms? What are they holding inside? What are their stoic faces hiding? It's hard to know and something that as teachers I now strongly believe we should keep in mind.

I found a quote online that really hit home for me. This is it:

As we enter 2019 I am determined to keep that in mind, and to get myself back on track emotionally.

In order to help I have created some documents that I want to share with you (and anyone who needs them!). They are both free downloads in my TpT store. The first is a mood tracker.

There is a rectangle for each day. You choose a color to represent a mood (some are provided or there is an alternate option with space to write down your own chosen moods) and color a rectangle a day to match the mood you feel. These can be printed out and given to students to keep in their notebooks and are great for teachers to use too! It is so simple and small, but can let you see at a glance where your students are emotionally.

The second document is a classroom topic tracker. It was also created for class notebooks to give a quick look at what topics are being discussed each week in class. This is great for keeping yourself - and your students on track.

Click on the pictures to be taken to each free download, or click this link to be brought to both: Free Downloads

As always, I hope you are doing well! I hope you are content in life, and are happy! If there is anything I can do for you, if you need extra motivation, or an ear to vent to, please feel free to reach out!

Randi