Sammi and I went out for coffee the other day and came across this sign as we walked down the street. The big idea of finding the opportunity in every struggle is something we all do to one degree or another. Every one of us faces things that threaten to stop us, forever frozen in our tracks. Somehow we push though victorious, and maybe a little battle fatigued, to the other side.
Those struggles are what I call gold, we learn so much from the path less traveled. Those life lessons are what propel us to another level. They are the foundational pieces we need to face whatever is coming next.
Looking back at my own struggles, the details and lessons learned sometimes fad. Sometimes I don't always see the successes, big and small, because they have disappeared into the background of my memory.
These thoughts helped bubble up a story I read in a book last year. Watch this video for the short version.
I created this jar last year. Sometime over the summer it got buried somewhere on my desk. If you have seen my desk you would understand. Once I saw the sidewalk sign I suddenly remembered my jar.
my actual jar of awesome
My little jar now sits off to the left of my laptop. I just started using it again to help me focus on all the good that is happening every day.
The one side effect it had on me last year was I started to see all these little successes every day. It was everywhere.
I know if it had such an impact on me, what do you think it would do for your students?
Possible Next Steps
- A Jar of Awesome might be a good way for some kids to track progress. For example as they pass milestones in things that happen in the classroom, they could write down the successes. When they get stuck, or at the end of the quarter, they pull out their jar to get inspired.
- I wonder if this is a good way to record the wins you have in the classroom everyday.
- Some kids in your classrooms need this more than many will realize. Helping them see the positive is guaranteed to improve other areas of their life.
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