A No Good, Very Bad Day

I put a post on The Mailbox® Facebook page recently regarding a teacher’s tweet about having a bad day. She was a new teacher and felt like she wasn’t effective, didn’t know what she was doing, and would have to quit after her first year. The comments from teachers were varied and full of good ideas and support. Check out the selection below. Also, bookmark this blog. When you’re having a bad day–and we all have them–read these uplifting comments. Better yet, print them out and tack them up in your classroom!

  • Find a teacher friend to help you manage things…their experience is the best remedy when you are feeling overwhelmed! You need to know that you’re never in it alone ❤️
  • What exactly went wrong? Is there something you can do to avoid that tomorrow?
  • Take a deep breath. You are stronger than you think. Talk about what happened and try to look at it from a different angle. Remember they need us.
  • Think of one positive thing you did today, one student you reached. Teaching is hard but you can do it!
  • Never make a decision in a valley, and never make a decision on a mountaintop. Teaching has really high and really low days–and so many days in between are the best ones that don’t compare to the extremes. Write down your WHY for teaching and draw back to that when you’re discouraged!
  • 30+ years of teaching and I still encounter days like that. If you give up during those days, you miss the wonderfully rewarding moments.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
  • I remind myself that my students will never remember a single lesson I taught them, but they will remember how they felt in my classroom. Were they loved & valued? Did we laugh and persevere? Did I show them a love & excitement for a certain subject?
  • Sometimes when I have a rough day, I use the next day like the first day of school, maybe moving seats around and doing first-day style activities. Sounds silly but it sets a positive attitude!
  • Keep the students on their toes. Be free with positive remarks. Laugh at yourself often (in front of the kids.) 
  • Look at your classroom management system. Does it need to be tweaked or changed? Your management system can make all the difference.
  • Every day is for learning . Sometimes it’s what to repeat, sometimes it’s what to discard.
  • On the difficult days, a veteran teacher would always ask me, “Did they learn at least one thing today?” When I answered yes, she would always say, “Then you were a success!”

All the best!


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