Joan Moser
July 27, 2012
Do you have an inspiration file? I keep mine in my filing cabinet, but you could also house it in a box tucked away. Here's what I put inside mine:
- Notes from children
- Letters from parents and grandparents
- Educational articles that inspire
- Notes from colleagues
- Hand drawn pictures
- Notes from my principal
- Special photos of my class
- Happy emails from people I appreciate
- Awards for my accomplishments
- Poems I love
An inspiration file can be used in many ways. To begin, it's a great place to put things you don't want to throw away but don't really have a place for. Sentimental notes can clutter your "action" stack, so moving them to an inspiration file is a perfect fit.
Looking for a way to help build a "sense of urgency" with your children? Browse through your inspiration file and pick out some appropriate notes from students that express a love of school or reading and writing. Even portions of letters written by parents could work for this purpose. Read them to your new students to "set the tone" for learning for the year.
Another use for your inspiration file is for those challenging days. I sometimes shut my door after school, take out the folder and disappear inside for a few minutes. Somehow, even reading just a few notes gets me ready to give it another try or think of another solution.
But here's my favorite purpose for the inspiration file. Each fall, right before school begins, I take it out and read each and every piece. It helps to calm me down in the middle of the chaos of "begin the year preparations." It makes me feel grateful that my job is teaching children and working with families. I'm reminded that I need to take each child, one at time, and do the best I can for them because, what I do makes a difference. What a great way to begin the year!