This is part II of our three part series on our language and how our words impact our students and children. In part I, we introduced the concept of positive language, common negative language that we use and the importance of a shift to positive language.
In part II, we are challenging our readers to evaluate your language. Being aware of language is a great first step and we hope that our first blog post on this topic introduced you to this concept and practice. Now, you can take that a little bit further and evaluate your language.
If you have an iphone, find your voice memo app and record yourself teaching a class, talking with your own kids or teaching a private lesson. When you get home or have time to evaluate your recording, listen to your recording. What could you shift in your language? What could you change from a negative to a positive?
All of us have language "habits" or things that we regularly say, are you using positive phrasing or negative phrasing? Maybe you are a positive language rockstar. YEAH if that's you!
Most of us have a few things that we could adjust to make our language positive, focus in on one "thing" that you say and work to change that language to a positive comment. Then repeat this exercise until you are implementing more positive language.
Share with us the impact that you have seen in your classroom or with your kids!