Category Archives: Emotion

The Emotional Temperature of a Classroom: What Does The Thermometer Read?

03 Friday Nov 2023

Posted by in Actions, Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Emotion, Emotional Temperature, Empower, Leader, Leadership, Teachers

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The other day, I was listening to a future educator talk about what issues she sees in education and where they are going. One topic she hit on was how students gauge the emotional temperature of the classroom. Interesting thought, I told her, and then she gave me examples of her past teachers and how those classrooms felt.

So, I got to thinking more about this…

Education isn’t just about textbooks and lectures, and contrary to popular belief, it should be more than test scores, but that is where we live with education at the moment. At some point, we have gotten away from the idea that educating the whole child is not the best for students.

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But I digress…

The classroom… Education should be about creating a positive and inclusive learning environment centered around all students; this can be gauged by its “emotional temperature.” This thermometer reflects the climate in a classroom and plays a pivotal role in determining students’ success.

A positive emotional temperature in a classroom fosters engagement and motivation. Allowing students to feel safe where they enjoy the environment, where they are supported and valued, they are more likely to actively participate in their learning. Oh, but how this sometimes does not happen, and as educators, we miss the opportunity…

Too often, we see students only in school to fulfill the attendance requirements. Many students are genuinely interested in the subject matter, and this enthusiasm fuels their success. So, why do so many students enter a cold emotional climate? This cold climate is usually characterized by fear, anxiety, or indifference; all which can stifle students’ curiosity and willingness to learn. Considering this, why would we not want to offer an inviting atmosphere?

A warm emotional temperature also promotes well-being; just like getting out in the sun helps your immune system. Students who feel emotionally secure in the classroom are more likely to manage stress effectively, build resilience, and maintain their mental health.

Now, what about the teachers? Emotional temperature directly affects student-teacher relationships. Teachers who are approachable, and supportive often inspire trust and admiration among their students. These strong bonds encourage open communication, making it easier for students to seek help when they’re struggling, leading to more substantial progress in their academic journey and through all of this, standards can still be kept high.

Educational environments must collectively strive to maintain a warm emotional temperature in the classroom and with teachers to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive academically and emotionally.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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Are You, As A Teacher, An Advocate For Our Profession?

24 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by in Actions, Advocate, Appreciation, Attitude, Choice, Education, Educational Leadership, Effective, Emotion, Encouragement, Future, Leader, Leadership, Passion, Teacher Shortage, Teachers, Value

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Question for the week… With there being a teacher shortage, are you, as a teacher, an advocate for our profession?

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First, let me say that I enjoy being an educator. For those who know me, I hope you can say that my passion for education and educational leadership is very high. With that being said, I also know that there are times when teaching can wear you down. The list of items that go to this is endless, but that might be a topic for a future blog. Anyway…

I enjoy seeing teachers who are passionate about their jobs. But how many teachers do we see and hear who are not? That bothers me. For example, a future teacher recently told me that a high school teacher asked what she wanted to do. When she said she wanted to be a teacher, the actual teacher told her, “Good luck with that.” Why would they say that?

For the most part, society does not help advocate the teaching profession. Society will quickly tell us what is wrong with our profession and how we can do it better. I have always said that we are in trouble when we allow non-educators to make educational decisions. If we do not see ourselves as advocates for education, we leave the door open to the outside to determine our standing.

Teachers who are advocates see the end goal of education. They see growing students to become productive citizens in society. They look beyond students being “test scores” and provide an environment that is welcoming and conducive to learning. This is what passion for being an educator is about. It’s about telling success stories that are positive and uplifting. But, as we know, it’s only the negative stories that travel at a great speed…

Take this from one of my go-to “old heads” of education… “There is nothing ever printed or said about the positive aspects of teaching-with those in the profession being the most negative. The intrinsic values are rarely voiced. Being a teacher is the most valuable profession a young person can pursue, but most never hear many positive aspects that make it appealing!!! Just my humble opinion!!!”

I’ll go on and say this, if you are a teacher who cannot speak positively and advocate for our profession, please leave the profession and let those who want to be educators set ablaze the way that will light the way for many others. Yes, there are things wrong with education, just like any other business, but I get sick of hearing the statement, “You signed up for this.” That’s just bad leadership all the way around. These negative nay-sayers teachers are a disease to the profession and will create sores that fester and affect everyone around.

By nature, passionate people inspire. Why not do that for future educators? As I said in last week’s blog The Lengthening of the Teacher Shortage… Is there an end?, “We must give those who are even remotely thinking about becoming an educator a reason to be one. However, if our future teachers are in our schools today, and they are, how do you think they look at the teaching profession when they see us and what we do? It’s a question worth asking and, more importantly, answering… We must give teachers hope, for we are the only model future teachers see.”

Educators today have a choice, do we promote our profession, or do we sever the connection and let society or even other teachers determine our value? Do we love teaching to the point where we believe all children should be afforded equal learning opportunities? Or will we be defined by negative comments made by some in our profession who see teaching as a lonely, lowly job?

Punt that, I’m choosing to be an advocate and a leader of the profession that I love.

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2023 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

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Knowing Joy Beats Someone Telling Me I Should Be Miserable…

02 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Christmas, Deciding, Decisions, Emotion, Encouragement, Inspiration, Intentions, Jesus, Joy, Kindness, Leader, Leadership, Misery, Thankful

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Ok… I am always excited when I learn something new, and boy, did I? The other day listening to talk radio on the way to school, I heard a segment on the reporting of the US Misery Index. I was like, what? Are you serious? There is an index out there that is supposedly going to tell me if I am miserable or not? Maybe not me specifically, but our nation as a whole.

So, I got to school and looked it up. Guess what? It’s real. Here’s the website: http://www.miseryindex.us

In short, here is the description… “The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960’s. It is simply the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. It is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation both create economic and social costs for a country. A combination of rising inflation and more people out of work implies a deterioration in economic performance and a rise in the misery index.”

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Yes, inflation is high. I’m not going to get into the unemployment rate and all of the other political stuff. However, inflation does not discriminate. I don’t like the price of milk and eggs right now, but I’m not going to make myself miserable over it. I like money in my pocket just as much as the next person. What I don’t need is an index gauging my thoughts for it. But… ultimately, I decide if I am miserable or not.

So, where’s the leadership in this? It all depends on you, I guess. My joy depends on these things – family, close friendships (that circle grows smaller as I get older), enjoyment of my work, and when it does not rain on Saturdays (so I can play golf), and foremost, my relationship with Christ.

As we are now in the Christmas season, if we listen to everything out there, we almost have no choice but to make ourselves miserable. Some small part of me believes that is what society wants; for us to be miserable, so we will depend on someone or something else. I am not going to sign up for that. You shouldn’t either.

Regardless of what the US Misery Index says, at any time of the year, I’m going to choose joy. Now, I have bad days; I’m sure we all do. However, the joy we should feel at Christmas, we should feel all year. Especially knowing the reason for Christmas, for that brings “Joy to the World” within itself.

And as for leadership… I get to choose that also. I get to decide what type of leader I want to be. I definitely do not need an index for that, either. As we begin the month of December and the Christmas season, focus on the joy that we have. If you have a chance, which we all do, spread some of it around.  It sure beats being miserable because somebody said, “Misery loves company.”

Let’s go fight the good fight of leadership. Someone has to…

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…

The Value of Tears…

29 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by in Actions, Affection, Clarity, Communication, Connections, Emotion, Heart, Leader, Leadership, Manipulation, Passion, Sensitive, Value

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caring-quote_a-trear-is-made-of-1-water-99-feelings-560d3I saw this quote the other day for the first time ever, “The most expensive liquid in the world is a tear, made up of 1% water & 99% feelings.” I’m not sure if you have ever seen or heard it, but… it got me thinking.

First, let me say that there are some who “cry” at the drop of a handkerchief and those who fake their tears to manipulate… I’m not here to discuss them. They do not deserve the thoughts…

My initial thought was that when we shed tears, we let go of a value for someone or something we have inside ourselves. I have cried for and cried at others, and I am sure others have done the same for and at me. Contrary to popular belief, I have an emotional, sensitive side. Just ask those closest to me. As I thought about the quote above, I realized how true it is. There are happy tears, sad tears, and angry tears, and all tears exhibit personal feelings that are ours alone.

One of the hardest things to do is fight back the tears. You might hear someone say, “This is not the time nor the place.” Well, I believe tears show our humanness and trust. Being able to shed tears allows others to see the courage we have and the passion we are comfortable admitting. When something or someone is really important to us, with emotions attached, our authenticity can be seen, and the value of what we hold dear comes out as tears.

Showing emotion is not a weakness. Tears equate to a conviction. Tears sometimes are the words that cannot be said. Yes, there might be some vulnerability to shedding tears. Still, it can show others that we are in touch with reality and provide “relateableness” (yes, I made that word up).

And as for leadership, I much rather be around those who can express and exhibit emotions. There’s a HUGE difference between that and a person who is just emotional. When it comes to that, those who can express themselves are usually those who respond, whereas the “emotional leader” will only react.

So… let yourself be who you are. If you shed tears, then go ahead. If you don’t, ok… But what not to do, is stereotype. Because the tears that belong to others, those tears are theirs, and only they can determine their value.

I end the blog with this quote… “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.” – Washington Irving

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2022 J Clay Norton

Want more Leadership Thoughts? Follow me on… Twitter @thebookchamber or follow the blog directly.

Want to share this leadership thought with others? Click on one of the social media sharing buttons below and help spread the good…