Our Morning Pep Talk

Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. -Rita Pierson
A year ago I found myself sitting in a summer professional development session listening to a TED talk by Rita Pierson. As I listened to her words I felt empowered and inspired as well as honored to have the privilege to be called a teacher. 
In the talk Ms. Pierson explains that over her many years of teaching she had classes that were so academically low that it brought her to tears. She wondered how she was going to lift the self-esteem of these students as well as their academic ability. In order to encourage and uplift her students she developed a saying that she had the students say daily. 

After listening to Ms. Pierson's talk I made an anchor chart with the words of her saying. Every morning my third graders repeat these words. It is a part of our daily routine that we refer to as our morning pep talk. It is a great way to refocus each morning before beginning the day. You can see a copy of my anchor chart above. For a free downloadable version click here. You can also scroll to the bottom of the blog to watch Rita Pierson's TED talk. 
What do you do to connect with and encourage students?
-Carly
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