We Can Do Hard Things

I wanted to start the year out with an encouraging charge to my students.  "We can do hard things" seemed appropriate since last year I heard a lot of "I can't do that, it's too hard" "I'm not good at that" & "I don't know how".  We first talked about a quote from Vincent Van Gogh, "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." They had a lot of good things to say about this when I asked them what it meant to them.  The 4th & 5th graders talked together in their groups and came to a group decision before sharing with the class (got that higher level of thinking).  Then I gave instructions on how we would make a motivational poster so that they would remember this year's motto.