Concentrate on these four areas to make your teaching experience more enjoyable. Area #1: Surround Yourself with Positive People You could probably assign a P (for positive) or N (for negative) to almost every person you know. Of course there are situations in every school, home or life that are not positive. Being able to highlight the positive and concentrate on what can be done for improvement are wonderful attributes. If you have friends and colleagues who consistently express a positive outlook on life and accept challenges with energy and a plan, try to spend time with them and learn. Area #2: Learn to Relax and Exercise These two opposite actions somehow work together to contribute to good mental, emotional and physical well being. Learning what works for you to help you relax, whether it is yoga, short naps, reading a book for fun, talking with friends, fishing or walking the dog, can help you feel refreshed and energized at work. When you feel stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, try a little rest and exercise as a healthy response. Area #3: Recognize When to Take a Break In addition to rest and exercise, you need to take time for hobbies, family and friends. At the end of a stressful week, mentally calculate how much time you've spent on school-related activities and how much time you've devoted to other interests in your life. Balancing your life to include people and things that are important to you will ultimately make you a better teacher. Area #4: Remind Yourself Often about Why You Became a Teacher Did you decide to become a teacher so you could be involved in a positive way with young people? Was the ability to really make a difference important in your career decision? Did you like the idea of going back to school every fall? Whatever the reason take the time to think about how you felt when you received your diploma and teaching certificate or how excited you felt when you first learned you were hired to be a teacher. The teaching profession has always attracted individuals who want to accomplish important work and believe in their ability to engage students in meaningful learning. Think often about what it takes to be the teacher you want to be. Above all, at the end of each school day, ask yourself these questions: What is the best thing that happened at school today? What can I do to make tomorrow even better for my students and my school?