How Full is Your Bucket?

In my Kindergarten class, we are constantly helping our children to gain personal, social and emotional skills.
One way we have done this is through the book  "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer. If you are not familiar with this book or concept it was based on the book of the same title written for adults about positive strategies for work and life. The concept is that everyone has an internal "bucket". There are things that fill it, and things that take from it. Compliments, good company and positive enrgy fill your bucket, while criticisms, rude comments and negative energy take from your bucket.  Our goal in life is to have full buckets and fill others buckets. When we take from someone elses buket we are also taking from our own. That's why it's impossible for people who are negative towards others, to have full buckets.

Lately, I have had a pretty full bucket. I'm not going to toot my own horn or anything, but I really try to fill others buckets in my daily interactions. Even if one of my students does something inappropriate, I always try to address it in the most respectful way possible and in a way that helps them to gain self-esteem. Even though lately, I have been feeling good about my bucket, today  one interaction made me feel a little empty. It is likely that I take things a little too personally and that even though I may have had my bucket filled 20 times in one day, that scoop taken from my bucket has me feeling shitty. I have decided that for now on I am going to try and record my daily bucket fillers and emptiers and hopefully put it in perspective.  If you want more information about how to utilize these books in your classroom, with your kids or in your own life, shoot me an e-mail...or Google it, lol. 'Til next time! xo