When fifth grade Wood Elementary School teachers, April Dudynski and Karen Osinski noticed a pattern of low self-esteem and negative self-talk among their students, they took matters into their own hands and got creative. The duo pinpointed a common area at school where they felt these issues originated – the bathroom mirror. When students walk into the bathroom this school year and look up at the mirror, they are greeted not only by their own reflections, but also with positive and encouraging messages.
“Mrs. Osinski and I have worked together in the fifth grade for three years, and we have noticed a growing problem with low self-esteem with our students. We saw an idea similar to this online and thought it would be the perfect way to promote positive self-talk to our kids,” said Dudynski.
The mirror messages include phrases such as “I’m not there yet, but I’m closer than I was.” As well as, “Today is the perfect day to be happy!”
“We hope these messages are a daily reminder to our students that they are awesome and that we believe in them,” shared Osinski. “Having confidence in yourself plays such a key role in academic success, and we have already noticed a difference in our students’ attitudes.”
Although students were initially caught off guard by the bathroom art, by the end of the first week of school Mrs. Dudynski and Mrs. Osinski said they could hear students encouraging classmates in the halls by reminding each other: “You are awesome!” and, “It’s a good day to be happy!”
This is just one of the many ways our Terrell ISD teachers are going above and beyond to increase student achievement not only in academics and extra-curricular activities, but also through character building.
“Mrs. Osinski and I have worked together in the fifth grade for three years, and we have noticed a growing problem with low self-esteem with our students. We saw an idea similar to this online and thought it would be the perfect way to promote positive self-talk to our kids,” said Dudynski.
The mirror messages include phrases such as “I’m not there yet, but I’m closer than I was.” As well as, “Today is the perfect day to be happy!”
“We hope these messages are a daily reminder to our students that they are awesome and that we believe in them,” shared Osinski. “Having confidence in yourself plays such a key role in academic success, and we have already noticed a difference in our students’ attitudes.”
Although students were initially caught off guard by the bathroom art, by the end of the first week of school Mrs. Dudynski and Mrs. Osinski said they could hear students encouraging classmates in the halls by reminding each other: “You are awesome!” and, “It’s a good day to be happy!”
This is just one of the many ways our Terrell ISD teachers are going above and beyond to increase student achievement not only in academics and extra-curricular activities, but also through character building.
