In this post I share my Positive School News thread and a short video on how this is a preventative strategy for behaviour in our classrooms and schools.

This month I received my usual bulletins and e-newsletters from various organisations and education media outlets.  

ALL of it was negative.

Now, I am not saying that there aren’t hideous things going on; in the world, in our homes, in our schools. However, I am also aware of the negativity bias that our minds have – the built in focus we have on negativity. Originally it was in place to keep us safe, to remember that the sabre tooth tiger experience was dangerous – to help us survive next time. Whilst that is still useful for some situations, nowadays it is more likely to bring us down and affect our mental health.

This is what I saw I the school news I was consuming. If I were to believe that it would seem that the British Education System was on the point of collapse and no pupils were learning anything. Luckily, I knew that was not the case, both from my own experience and conversations with others. 

We need to have a balance. Positive things are going on alongside, in spite of, and sometimes because of the challenges we’ve been facing.

So I started my own thread on Twitter, simply asking for us to share that news.

The response was vast and a joy!

Some of my highlights are in this post.

So what has this got to do with behaviour?

Why go on about this? 

Why spend the time spreading the positivity?

• Because a positive, secure environment is a preventative strategy for positive behaviour in our classrooms and our schools.
• Some of the comments themselves discussed this very matter  
• Because what we appreciate, appreciates – whether we focus on the negative or the positive, whichever one it is will increase – and this affects our children’s ability to learn.