© 2003-06 by Tom Daly Free 5-part report Lesson No. 4:  Here’s the one catch   Everything I’ve told you so far will absolutely work for your classroom . . . with one tiny catch. The transformation of your class won’t happen all by itself.   I’m not saying it has to be difficult (it doesn’t, not by a longshot), but simply reading this website and agreeing that it makes sense is not enough to instantly transform your classroom into the peaceful, productive dream job you've always wanted. Sorry, there is no magic pill.  (Although there are plenty for sale out there.) Simply put, you must find another way of doing things.  You must come up with an alternative to what you and your school are already doing, because what’s happening right now is clearly not working well enough.  (Or you wouldn’t be reading this in the first place.) If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again with the expectation of getting a different result, then decide right now that you are going to do something different this year.  You’ll not only be saving your kids, but you’ll be preserving your sanity as well. Let me tell you a quick story that will bring this home for you . . . Just the other day I was working out at the gym, and I noticed several women reluctantly dragging themselves into the building for an exercise class.  It was understandable --- sometimes just showing up at the gym can feel like hard work, especially for those early-morning workouts.   And then . . . the instructor burst through the door.  This guy was just beaming happiness.  He was smiling ear to ear.  He was one of those people who exuded such an aura of high energy and well-being that you couldn’t help but be affected by it.   He bounded into the room, clapped his hands together, and within minutes he had this group of women exerting themselves far past anything they would have thought possible.  They busted their buns for this guy.  They bounced and stretched and sweated, and I knew that when it was over they would tell their girlfriends outside the gym what a terrific workout they had that morning. Then it hit me why these women had dragged themselves to the gym in the first place: it was because this instructor made them feel so good.  After all, who wouldn’t want to bask in the glow of a smile like that?  They were willing to put forth an extraordinary effort for this teacher, and they would return again and again for the opportunity to stretch themselves in self-improvement. So let me ask you: What is that teacher’s smile worth?   What would you give to love your job so much that entering your classroom made you smile like that fitness instructor? Do you think your students would behave better if you exuded that sort of confidence and joy because you just knew everything was going to go smoothly that day? You know, I can’t measure the worth of that teacher’s beaming smile, and neither can you.  Not even the rocket scientists at MIT can measure that.   But think back to your own school days.  Can you remember a teacher who scowled at you, and another teacher who was real glad to see you each day?  As a child you felt that not just on a superficial level but to your very core, to the deepest reaches of your being as you grew and developed. My methods show you how to become that smiling teacher who's in love with her job instead of discouraged, frustrated, and feeling helpless to stop the incoming tide of bad behavior and indifferent students every day. This is how you turn your most disruptive, troubled, annoying students into models of cooperation, productivity and good behavior. Feeling happy at your job isn't just a pie-in-the-sky concept for "lucky" teachers blessed with dream students.  It's a doable reality any teacher can create --- even if you aren't the naturally happy-face type like that beaming gym instructor. Well, even though you can’t instantaneously change the personality of your most difficult students, you can give them every reason to tap into the desire to do well that ALL kids have when they're given the right opportunity to flourish.   Does that sound crazy?  It isn’t.  It’s the logical end result when you . . .  Step up to the plate, sharpen your pencil, and make a stand!   Never assume that “this will all get better” when it comes to improving your classroom.  It’s also not enough to hope against hope that somehow you'll have a better year than last year.   Hope is not enough.  You need a plan.  And as I pointed out earlier, it's a new world out there now with these kids. Bottom line --- Think back on all the times there was an injustice happening in your world and you decided to stand up and be counted instead of leaving it alone.   You NEVER regret standing up for what’s truly important . . . and what could be more important than your own happiness as a teacher --- or seeing a student shout, "I got it!!" after wondering if he would EVER get it?  I call it "that golden smile" --- and nothing makes me feel better in class when I see a kid's face light up with that golden smile. Here is what you have to do. You must put yourself on an equal footing with your dreams and expectations.  You must understand that most underachieving kids want to turn around, even if they might not act like it. The message you must send to your students, administrators, parents, and (most importantly) yourself, is this: “I care enough about my happiness and these kids to roll up my sleeves and find a better way.”   When everyone senses this message emanating from you, they will give you immediate respect and they might even think, “Don’t mess with this teacher!  She cares enough to go the extra mile.”   But you can only do that if you know what you want, have a game plan to get it, and carry the proper mindset to make sure it happens for your classroom.   Not next semester, not next year, and certainly not when all your ADHD students suddenly decide to become model students just to make your job easier.  (Hah!)    It needs to happen right now. To begin making all this happen for your classroom right now, click here for Part  5. Take me to Part 5