How To Stay Motivated In Teaching (Part IV): How To Get Rid Of All Your And Your Students “I Cant’s”
by Marjan Glavac

Although this exercise is geared to students, it’s also for me the teacher. It deals with the topics of attittude and perspective, and overcoming obstacles. It’s a gentle reminder for me to examine my self-talk, my attitudes and perspective when teaching, not just during those good times, but especially during those frustrating times.

(Please note: You should supervise these plans for appropriateness depending on your class, administration and parents.)

The exercise is based on the story “Rest in Peace: The ‘I Can’t’ Funeral” written by teacher Chick Moorman for the first Chicken Soup book. It’s now been updated with a lesson plan, student activities and tips in the book “The Chicken Soup for the Soul in the Classroom Middle School Edition Grades 6-8″available at:

I hand out a piece of paper to students and tell them to write down all the things they “can’t” do. We’ll do this for 10 minutes or so, including me.

I take all the papers and put them into a galvanized pail. We go into the field and we cremate the excuses. I read this as part of our funeral ceremony:

“Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads.

“Friends, we gather today to honour the memory of ‘I Can’t’. While he was with us on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. His name, unfortunately, has been spoken in every public building-schools, city halls, state capitals and yes even on Capitol Hill.

“We have provided ‘I Can’t’ with a final resting place. He is survived by his brothers and sister ‘I Can’, ‘I Will’, and ‘I’m Going To Do It Right Away.’ They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet. Perhaps some day, with your help, they will make an even bigger mark on the world.

“May ‘I Can’t’ rest in peace and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence. Amen.”

Later we go back to class have a wake with cake and ice cream. I have a student draw a tombstone with the date when we buried our “I Can’ts. When students tell me they can’t do something, I point to the poster and remind students that we buried our “I cant’s”. Most days too, I find myself looking at that tombstone poster and reminding myself some of my own “I Can’ts”.
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Stay tuned next week for the final part of the How to Stay Motivated in Teaching series where Marjan Glavac gives you a winning strategy that you can use to motivate yourself and your students all year long.

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If you’ve enjoyed the How to Stay Motivated in Teaching series so far, then you’ll love…

Marjan Glavac’s How to Make a Difference

To learn how to make a difference in the lives of your students and inspire them to do their best for the rest of their lives with teacher tested techniques you can use immediately in your classroom…make sure to read How to Make a Difference @ www.howtomakeadifference.com

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