Colker, L. J. & Koralek, D. (2020, January 14). Learned Optimism: A Critical Skill for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved January 22, 2020.

Optimism. It’s a word we are all familiar with. Optimists make lemonade when life hands them lemons. Optimists focus on the positive, channeling their energy to focus on what they can control in their lives, while pessimists brace for the worst. When an optimistic teacher learns that the playground will be closed for two weeks for repairs, he plans for other ways to take the children outdoors to play and stretch their bodies. Another teacher might hear the same news and think, “Oh no. We will have to stay indoors for two weeks.”