Motivation is the driving force that helps us take action toward our goals. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, gives us the energy to tackle our to-do lists, and pushes us to keep going even when things get tough. Without motivation, we might feel like we are just going through the motions of life, lacking direction and purpose.
While motivation is what drives us to take action, inspiration is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. Inspiration often comes from seeing others achieve remarkable things or hearing stories of people who have overcome great odds. This is why we find biographies and autobiographies motivating and inspirational. It is why we set goals, make new year resolutions and as teachers we encourage our students to have growth mindsets.
The books teachers use at the beginning of a new year at school help set the wellbeing scaffolding for their students for the year. What would you choose? Some suggestions:
Leo's list of things to do keeps growing, until one day he wishes, "If only there were two of me." Just as the words are out of his mouth, poof! Another Leo appears! Two Leos become three, three become four, and four become more . . . but Leo can't help but notice that he has even more to do than before. As he struggles to deal with his overcomplicated life, Leo realizes that there may be a simpler solution to his overscheduling woes.
Gerald and Piggie meet a new friend, Snake, who wants to join in a game of catch. But don't you need arms to catch...? Can Piggie, the ultimate find-a-way-arounder, come up with a way for their friend Snake to join in a game of catch? Surely not?! Well... not so! Where there’s a will there’s a way...
What if you could create your own adventure line by line? What if you could draw all your dreams out in front of you and then play in the dream? Well, that’s exactly what Harold in the story does. It’s timeless philosophy for being the hero of your own story – rather than the supporting cast in someone else’s! Journey by Aaron Becker does this too!
• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klaessen
Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. Isn’t that what we’re all digging for in life? They dig and dig and get so tired they take a nap – which is when the (extremely unexpected) magic happens.
Although little Penguin has the soul of an eagle, his body wasn't built to soar. But Penguin has an irrepressible spirit, and he adamantly follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! Even if he needs a little help with the technical parts, this penguin is ready to live on the wind.
A delightful picture book about a creature of habit whose routine suddenly gets disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a new friend. A perfect story for little readers learning social emotional skills that explores the joy of trying something new! The sequel to this, The Creature of Habit Tries His Best has recently been published.
• My Strong Mind III by Niels Van Hove
In this book, Jack and Kate share examples on how to set goals and stay motivated to reach those goals. They share how to use imagination, focus, be mindful, gamify a task, use positive self-talk, imagine a motivation ladder and many other things. There are now five books in this series, but number 3 is about goal setting.
Another post about books to start the school year is here, but the books listed here address more than motivation, inspiration and mindset.
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