Living in a society where people are always experiencing change, and with the economy in a slump, it is often hard to display a ‘Pollyanna’ attitude. Some people are being optimistic in thinking that everything is going to be all right, no matter what.

Do harsh realities bring about negative attitudes?

In our country, the media is often tagged for targeting negative events for news releases. Do politicians and educators wear that same hat? Some jobs seem to allow workers to look for any possible problems and find better ways to ‘fix what is wrong’.

Is there a fine line between what is really wrong and what is ‘perceived or suggested’ to be wrong?

In working with children, educators are expected to display a positive attitude and professional demeanor. Isn’t that why people venture into the  field of education: to make a difference? Most teachers desire to help the younger generation fulfill their hopes for a bright future.

With today’s expectations of teachers, managing 30-plus students in one classroom—with differences in levels of learning and little means for dealing with discipline issues—seems almost as if we are setting quality teachers up for failure. If you take a person with a dream for helping others and continually diminish their resources, enlarge their caseload, and tie their hands on serving in a leadership, supported capacity, what attitude are they expected to display?

We speak of No Child Left Behind; will we soon be hearing the words “No Teacher Left Behind?” Change is inevitable, but it can be good or detrimental. The bottom line is ‘who holds the cards’ to determine where money is spent and what decisions affect what people in the schools, in the community, and in government? Are these people directly tied and involved in what is actually taking place in the classrooms, in the towns, and in the states?

Negative situations can be turned into positive ones when people make a decision to offer positive support, build trusting relationships, act in a genuine manner, and role-model positive behaviors. The joys of learning and living can be experienced in schools and in communities where people extend gratitude, patience and determination to be warm, optimistic and motivated individuals who do what is  ‘right’ and what will work best for ‘all’ involved.

Dr. Sonya Rogers is a certified counselor who lives in Daphne. Her column appears regularly in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.