Happy Tuesday!! I am sure many of you are already a couple of weeks into school like I am. I remember being a new teacher and setting up my classroom and doing all of the things my school expected of me, I barely even had time to think about a big picture for my year, I was so focused on getting through those first blurry weeks! Today I'm here to help out a bit. I have 5 tips that I still use to help me stay on track and remember what's important.
I put this one first for a reason: this is ESSENTIAL. If you say you're going to do something, always make sure you follow through. Whether it is for a student consequence or reward or when speaking to parents and colleagues. Make sure you stick to what you say. Your students will catch on really quickly if you say you will do something and you don't actually do it.
Some students come from hard lives and they aren't given praise, these might be the students you have to really focus on giving them positive feedback because they will only know how to get negative attention. And in a totally different area, find a colleague who will help you avoid negative talk. Being a teacher is HARD work. It's so easy to get sucked in to someone else's negativity. Try, with all of your might, to avoid that kind of talk. You will be so happy you do!
As a teacher, you will have an infinite amount of things on your mind to distract you. Once you step into your classroom, set it all aside and focus on what's most important: your students. I promise, they will notice and they will love you that much more.
Keep lines of communication open with everyone you interact with: parents, students, administration, colleagues, and support staff. Everyone working together makes for a smooth and effective team!
This one is kind of silly but....I loathe piles. They stress me out and give me anxiety. Don't be a paper-piler! If you use it, keep it, if you don't, get rid of it. Once you're done with it, put it away.
That's all folks! Wishing you a smooth year!
HAPPY TEACHING!!
