And a month from today I head into my second year of teaching sixth grade resource, so of course I had to set aside a day for reflection. I still can't believe how quickly I got through my first year.
This list started halfway through my first year and continued to develop as the year went on. I was learning so much and forgetting it all at the same time, so I knew that meant I needed to blog about it. This list will be my safe haven on days that I can't remember why I wanted to start teaching in the first place.
Let me apologize in advance for the lack of organization of this list. I added to it as I learned, so it's not in a particular order. This list is the perfect representation of my school year, all over the place. I was getting schooled, pun intended, on a daily basis with life lessons. 57 Lessons, and counting.
- You are going to mess up... A LOT.
- When you mess up, do not stress about it...move on! IF you allow yourself to get caught up on what you did wrong, you will never recognize what you've done right!
- An organized teacher is a happy teacher!
- At ANY given moment...you can simply start again! I do it ALL THE TIME!
- Plans can change, just roll with it. Flexibility is your friend (especially in Special Education)
- Never underestimate or overestimate what your students can do. FIND OUT!
- Set high expectations from the BEGINNING! They will meet them!
- EVERYTHING IS EARNED, NOTHING IS GIVEN!
- Be firm and follow through.
- Establish effective and necessary classroom management procedures and practice them DAILY!
- Consistency is key to building a relationship.
- Positivity will ALWAYS get you further than negativity.
- Gossip and drama are the DEVIL! Stay away from gossiping adults and children!
- I'm serious, the moment you let one person gossip to you, they WILL come back and with friends! You will end up gossiping and you will enjoy it, but you STILL have to get out!
- EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY!
- You're tired, you're cranky, you're overwhelmed...but you are surviving.
- It's okay to think about quitting. Everyone thinks about quitting their job at some point or another. EVERYONE!
- The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. If your lesson is slack, their response to your slack lesson will be slackness!
- You are in charge, ALWAYS!
- The more you show interest in your students, the more they will show interest in your class. Get their opinion on matters that concern them.
- There will always be that one (or two, three, four, five) student (s) that can be so hard to love...love them anyway!
- Pump positive praise into your students like your life depends on.
- Celebrate ALL victories, whether big or small.
- I PROMISE, SWEAR, and GUARANTEE if you truly believe in your students and tell them you believe in them, they WILL succeed!
- Stay creative and if you have an idea, TRY IT!
- Find someone you can TRUST and vent to OUTSIDE of your school!
- Find, develop, create-whatever- a hobby outside of anything to do with school or teaching. Remember that person you use to be before you became a teacher and try to be them again.
- Don't yell. Ever. Students get 10x more scared the quieter you are. I SWEAR!
- Show your personality (hopefully it doesn't stink) to your students so that they know you are human. My kids couldn't believe that I could "Hit the Quan" just as well as them.
- Air freshener is your friend (especially in middle school)!
- Celebrate ALL birthdays at the END of the month! I was having birthday party's back to back like crazy.
- Some students learn best from their peers and students LOVE feeling like the teacher, so let go of the reigns a little.
- Don't require students to teach each other. Some children do not feel comfortable being responsible for the success of their peers on a topic, so don't force them. Rude!
- Listen to your students, even if you don't want to, LISTEN TO THEM! You would be surprised at how little talking and thinking time they receive at home, if any at all.
- Take it ALL in because the year will FLLLYYYYYY!
- Always be on your "P's and Q's" around your colleagues! Your first year is still considered a trial period.
- Participate in spirit week, join PTA, be involved in the faculty outings. Show that you are a team player, and actually be one!
- Don't overdue it your first year trying to be involved. They made due without you before, so don't let them trick you into doing everything now that you are there.
- Do not aim to be their friend, be their teacher. No matter how mean they may think you are, the respect will be there and that is all that matters. Children do not listen to their friends, but they do listen to those they respect.
- Don't force friendships with your colleagues. If you vibe, cool. If not, even cooler. Your life should not only be school.
- There will be a teacher that you will not like. Smile and avoid. SMILE and AVOID! The smile is to help you, the avoidance is to help them.
- Some students will need you to be their teacher and their parent; be ready to wear many hats.
- Don't always look at them as "students", but remember they are children, even little humans sometimes.
- Apologize when you mess up, even if it means apologizing to some one 3x's younger than you. So! You mess up, you make it right.
- Cherish your holiday breaks...cherish them and try to avoid work. Do something for yourself. I'm serious, don't forget about taking care of you.
- The less you complain, the happier you'll feel.
- It takes a village to raise a child, and you can only play one-two roles effectively. Don 't try to do this on your own.
- Use your resources! Swallow your pride and get help when you need it.
- You don't always have to be the teacher. Try being the student every once in a while.
- It will ALL get better!
- The more you put up, the more you have to take down.
- Start early on your room take down. Testing time is a great way to get students to see how quietly they can put books in a box. Turn it into a game!
- DO NOT HOARD! You know d**n well you are not going to use somethings next year, so let it go!
- If you are not even a little bit excited to go back into the next school year, DON'T GO! Save your whining about bills to pay and a family to raise for someone who cares, 'cause it ain't me! Shoo-shoo!
- Children DO NOT learn as well from teachers that are not passionate. Lack of passion means lack of concern. You are ruining them and their views on education, so please go away! Shoo-shoo!
- Try to understand the home life, customs, and various beliefs of your students. Make sure not to offend them with your ignorance.
- Don't b***h about the little stuff. Seriously, just shut up when you even start to complain. There are bigger problems than the papers you have to grade or the kid who doesn't have a pencil for the 1,000th time or that unnecessarily long faculty meeting.
I feel better about tomorrow already! I am claiming a successful and amazing school year for teachers across the nation. I never realized how much a I need teaching. I need the students. I need to know that I am helping a younger generation to become more educated, independent, and intelligent- just like some of my previous teachers did for me.
Peace and each one teach one, beautiful people!
xo,
BLT
P.S.- Here is a poem for the next time you want to whine about a pencil. Seriously, shut up! You KNOW you can find some pencils somewhere! If we don't have anything else, we have pencils!
PPS- Here is a quick snap of my one of my favorite parts of my room. I love color and organization. A clean room is a clean mind, IMO! Across the top are my five cardinal rules for the classroom, on signs made by ME!
- Be respectful!
- Stay engaged!
- Give it your best!
- Ask questions!
- Have fun!
Yes, they are a little cliche, but they worked for my students. I had an amazing first year and learned more than I ever thought I would. College could not have prepared me for some of the real life situations I dealt with this past year. It was almost surreal in some moments, it was tiring and frustrating in countless moments, but it was good in all moments. Teaching helped me mentally better than anything I could ever experience. It forced me to reflect on who I am, learn from a younger generation, and influence eager minds (even when they felt like doing NOTHING).
