The Best Teacher Advice I Ever Received
Most days, being a teacher is tough… like… really, really tough!
There are so many layers and responsibilities to this job! We wear all the hats.
As I floundered my way through my first couple of years, so many — too many — pieces of advice were offered up from the most caring of people.
But!
Only a few of those tidbits of advice actually stuck with me and those are the ones I want to share.
Sometimes we all need a lifeline...
Wait 24 hours to respond
We’ve all been there, we get an email from a parent that just sets something off inside us. That “how dare you” feeling creeps on in. Do NOT reply if you’re in this mindset. Things will not go well. Instead, do the following:
Breathe…inhale…exhale…and wait
Jot down notes to address items/ issues mentioned in the email
Sandwich your response! Positive remarks, then the negative or redirect, and end it with a positive
Read my blog post about how to reply to challenging parent emails!
Chunk your class time
This has helped me so much when it comes to what I cover and when. While working in 50 minute class periods, I would split the time up into thirds. Start with a bellringer that lasts between 10-15 minutes, then the lesson, lab, or main content roughly 20-30 minutes, and then end the class time with an exit ticket or summarizing activity between 10-15 minutes in length. Boom! Done. Pro Hack: If your class is longer — block schedules — divide the time into four parts with a brain break in between!
Don’t bring work home
This is my all time favorite piece of advice! This is the ultimate way to create work-life balance. Here’s how it’s done, make a list of weekly must do’s, such as lesson planning, grading, replying to emails, etc. Next, divide the work amongst the work days AND work hours using a blank weekly planner page. Laminate that bad boy and post it near your desk. Stick to this schedule! Commit! Set the boundaries for yourself, your students, and their parents.
Get to know your students
I’m not talking just memorize the kid’s names, no, actually spend time getting to know the kids on your roster. The best and most natural times for this interaction occur during the beginning of class, the bellringer chunk. Don’t make it weird though! You don’t want to just walk around asking “speed date” type questions. Listen to how students talk to one another, make note of their interests and bring it up when it fits throughout class time or year. For example, I have many students who play soccer in the same league as my child. So, I ask them about their games and keep up with their progress. This doesn’t happen in one day, but the return on investment is notable.
Show up
This is logistically challenging at times, it is worth it. When students ask if you’re going to their football game at the school on Friday night…go! It means so much to them that you showed up, not all of them get that support at home. Story time…my oldest son and I would go to the school’s home games. We would cheer my students on. It built a great student-teacher relationship. Some days, the kids would make sure they came to school just to attend my class. Buy-in is always key when it comes to engagement and classroom management. Make sure those kiddos know how much they matter.
And there you have it. These are a few of my favorite things — I may have sung that as I typed it. Leave a comment below of the best piece of advice you’ve received.
