I'm back with another post for teacher week at Blog Hoppin'. Today is Teacher Talk Tuesday, advice for new teachers (or things we all need to remember sometimes!)
My first piece of advice is to be confident in yourself as an educator. It is easy to think that someone else may know best (sometimes they may) but you should feel confident in your ideas, lessons and teaching style. In my 4th year I am still reminding myself that while my teaching style may differ from my team's, it's what makes me unique and successful.
Set time limits for yourself. Don't stay at school past a certain time or dedicate HOURS to one single project. This will help you prioritize and keep you sane! I spent countless hours on projects my first year that were just not that important or meaningful for my students.
Justify your lessons. Always ask yourself if the activity is meaningful for your students and identify what they will get out of it. You want to reach all students and make the MOST of the time you have with them. Bang for your buck!
Accept that you may fail. Sometimes a lesson will flop based on how it is presented, who the kids are or even what time of the day it is. Wrap it up, learn from it and move on...we've all been there.
Be consistent. There is no such thing as "somewhat" consistent; you are either consistent or inconsistent. Kids need to know what to expect and if they get (or don't get) the same reaction every time, they'll learn that they can trust you and your world is 100 times better.
It goes without saying buuuuut don't say anything to a kid you wouldn't want their parents to hear you say. I also won't say anything that I wouldn't want them to say to each other. If you tell someone they're "silly" and a kid turns around and says it to someone else, it can sound very different.
ENJOY the kids! We get very caught up in holding them to the highest standard and expect them to read, write and compute but we need to remember that they are little people and have only been alive x amount of years. Listen to them tell you about their step dad making chicken for dinner every night or their daycare van getting a flat tire, you'll be glad you did!
"Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions." ~Author Unknown
Oh my goodness, sometimes I have to make myself remember the rule about saying things to kids you wouldn't want their parents or others to hear! Great advice!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! I love what you said about with kids, you're either consistent or inconsistent...there's no in between. So true!
ReplyDeleteMs. Preppy's Adventures in Primary and Polka Dots