Girl with a Lesson Plan: Things I've learned about teaching: »

positivelypersistantteach:

• If you surround yourself with teachers who are regularly negative, they will bring you down as well.   It will affect your teaching.   Be professional, but stay out of negative discussions when possible.
• Always, always communicate with parents about the GOOD things.   If a problem ever arises, they aren’t so much on the defensive if they know you like and respect their kid.
• Document, document, document.   Any important notes that go home, I make photo copies of first.  I keep e-mails I have sent to parents.  I document meetings and phone calls as well on a communication log.
• Find a good lunch group.   They will be professional and personal support.  They will provide comic relief, and always be people you can count on.  Some of my best friends are the teachers that I eat/ate lunch with.
• Make time for yourself.   This is very hard to do, especially in your first year.  However, if you are not taking care of yourself, you can’t take care of the kids.
• Personally, I almost always wear my hair up.   I’ve never gotten lice.   Lice like clean hair, so if there is an outbreak in your school use lots of gel and hairspray.
• What works once, might not work twice.
• Run things by your principal.  Keep that door of communication open. (This will also help you be less nervous during observations).
• Ebay can be your best friend.
• Praise.  Praise is the key to even the toughest kids.
• Consistency. 
• Being fair does not mean everyone gets the same things.  It means everyone gets what they need.
• When a kid thinks he/she is dumb, use the theory of multiple intelligences to explain that they are not.
• Incorporate their strengths into their weaknesses.
• Be happy to see your students.  Tell them that you are.
• Don’t be afraid to make a mistake.  Use it as a learning opportunity.  Especially for those students who think they do everything wrong.  ”See, even *I* make mistakes sometimes.”
• Be joyful.  
• Especially in the younger grades, the more excited YOU are about an activity, the more excited your kids will be.
• They all become *your* kids by the end of the year.

All good things.  :)  

(Esp. that be positive part, and document-document parts, high school teachers!)

(Source: positivelypersistentteach)