I HAVE Thoughts

Long time no see, internet void!

I was largely unable to blog this past year because teaching was kicking my butt so much that my head couldn't form coherent thoughts, much less will my fingers to type them out. In a short overview: I taught; Most kids were great, more kids than the previous year just couldn't muster enough of an attention span; The school environment had a weight on it, things felt more stressful and unfriendly this year; I survived and I still enjoy my job. Throughout the year, topics that I wanted to blog about kept coming up, but like I said, my brain was mush.

Now it's August and school is upon us! I guess the most useful thing I could blog about is advice for new teachers, so let's have a go:

1. It will never be perfect. I'm a perfectionist. My co-workers have joked that, after we plan an activity, they have to leave me alone for six hours so that I can format it. This is true. I will take every minute of that six hours. However, there will STILL be typos, things you wish you added, or ways you could have better worded something. Accept this. (I finally have!) Accept good enough. (And edit it with all those changes after for next year, but it STILL won't be perfect!)

2. Speaking of accepting good enough, know that so LITTLE of what you do has the ability to ruin a kid's life. Earlier in my teaching career, I told my kids some incorrect things (maybe a math rule or a science theory) and I was too insecure to say that I made a mistake. I didn't want them to think I was incompetent as I thought I was. But then I toiled over how this mistake would ruin their ability to understand the concept in the future. (What if they said something in their next class confidently, only to be told they were incorrect? - I have done this before when a student said, "But last year, Ms. So-and-so said...") Mini piece of advice 2a: Own up to your mistakes, as I've gotten older, I've gotten more comfortable with saying, "Sorry, guys, what I just told you was false." 2b: You will probably not ruin them or their ability to learn anything else on the topic, because of your misstep. One of the great things about teaching is that it FEELS SO IMPORTANT. And it is. We play a huge role in shaping our kids, BUT we have to try a little harder (or a little less, I guess) if we really want them to have a bad experience.

3. Do not stay up late to grade today's quizzes. Feedback, data, feedback, data. Sometimes it feels like people think we're computers. Students and admin are often all about instant feedback and data. Sometimes I just want to be like, YOU KNOW I HAVE TO READ THIS CHICKEN SCRATCH BEFORE I CAN GRADE IT AND WRITE COMMENTS ABOUT IT RIGHT?!

YES. Feedback and data are important. You and the students need to know where they're at. However, if you spread your grading over another day or two, you will: 1. keep your sanity, 2. provide better feedback, 3. be less likely to penalize students for small errors because you're not grumpy, 4. but also, be less likely to lower your standards because you're not sleepy, and 5. teach your students not only that you ARE NOT a computer, but also, that patience is a virtue. Making that decision to take the pressure off of myself has allowed me to be in my fifth year of teaching with nary a wrinkle or gray hair ;) (Just kidding, I just have great genes.)

4. Be you. New teachers, I did at least, want to 'fit in.' That can be that they want to be taken seriously or that they want to be the popular, funny teacher. One of the things I worried about most was being taken seriously. I started teaching when I was 21. I'm 5'2" (although my doctor recently said I'm 5'1 and a half! so maybe I didn't get wrinkles or gray hairs, but I'm compressing the pads that surround my joints). And I have the same face that I had when I was in 5th grade. I tried to act very seriously when I started, but in actuality I'm not a very serious person. I make jokes in my head all the time, I'm sarcastic, and honestly, very young at heart. It was exhausting trying to be that serious person I wasn't. Being able to make science or Harry Potter jokes in class has allowed me to enjoy my job so much more and the kids know that I'm being genuine. I'm certainly not the most popular or the funniest teacher, but I have added something valuable to my community.

If you are concerned with being taken seriously when necessary, (which I still am, because my personality causes me to yell out, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" and "WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?" in the middle of class when I'm not looking to be taken particularly serious) be the teacher who kids know is xyz (e.g. fun and joking) when you're not in trouble, but firm, consistent, and fair when you are in trouble. I'm still working on this, but I do think it's working for me. Consistency is key, though, so remind yourself of this even when you're exhausted and just want to let the kid slide.

5. Eat lunch. Do all the stuff that makes you feel good and that is good for your health. It will make you a happier person and a better teacher. Also pack snacks. I snack during planning and after-school. :) No fuel in the belly, no fire in the brain!

6. You teach in a school, not in a classroom. You will likely get bogged down by a. how hard this job is, b. how tiring this job is, c. how needy this job is, etc. You are not alone. The thing that never fails to invigorate me as a teacher is reminding myself why I do it. You can remind yourself of this in a number of ways: 1. Talk to parents. Shoot an email with a compliment or concern. They likely will thank you and remind you that they value you; 2. Talk to your kids. Shoot an email with a compliment or concern. They likely will thank you and remind you that they value you; 3. Go to a school event. Anything - plays, sports games, concerts, etc. (Except high school dances. I fear those will not invigorate me, only embarrass me.) These events will also allow you to see your kids in a different light and value them for skills you didn't know they had.

I'm sure there's a lot more advice I could shell out, but these were the first things to come to mind. I hope you notice, soon to be new teacher or alien species who randomly came upon this blip in the interwebs, that my advice wasn't about how to plan or grade or even teach. All of that comes in due time, this stuff though will help you keep enough energy to hang in there long enough to master the other stuff.