Educators arguably have one of the most challenging and rewarding professions, simultaneously. The list that follows will help to revive your passion for teaching and give recommendations for a successful school year.
Be Prepared To Be Flexible
The most successful educators devise lesson plans in advance, know their subject well and have gathered any needed supplies before class. Despite all the proper planning, successful teachers recognize the importance of adaptability.
Never sacrifice true learning for time lines, even if you have to deviate from the planned schedule. If your children are genuinely interested in delving deeper into a topic or if they need a bit more assistance getting a difficult concept, be willing to realize that your lesson plan is a guideline rather than a rigid structure.
Project Kindness
Especially for younger students, a little friendliness and enthusiasm go a long way. It is important, of course, to note your students’ maturity, emotionally and mentally, but a smile, warm greeting, or handshake are all good ways of making your children feel at ease and excited to learn.
Classroom Guidelines
To ensure that children know exactly what is required of them in your class, use the beginning of the school year to establish class behavior guidelines. Give a copy to each student to take home to their parents and keep a set in the classroom where they can be seen by everyone. Encourage the children to ask questions if they don’t understand and to give input on what rules should be included. Make sure the children understand that when everyone is sitting on a classroom rug that it’s not play time and they need to participate in the conversation and sit and listen to the other students.
Classroom Discipline
Many times it is a struggle for even the teacher to stay engaged during the day. Keep in mind that your students are not perfect and that there will be times when they lose focus and misbehave. A purposeful strategy for dealing with disciplinary problems is important to preserving order and an environment conducive to learning. This will be somewhat controlled by school procedures, but once you know the dynamic of your classroom, you will be better able to judge what types of discipline procedures will work best.
Inspire With Enthusiasm
Some units are not as exciting as others, but a enthusiastic teacher who can find ways to spice up the lessons in imaginative and original ways will command the attention of the classroom. The goal is to find a part of the subject matter that interests you and go with it. The children will reflect your emotion and enthusiasm.
A Sense of Humor Is Essential
The classroom can be a challenging place. In those difficult moments, it is essential to remain balanced and cheerful, rather than allow yourself to become stressed. Having a sense of humor when things don’t go as planned can buoy the morale of your students and even teach them how to make the best of unplanned circumstances.
Be A Part Of Your Students Lives
While there are delicate boundaries to teacher-student involvement, children who sense as if you have the time for them and are interested in them as a person are usually more willing to learn in your classroom. By engaging your students and getting to know them, you encourage them to become part of their education, instead of just coming to class and listening to you talk each day.
Listening Skills
As the head of the class, your students look to you to set the example. Therefore it is important that you model good listening skills. Because you spend so much time lecturing, you may fail to remember that your job is also to listen.
Give The Very Best
One thing is true, no matter how old we are, learning never stops. Make a promise to yourself and to you class to strive for your best. Continuing education classes or enrichment seminars, magazines of the trade, and internet teaching blogs are just a few of the resources available for improving your trade. It can also be very helpful to have the best classroom supplies to help you really interact with your students. Having a good outlook will make you a better teacher. These tips, used wisely, will make the job of teaching more fulfilling for you and for those you teach.
Your Job Can’t Be Everything
As with any job it’s greatly important to have a good balance between your work and personal time. If you spend all of your free time working on grading papers and creating with activities for the classroom then you need to set aside free time to spend with your family and friends. Many find it easy to get caught up in work and be completely taken over by it. Next time, you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed think about how you’re spending your time and see to it that you have balance between your career and personal life.
By: Mrs. Merceditha D. David | Teacher III | Pantalan Bago Elem. School | Orani, Bataan
