Being a super teacher and person on a daily basis can be
difficult. However, doing the little things every day can help you to feel
better about yourself and help you to become a better professional over time.
What can you do?!
1.
Be positive. Look at your life in a
positive way every day. Look at how your students are learning. Look at all you
have accomplished today, this week, this semester, and this year. View
challenges as opportunities. Try to see everything in a positive light; it will
make all your days better.
2.
Be organized. Keep all of your materials
and supplies in order and in place. Veteran teachers have tons of ideas to
offer; just ask them. Organization can save you time in a crunch and throughout
your day. It also sets a good example for your students; it may inspire them to
keep their things organized and neat, too.
3.
Be prepared and timely. Get to work on
time-even early! Get all of your materials ready the day before or the morning
before your students arrive. Prepare for and get to meetings ahead of time;
have paper and pen ready just in case you need to take notes or to jot down
reminders or questions. This preparation will give you peace of mind for each
new day with all its various activities.
4.
Be polite and thoughtful. The day is not
just about you. Remember, you are here for your students. They need you. They
look up to you. You need to set a good example for them by being nice and
caring. Help them when you can, and do it in a thoughtful manner whenever
possible. You are also here for your fellow man. Your coworkers may need you,
too; help them—be it janitor, secretary, educational assistant, teacher, or
administrator. They may need you to lift their spirits on a bad day, to listen
to them, or to do them a simple favor. Do what you can to be nice and uplift or
encourage all of those around you.
5.
Set goals. Think about what objectives
you want your students to master. Think about what you want and need to
achieve. Then, go for them! You CAN do it! Learn new things every day. Learn
from lesson plans that did not work. Be flexible; change and improve. Solve
problems for others and yourself. Make mistakes? Learn from them and set new
goals. Be that overachiever who strives to succeed. Goals help us orient our
lives to getting things done. Set them and meet them. Finishing daily goals can
help us feel a sense of accomplishment that makes any day better.
6.
Take care of yourself. You do need to
think of others at work; it’s just a natural part of our job with students.
However, you need to take care of yourself, too. You cannot be the best you if
you are sick or down. You need to take care of yourself physically,
emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. You need to take care of your
body--eat right and exercise. You may need to spend time with friends and
family to be in a good state of mind. You may also need to spend some time
alone in peace and quiet. You need to have some fun and do things that you
enjoy from time to time. All work and no play are not good for the body or the
soul. You really do need to do these things for yourself in order to be a happy
and whole person. Find the time for you throughout the week and over the
weekends.
7.
Be grateful. Think of all the good things
in your life and do it daily! Focusing on the good things in your life will
help you on even your worst day. It may be hard to change your mindset from
negative to positive, but it can help you move on and make it through that hard
day. What was good today? Your one good student who did well. Your one good
class. Your supportive administration. Your pet. Your lunch break. Your
uplifting friend’s text. Your favorite team. Your mom. Your child. Your
significant other. Your paycheck. Whatever it is; focus on it. And it probably
is more than one thing; we are very blessed in this country. We have many
things, and we have freedoms. Be grateful for all the wonderful things in your
life; never forget them!
These seven things can be very beneficial in your
professional and your private life. I am sure that you can think of other
things that can help you, too. Work on them daily and you WILL be a better
professional one day at a time. Maybe, even one day, you’ll be…a SUPER teacher!
;-)
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