This week we are talking about our top ten things we have learned from teaching! I love this idea! Sharing advice and lessons learned is one of the best parts of connecting with all you amazing teachers!
Well folks, there is only one year under this teacher's belt, so this list will be ever changing, but for now, check out my top ten!!!
1. Stay positive. There are too many people out there who will try to ruin your spirit. Don't let them. Share your excitement with your students and shut the door if you have to to keep the negative from coming in!
2. FIND A MENTOR. I am SO thankful for having the best mentor who ALSO happens to be at my school. There was nothing more comforting then getting moved to a school and having someone who was 100% there for me from the get go. My mentor pushes me to be a better teacher, encourages me to try to things, and is my therapist when things go wrong. Not sure how I would have survived year one (and all the years to follow) without her :)
3. Don't forget to have fun! Whether it is dancing to GoNoodle with your kids, singing silly songs, or going out with your coworkers, let yourself have time to be silly or to have fun. It took me a little bit to realize that it is okay to be goofy with your kiddos. They are FIVE years old!! Socializing with your coworkers is more fun than it sounds. They offer advice and some are funnier outside of work than you think ;)
4. Teaching is a HOBBY. To me, teaching doesn't start at 8:30 and end at 3:30. I didn't choose teaching because I knew I would get a chunky paycheck (duuuh). I chose teaching because it is my passion. Working with students, being creative, and having the energy and enthusiasm each day to see my little rays of sun makes me happy.
5. Print your copies on Friday. This was something I started to do in the beginning of the year and kind of slowly drifted away from. There is no better feeling then walking into school on Monday morning and having your week ready in a basket. The hour after school Friday is WELL worth it :) Plus no one else will be at the copy machine!
6. Something didn't go right? Guess what! It is OK!!! News flash: You aren't perfect. Your kids know that (and 95% of the time won't even know something didn't work) Tomorrow is a new day so take a breath and start over!
7. It doesn't matter if it is before Labor day or after: if you teach in a primary school do not wear white. Unless your goal is to go home with some crayon/marker/kid/juice stains, your better off in any other color.
8. Shave those legs! Sounds crazy right? Well as a kindergarten teacher, I spend a lot of time on the ground or in a chair right in front of my little rays. Bet you didn't know kids LOVE to touch you. Wait, you're all teachers so you knew! There was one day where I didn't think about shaving and wore capris. My little buddy was the first to touch my leg and say "Dang Miss K, why are your legs prickly?!"
9. If it isn't you, DON'T DO IT!!! *DISCLAIMER: I love Pinterest* There are so many ideas out there, however, and sometimes you may feel like you need to do them to keep your students engaged. If it is something you like and enjoy, giiiiirl rock it! I have run into the problem where I am trying to do something that I am not really comfortable with myself (ie: something I found at midnight and tried to do the following day) so the execution is poor. I think it is SO important to stay true to who you are in your teaching. When you are being genuinely yourself, your students know and are excited to learn from you!! If you do find something you like, take your time prepping it so that it is well worth it!
10. Those kids make it all worth it. Seriously. I didn't think I would finish my year and miss them. Your students are more than your students. They are YOUR kids. You want them to succeed. Whenever I have a bad day, I look at my class picture. Each of my little rays brought something different to our class. I love them like they are my own!!
I could add about fifty more things to the list, but after reflecting, here is what I came up with!! Thanks for viewing and make sure to link up!!!!
You have amazing thoughts for one year being under your belt!! I love the stay true to you!!! So important!!! Have an amazing 2nd year!!! Your kiddos are lucky to have you!!!
ReplyDelete#8 haha!! I love it! What is it with touching your feet?! They love it!
ReplyDeleteMoore to Learn
Being true to yourself as a teacher is oh-so-important. The kids know if you are uncomfortable and/or unprepared. And I think every teacher needs a mentor, regardless of how many hours are logged in the classroom. It's way cheaper than therapy! You're so fortunate to have a good one right off the bat.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've a lot on your 1st year. LOL to #8. Never fails on the day I forget to shave I wear capris or a skirt that lifts when I sit in my chair and I always get called out. Make sure you toe nails are painted as well- I got called out on needing a pedi. Oh kids!!!
ReplyDeleteMarisa
I love your list!! This was my first year teaching as well and is amazing how much you can learn! # 3 is easy to forget but is a key factor! If the kids are happy then the teacher is over the moon haha!
ReplyDeleteMagically in First
I'm laughing out loud on the shaving. There have been a few times that I have forgotten and worried a kiddo would notice. I wore black herringbone tights one day while student teaching, and a student asked if a tractor ran over my legs...because that's what it looked like! HAHA! Only in the midwest! :)
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ReplyDeleteLOL at number 8! Oh so true! Sometimes I just wear the pants and just wear sandals to stay cooler if I don't have the time to shave...or we are not on the carpet that much on that day! hehe
ReplyDeleteFirst Grade Frame of Mind
Molly your list is so great! I couldn't agree more with the lessons you chose to share with us! I almost added not to wear white to my list, and I didn't even think about the 'shave your legs' tip, that's so right on point!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing such great advice with us, you really shared some great lessons!
Erin
Kindergarten Dragons
Hi Molly! I absolutely loved your list and your adorable blog! Your list is spot on and I couldn't help laughing out loud to numbers 7&8! I've had way too many run ins with khaki pants and Mr. Sketch markers! Thank goodness for washing machines, right?! Onto the shaving thing, what is it with kids and touching our feet/legs?! Too funny! This year I had a little girl who loved to pet my feet in flats and sandals when we would be on the carpet for read alouds. Odd little ducks they can be but we love them anyway! Thanks for linking up with us!
ReplyDeleteJayme
Teach Talk Inspire
LOVE the shave your legs part! I had two girls laying on me at the library, and one was rubbing my skin and told me I have sharp hairs, and another told me she saw a commerical for a no-no and maybe I should buy one! So funny!
ReplyDeleteDeirdre
Mrs. Garcia's Super Scholars
Molly, your list was great. It made me nod and laugh. I couldn't agree more about the mentor. I love your idea about making copies on Fridays. It's like a ghost town at my school once 3:50 hits on a Friday. I should try to stay a few minutes and get organized for the upcoming week. Thanks for taking the time to link up with us! :)
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