180 Days

It's been about a week since I closed the door on my first teaching experience. To say I learned a lot would be an understatement.

I'll start with saying that although student teaching and four years of education classes were a crucial asset in the process of becoming an educator, there were plenty of aspects that I couldn't have prepared for if I tried. Thus many personal lessons ensued.

1. Be patient

In the profession of teaching this may seem like an obvious one. When you work with kids (of any age) you need to have some level of patience (preferably a high one). But good grief does that patience get tested. From behavior to simple things like having multiple students coming up to your desk asking the same question over...and over...and over...I'm surprised I still have chunks of my hair left. Regardless, there is no excuse for a snappy teacher. Just take a deep breath. Bite your tongue if you have to. Then move on. How your students react to you can often depend on how you react to your students.

2. You have a spine. Use it.

Let's face it, as a teacher criticism is inescapable. You are constantly being watched. Whether it's by parents, fellow teachers, your principal, or even the students themselves...there is no safe place to hide. In such cases you will more than likely get comments (both negative and positive) about how you perform things in your classroom. It's good to take such advice into consideration, yet it's ok to explain why you do the things you do and stand up for yourself. Say a parent is upset that little Jonny got an F on his homework assignment because he or she didn't turn it in and wants him to have the chance to redo it. Yet you have a strict turn in policy, thus making it so he gets a zero for a missing assignment. It's ok to stand your ground.

3. Be lenient when necessary.
On the other side of the spectrum, there will be chances when you'll need to give students some leeway. Life at home can really affect how a student performs. If mom and dad are getting a divorce, the last thing on little Sally's mind is going to be studying for her Spelling test. It's always important to keep the well being of the student in mind. If you're unsure, just look at how he or she is performing in class.

4. Be encouraging.
As much as I hate to admit it, this is one I struggled with. Not to say I never encouraged my students, believe me I did. Yet sometimes it's just so easy to get caught up in what students need to improve on instead of focusing on the great things they've already accomplished. When you're a teacher you should be one of your students' biggest cheerleaders. Be positive. Celebrate small victories. Show your students you're proud of them. It might to farther than you expect.

...Onward to year two...