Teaching, The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love!

Teaching, The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love! – Part I

What are the ingredients to become a successful teacher?

The first ingredient is taking care of your personal needs. While this may be already understood, too many teachers immerse themselves in this profession so much so, thus creating physical and emotional hardships. Appropriate balance is needed.

You need to regulate yourself to have sufficient sleep each night. While this is easier said than done, please consider determining a specific time in which you cease doing your schoolwork. You may believe that the schoolwork for your students is essential to be completed by the next school day. It is suggested that the only thing that truly needs to be prepared is a specific, realistic lesson plan. Upon doing so, any paperwork that you want to complete can be done, but again, it is important to stop doing schoolwork for your own relaxation at your pre-determined time. Then, allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy the people in your personal life and to enjoy some sort of activity that will rest your mind. Thus, you are apt to feel that much better to be able to not only deal with your professional duties in an easier fashion the following day, but also to develop creative solutions to the challenges you encounter.

You need to exercise regularly which can help you release any stress you experience. It is vital for your overall health to follow a plan that takes care of yourself. You may wish to consider any of these activities: aquarobics, zumba, bicycle riding, tennis, roller skating, and/or any other type of activity that allows you to feel refreshed ultimately.

You need to eat and to drink those things that will give you energy. By replenishing your body with healthy food and drinks, you are being your own doctor helping to restore your physical energy and to feel reinvigorated for your professional responsibilities.

The second ingredient is communication. Please consider the acronym for the word “COMMUNICATE”: “Count On Me Means You And I Can Actively Talk Effectively”. In this day and age of voice mail, emailing, and texting, it is much more highly effective when people are actually able to talk with one another so that ideas, questions, and answers can be exchanged. The result will be that everyone’s points of view are shared with resolution hopefully.

You may wish to mention to your students at the beginning of the school year that you will be calling their parents or guardians to describe your class’ expectations, to deal with any of their questions or comments with you, and to find out if their young adults have their study materials at home, such as their textbooks, notebooks, and/or homework assignments. As an incentive, you can state to your students that they will earn extra credit, extra points, or any other incentive you feel that is appropriate for having such materials at home. The purpose of this activity is to ensure subject materials are brought home regularly.

You will actually find your students wanting you to call their homes and will ask you when you will call. It is suggested that you do not inform your students as to when you call. It is best to call maybe one student from each of your classes Sunday night through Thursday night. It would be a good idea to check off whom you have called. Lastly, should you receive their voice mail recording, please call another time to talk with them. After all, the idea is to be able to communicate with them and to listen and to respond to one another.

Another communication tool to consider is to call the parents or guardians during the school year. You may wish to do so when the young adults have improved in terms of their behavior and/or in terms of their graded work.

The residual side effect of communicating with the family in such manners can be a better family atmosphere and that much more respect for the young adults by the parents or guardians. You will also find parents or guardians to be rather amazed that you call and that you care.