We call them “Bad Days”, and we all have them. Maybe you spilled a bottle of paint all over
yourself in front of the class, accidentally released a dozen live crickets in
your classroom, or hit “reply all” on an
email meant for an individual parent (yes, these all happened to me!). Maybe it was having a difficult conversation
with a colleague, a student breaking his arm during recess, or perhaps it was
just a lesson that went terribly wrong. In
reality so many things happen around us in the course of a school day it would
be impossible (and useless) to categorize them all as “good” or “bad”. Nevertheless, no matter how hard we try, it
is in our nature to dwell on the negatives and brush over the positives. With
that in mind, I submit to you 10 truths to remember after a not so pleasant
school experience.
- You are not alone. Whether it’s your district, school, grade level, or trusted colleagues, you are part of a network of professionals that are there to support you.
- At times it may not seem possible, but if you think about your day, you will no doubt be able to take away a positive or two.
- Students want to learn. Sometimes it just takes a while to figure out how to reach them.
- When students misbehave, it’s not personal.
- Remind yourself of all the reason you chose this profession.
- At the risk of sounding like a bumper sticker, remember that what you do will make the world a better place.
- Next time you face a similar situation, you will be better prepared to deal with it.
- Parents and teachers both want what’s best for the student.
- There are many things about teaching that are out of your hands (budgets, technology, class size, meetings, assessments…), but you alone can determine the nature of the relationships you have.
- It may take hard work, perseverance, or even an apology, but you will have the opportunity to right a wrong.
3 comments:
hi there! I am a teacher from California. I absolutely love your blog! it seems to me as though you have the perfect perspective on every situation. Every post that you put on your blog seems like it has been well thought out and very well executed. a few months ago I was on Twitter and I stumbled upon your blog during an edchat, more recently I have subscribed to your blog in now I will receive an email every time you make a new post. When I saw today's topic I fell in love with it immediately. I have a handful of kids that are a nuisance and reading your blog has really made me think about all the positives in teaching.please, keep up the great work and I really hope to see your blog get more publicity in the future!
Thank you so much for your comment. I am glad you are able to get something out of the posts, that's why I write them! Send the link to your colleagues via twitter, email, facebook, whatever! Thank you!
Just saw your video ad on facebook for ri classroom. Yay Gino!!!!!!!
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