Welp…you’re talking to a 41 year old now. Why does 41 seem SOOOOO much older than 40? I suppose it’s because no one has patted me on the back and given me a surprise 41 year old party…yet! Ha!
Really, it doesn’t bother me to get older – it’s just that number…it seems so boring!
Okay – I’m changing my attitude about 41 right now!
So, in honor of my 41st birthday, I created a list of 41 Things That I Know For Sure About Teaching…what do you think?
- It doesn’t matter what kids you get, it’s your job to teach them
- If you think you always get the “bad kids” – the problem is you
- If you think you always get the “low kids” – the problem is you
- If you always get a “fantastic” class – that’s because of you, too!
- Kids will do anything we ask (kindly and firmly) and require them to do
- It all comes down to teach/model/practice/apply when you want kids to master ANYTHING
- Spending too much time on “learning styles” and “modalities” is a waste of time – excellent teachers (ones who get results) stand on their heads to get kids to do things if that’s what it takes
- The best time spent? Lesson planning and preparation
- The difference between lesson planning and preparation is this: planning is what you want to teach and preparation is determining what it will look like when you teach it
- My kindergarten class thought I really played guitar when I played air guitar during our morning song and I didn’t correct them
- You chose teaching – if you don’t like it, then leave
- Class size doesn’t determine whether your kids learn – you do
- Enthusiasm trumps skill a lot of the time
- But skill ultimately matters when you want kids to master the content
- Teaching reading is tough
- But so is complaining about the kids who can’t read
- Teacher style (of teaching) is totally overrated – lecture just isn’t successful whether it’s your style or not
- The kids listen when you’re talking to your colleagues…say nice things
- The teacher’s lounge can be the perfect place to catch a bad attitude
- Worksheets don’t teach kids…I promise
- When teachers say things like, “Oh, wait ‘til you get THIS group next year!” – pretend to have a coughing fit and run away…it’s a bunch of hooey
- The data honestly, truly doesn’t lie
- If your kids aren’t improving, the issue is probably your teaching
- The good thing is that if your teaching is the cause of poor performance, you have 100% control over whether it gets fixed
- Parents do the best they can
- If parents all knew how to teach their kids, then you’d be out of a job, so be thankful that they have little clue as to how to teach their kids
- Kids learning to read or being successful in school should never boil down to whether they were read to/read 30 minutes a night – that’s a cop out
- The assessments that kids take are the minimum requirement – “passing” them should be the least of our worries
- Teach as many grade levels as you can – the perspective is awesome
- Commit to reading one professional book a month – you can do it by reading about 15 minutes per night…you will be the best read teacher around
- Greet your kids at the door so they come in with purpose – 90%+ of your behavior problems start the second they come through the door
- If you don’t like teaching, get out – – wait, did I already mention that one?
- One hundred percent of the public’s/parent’s/community’s perception of teaching comes from you – paint yourself in the most awesome light
- You have total control over the things that get results on the assessments: classroom management, instructional pacing, preparation, planning, delivery of instruction, engagement and reflection
- Sit in front during professional development – the day flies by
- When you attend professional development, go up afterward and ask the presenter a question – you never know what could happen!
- At the end of each day, review with kids what went well and what they need to change for tomorrow – they get a second chance at doing things well tomorrow
- When you tell students to “stop” doing something, you’ve got to give them an alternative or a “start” to take its place
- If someone tells you that kids who struggle to read “just need to read more,” tell them to take a hike
- Instructional minutes matter
- You can decide right now whether or not this will be the best year of teaching ever