26 Things I Learned As A Teacher

Being a teacher is one of the most important careers of all. It is a more demanding profession than most people think, but can be very rewarding (as I experienced during my 18 years as a full-time teacher). Here are some of the things I learned as a teacher with respect to the profession:

• If your lesson is not going as planned, make a change on the fly. Mix it up.
  
• Be accessible to your students even when they are not in class. Have a classroom Twitter account, blog etc.
  
• Every teacher has been influenced by someone, but find your own teaching style and do what works best for your class each year.
  
• If you don’t know something, admit it. Nobody knows everything.
  
• Give your students small breaks throughout the day. Keep in mind that they are not robots and need to refresh from time to time.
  
• Eat lunch with students from time to time. You will get to know them on a level other than as your student.
  
• Be open to student ideas. Students often have ideas or perspectives that you have not considered.
  
• Emphasize cooperative-learning. Incorporate it as often as you can based upon your daily schedule.
  
• Help students realize and work for reaching their maximum potential as a student & person.
  
• Be open to educating your students using many different methods. The world they are growing up in is vastly different than the world you grew up in.
  
• If you a student is having behavior issues, do not assume it is because of you. Often times it is not about you and is something outside of school they are having difficulty dealing with.
  
• Appropriately compliment. This can be very effective in helping boost a student’s self-esteem and confidence.
  
• Incorporate technology as much as possible.
  
• Share stories about your life experiences with your students, so they can get to know you better. They will view you as more than just their “teacher”, and understand that you have interests and passions other than teaching.
  
• Do everything possible to avoid taking work home (sometimes it is not possible). You need time to relax your body and mind in order to remain fresh.
  
• Teach your students that making mistakes is an important part of the learning process.
  
• Implore your students to ask questions. Asking questions leads to deeper understanding.
  
• Teach your students about the 4 Stages of Learning Something New
  
• Take your class outside for a lesson from time to time. A change in the learning space can be a good thing. Learning is not limited to your classroom.
  
• Self-evaluate: daily weekly, monthly...always look for ways to make your lessons, teaching style, delivery better.
  
• Incorporate Character Education into your curriculum. Most kids need this. 
• Attend conferences, grade-level meetings, and workshops. This is an excellent way to interact with fellow teachers and get ideas about what you can use in your classroom.
  
• Establish boundaries on the first day of school, and be consistent.
  
• Be flexible. There may be days when unexpected things happen that cause a change in the class schedule, but “roll with the punches”. There is always the next day.
  
• Integrate learning as best you can. Collaborate with your specialists (if you have them).
  
• Take as many field trips as possible. There is a lot to be learned from the world outside the classroom and textbooks