classroom – Page 5 – Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Perseverance

What You Are Not…

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I have written to you a lot about what you are as a teacher. You are a world-changer. You are a superhero. You are a live-saver. You are a future-molder…

You are tired. You are stressed. You are over-worked. You are overwhelmed. You are beat-up. You are burned out.

You are a teacher.

Today I want to do something a little different. I want to mention something that you are not. It is something that you need to hear and be reminded of each and every day.

You, Teacher, are not alone.

Since last Friday, I have received more feedback than I ever gotten about the blog. Goodness No!, Be The Shark, and Superheroes and Alter-Egos have really resounded with teachers. There have been so many messages of “thanks” and “I needed to hear that.” The common theme seems to be that what I am saying is what you all are going through.

The funny part is that with all three of these posts, I truly was writing to myself. I was speaking to what I am feeling and going through. I was trying to remind myself to remember why I do what I do in all of the busyness and stress of teaching. I was talking to me and letting you listen in.

Teachers from all over the world have said, “That is me, too. I am going through those things. I am having those thoughts. That is how I feel. Thank you for the reminders of why I teach and what is important!”

You know what this means?

We are not alone.

No matter how you feel at your school, in your grade level, in your subject area, or whatever your teaching situation, you are not on your own. What you are going through is common. What you are feeling is not odd. You don’t have to feel lonely as a teacher because the teachers around you aren’t feeling the same way. Other teachers ARE going through what you are going through. The teachers you work with probably are, too, they are just hiding it well.

You are not alone.

Do not be ashamed of feeling tired and overwhelmed. Don’t be embarrassed by the burnout. Don’t feel bad when you mess up, lose your cool, or just want to give up. You are not the only one. You can get through it. You can get past it. You can get back to who you are and why you love to teach.

We know what you feel like because we feel it to…you are not alone because the whole world of teachers is with you.

Feel like giving up? You are not alone.

Burned out? Beat up? Beat down? You are not alone.

Stressed? Overwhelmed? Exhausted? You are not alone.

Feeling isolated and lonely in what you are experiencing in teacherhood? You most definitely are not isolated and alone…we are right there with you.

Feel like you are the only one who feels the way you do? You aren’t. You are not alone.

Have I said it enough? You are not alone.

“So what? I am not alone. I get it. Now what?”

Knowing you are not alone is a great place to start. It reminds you that other people have experienced, are experiencing, and will experience what you are experiencing. This thought alone gives you hope. Hope leads to perseverance. Perseverance keeps you going. Going and pushing on lets you get through what you are going through. Getting through gives you perspective and helps you keep going next time you get on this cycle. AND…all of this helps you to remember why you teach and keeps you on that teaching path…no matter what the world and life and teaching throws at you.

So…know you are not alone and let this give you hope.

You can make it. You can get through. You can push on. You can. You can. You can. You can because you are not alone!

You are awesome! You will keep going. You are making a difference and you will keep making a difference. You are amazing and YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Remember this and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

Superheroes and Alter-Egos

Posted on November 20, 2013November 20, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Can you tell that I am in that stage of the teacher-cycle where you feel overwhelmed by the impossibilities that plague us? I know that we all go through that. It is normal. Even so, it does not make it any easier.

Teachers are asked to do what can’t always be done. We try and we don’t give up, but impossible odds are impossible odds…if you ask one group of people to face them alone, at least. It feels like that for us a lot, if we admit it. We are asked to do things that we can’t do alone…and it gets tiresome and lonely.

Just the weekend I read an article in which yet another societal woe was blamed on the education system and how we are not doing enough to help the next generation make better choices. I had a training this week that puts another of the major issues for adolescents on the shoulders of educators. I feel the burdens of the school life, home life, and future life of my students more and more everyday. I, and all other teachers, are put in front of major foe after major foe day in, day out, week after week, month, and year.

It hit me this morning. The reason I am so tired is very clear. I know why “overwhelmed” does not even to begin to describe what we feel sometimes.

We are being asked to be superheroes.

We are commissioned to save the world.

We are tasked with saving and rebuilding the future.

We are given the job of fighting all of the societal and cultural super-villains that threaten our world.

Of course we are tired!

The theme of this post, though, is not to bemoan and complain about this role. We knew what we were being asked to do when we accepted the job and put on the uniform. This is not news. We got into this to change the world.

It is just tiring work. It is hard. It seems impossible. Sometimes the problems seems so big and we seem so small.

I have always been drawn to superheroes and in the idea of them. I love the ones who were not born with the “superhero” in them, but had the ability and role thrust upon them. I love to see the struggle between who they were and the superhero that they have become.

Peter Parker was just a teenager/young adult when be became Spiderman. Sue Storm and the other Fantastic Four were just scientists when they got their powers and started fighting crime. The story is the same for Bruce Banner when he became “Hulk.” Bruce Wayne may have been super-rich, but he was just a man when he took on the role of savior of Gotham (I actually think, outside of the money thing, that Batman is more along the lines of what teachers do, but that is another post for another day).

I say all of this to say that there are two sides to most of the superheroes in comic books (graphic novels) and movies. They have alter-egos. They have someone who they are when they are not fighting crime and the world’s woes.

Teachers are the same. We can’t always be “on.” Even throughout the school day, we sometimes need to take of the mask and breathe a minute. We need to take a little break from the super-villains every once in a while and remember that we are people, too.

The “bad guys” will always be there. We will always be asked to fight them. BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. It is okay to remember that you are weak.

Take a minute and remember who you are in the mirror. Take a break. Take a breath. Ask for help if you need it.

You can’t always be “super” even if you want to be. You are a person and a teacher. Don’t be ashamed of that. Remember who you were before you became a world-saving-crime-fighter. It is okay.

It is okay to be your alter-ego, Super Teacher. You are both people. Don’t fear your weaknesses. Acknowledge them. Work through them. Be who you are along with the hero.

Take a breather every once in a while and then get back to fighting. It is okay. The battle will always wait for you. Don’t worry about that!

You are awesome! You are a hero. You are a superhero. Your students do need you…but you need you, too. Your family, friends, and non-school life need you. Don’t wear yourself out. Remember your alter-ego and save time for that other side of you! You are so amazing. Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

Be The Shark…Just Keep Swimming

Posted on November 19, 2013November 19, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Yesterday I mentioned that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the many things to do and the lack of time to get them done. Today is not much different…well, in a way it is worse because a pending “one more thing on my plate” has been served to me so I am balancing yet one more responsibility in my now exhausted arms. BUT, I did feel that I needed to write today. I am talking to myself today, but you are welcomed to listen in. 🙂

Sharks are awesome. Not that it needed to be said, but it is so very true. Sharks are cool. I have thought so since I was a kid. I never really grew out of it. Then again, who has? There is a reason that Shark Week has been going strong for all of these years.

I have a renewed love of sharks as this is my second year teaching animals (I am a Science teacher). Sharks are a fascinating fish, creature of the sea, and inhabitant of our little blue planet. There are so many types and each group is different from the others. They cannot be lumped all together and very few assumptions about sharks are true for all of them. Each shark species has its own interesting characteristics and quirks.

One of these quirks you may or may not know about, and it came to mind today as I was think about how I feel like I have so much to do that I don’t know where or how to start. Some sharks, especially the bigger predators have to keep swimming to live. Without movement water does not move through their gills. Without water in the gills oxygen cannot be taken in. Without oxygen, respiration stops. Without respiration, well, RIP Mr. or Mrs. Shark.

Movement is necessary. Movement is vital. Movement is non-negotiable. Movement is life.

If the Great White does not swim, the Great White will die. Sure, it is the big bad fish of the ocean that can take on almost any challenger (I know, other nerd-types like me, Tiger Sharks are actually the most dangerous predator…just let me keep writing). Sure the Great White is one of the most feared creatures in the world. Sure, none can stand (or swim) with it present and not be pretty fearful. However, even the mighty Great White is powerless without movement. It has to swim. Just like Dory, Great White need to “just keep swimming.”

You probably see where I am taking this. I think Teachers are awesome. We are the sharks of society. I don’t mean that in the classical metaphor of “shark” for a person. I mean that we are a group that is very often misunderstood. We can’t be pigeon-holed together as one type of teacher. We are all different. We are not the same. We have our own characteristics and quirks.

We are also ferocious. We, in society, are taking on foes that few people want to fight. We are fighting illiteracy, poverty, neglect, low-self esteem, triggers that lead students in to gangs, environments that can lead to drugs, and so many other things that a list is impossible. We are big, bad sharks. We are like Great Whites in this way. We are fighters. We do what few others can.

Yet, we need to remember to keep swimming. We have to. It is the only way to stay alive. We have to move. We have to keep moving. We can’t be overwhelmed. We will drown. We will die as teachers. We have to keep moving, swimming, and going.

So, when there are a million things to do, pick the most important, choose a direction, and then get going. Do something. Do not stay still. Move! Go! Swim!

You can do this! You are the shark! Start swimming today, keep going, and don’t stop. You’ve got this. Today is yours.

Just keep swimming!

You are awesome! You are a shark in the lives of your students, in a good way. You are fighting battles that they cannot fight on their own. You are also busy, tired, and overwhelmed. Don’t give up! You are too amazing to give up! Just keep swimming and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

Goodness No!!

Posted on November 15, 2013November 15, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Today I want to talk about Pete the Cat (a character in children’s books).

I teach sixth grade, and I know how this post will look to those who teach middle and high school. Just bare with me, though! I think the message is a good one. Please keep reading! 🙂

I have a four, almost five, year-old son. He is in 4k. I have been opened up to a whole new world. A world filled with play-learn stations, camp songs, and kids’ books. It has been a fun experience. I never thought it would be life changing.

Last week, I overheard my son being read to by his Nana. I wasn’t really paying attention until my son blurts out, “GOODNESS NO!” The way he said it cracked me up, so I listened in. It turned out to be a great little lesson for me, as a teacher (or human, for that matter). I read, reread, and read this book to my son since this, and we are often found saying, “Goodness no!” to each other throughout the day.

I thought it would be a great story to share, especially on Friday when most of us reflect on the week. Give a watch and listen, and the read on.

Did Pete cry? Goodness no!

I love that! I really do!

Okay, now that the story is over, what does this have to do with teaching?

We so very often get wrapped up in the “stuff” of teaching. Our lesson plans. Our classroom management. Our pacing. Our observations. Our teammate. Our administrators. Our classroom materials. Our pride in teaching. Our students’ test results. Our _______________…you fill in the rest.

When we get wrapped up in all of this and something goes wrong, it is so easy to fall into a “freak out” cycle. We may not cry, but our blood pressure rises. Our stress headaches start. Our patience flat-lines. We start to drop other things that matter because we lost something that has had an elevated priority for us. We slowly spiral out of control.

We can regain composure and get moving again. But then when something else goes awry, the cycle starts again. An easier way to say what the cycle is to say that we “cry.” Even if there is no tears.

This is, unfortunately, the norm for teachers. Talk to anyone for a while and you will see that we all have our “buttons” that make us “cry” when we lose them. We all have things that have become our focus that are important, don’t get me wrong, but still they are misplaced priorities. We have let ourselves lose focus (which is sounding like a theme for me here the last couple of weeks).

There are some teachers, though, that are more like Pete the Cat. Even-keeled. Stuff does not seem to bother them. AND they are reaching and teaching students like a champ.

What is their secret?

Do they “cry” when they lose their “buttons?”

GOODNESS NO!

They know that the classroom “stuff” will come and it will go.

They keep on singing their song.

And what is their song about?

Their students.

I have said this a lot lately, but no matter how many times it is said it is never less true. Students are our goal. Who they are and what they need. This determines everything for us. They are who we are there for. They are more than “buttons.” They are the reason for teaching.

So, do we need to cry?

Goodness no!

The other stuff will come and it will go.

The students are our song and we can keep on singing no matter what.

Simplistic? Easier said than lived out? Works on paper and hard in reality? Probably so. That does not mean it is not true. That does not mean it is not possible.

You can be “Pete the Cat.”

Keep on singing!

As you look back on the week, what buttons were lost? Do they matter in the grand scheme of things? Are you able to keep singing your student song?

You are awesome. You are Pete the Cat. Let those buttons go. They will come and they will go. Keep on singing, Teacher, and keep on teaching!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Teacher Testimony, Thank You!

Thank You Note (from another Teacher who was once a student)

Posted on November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Thank you. I mean it. Really. Thank you!

As a former student, I thank you for the time you took to plan. I thank you for the hours you put into your lessons, but also your willingness to let that time go when opportunities happened in the classroom for deeper learning and you scrapped your plans to teach where we, the students, were are the time.

Thank you for the time you took to set up your classroom. Thank you for the posters and funny jokes about math. Thank you for giving me something to look at in the moments of distraction that helped my mind get back to learning. Thank you for the seating charts and seating changes that helped me learn better, even if I or other students fought them.

Thank you for the care you showed. Day after day, I could never doubt that you cared about me. Though I may not have loved your class, your subject, or thought you were cool, I did ALWAYS know that you cared about me. That really did make me care about what you were trying to teach. I definitely cannot deny it.

Thank you for going the extra mile for me. Thank you for being a great teacher. Thank you for trying new strategies. Thank you for staying after school. Thank you for quick turnaround in grading. Thank you for…well…everything.

Thank you, Teacher!

Thank you.

I am a better teacher because I have your shoulders to stand on. I am better for my students because you were a better teacher than I am. But I am learning. You set a high bar, but I hope to one day reach that goal. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Did I mention, “Thank you”?

We do not hear it enough, and because of that sometimes we lose focus. We are affecting our students, though. This was a heartfelt letter to teachers from my past. We do make a difference. We do. Let us remember why we do what we do and put up with what we put up with. It is for the students. Who knows, you might be teaching the next great teacher! Keep your focus and do what you know to do, and do it well. You are awesome so I know that you will.

Keep on teaching, you amazing Teacher, you!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic, Reflection

Well Done!

Posted on November 9, 2013November 9, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Same message as yesterday and last weekend…don’t forget to see the good and positive along with the “needs work” areas as you reflect on the week. You had some awesome in you this week and do did your students. Don’t forget to celebrate and take a little bow. You deserve to and have earned it! You rock because you are awesome! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Share this encouragement with another teacher. He or she deserves it, too!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Video Note

Tuesday Reminder…

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Today is Tuesday. You are back into the grind of another week. Tuesdays can be hard. If it is a rough, long day, it is really rough and long because the end of the week is still so very far away!

I hope today is not one of those days for you. As a matter of fact, don’t let it be. Take charge of this Tuesday. Make it yours! Don’t let stress and worries drag it down and away from you. Keep finding the positive. Keep remembering your goal (your students) and keep moving towards it.

Find a way to work with difficult students.
Check some things off of your “to-do” list.
Clean a pile or two off of your desk.
Get engagement from your students, no matter what it takes.
Get some student to connect “A” to “B”…and do so on their own.
Have a breakthrough with a student.
Try a new strategy.
Master an old tried strategy.
Make students know they are smart.
Give a hug or two.
Write some notes to make people feel awesome.
Give lots and lots of high-fives.
Look in the mirror and remind yourself of your awesome.
Put some non-priorities on the back burner.
Focus, focus, focus on students and what they need.
Help students get just a little better at learning on their own.
Do something.
Help someone.
Be awesome.

Today is Tuesday. It is your day. Make it yours. Don’ let it slip away!

Here is my second attempt at an encouraging and/or motivational video. I like this one a lot better than the first. Have a watch and then share it with other teachers you think could use a shot of awesome!

So, Tuesday Teacher, remember that your awesome! You are awesome. You have awesome. Be awesome and share awesome with every student, teacher, parent, family member, administrator, support staff member you see…and be awesome to yourself.

You are amazing! Today will be yours. It is yours. I know you will make it yours! You are going to make a difference for at least one person today…probably more. I love the way you care so much for the people around you, especially your students. Show that care today. I know you will! Keep on teaching, you wonderful Teacher, you!

Love, Teacher

PS…Here is the first video, in case you missed it. Motivational ABCs – The Movie!

Challenge, General Inspiration, Pep Talk, Reason for Teaching, Reflection

The Lost Goal

Posted on October 31, 2013October 31, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I am in the trenches with you! This has been a long week. I am tired. I am beat up. I am worn out. I am not broken, but I am a little battered.

Do you feel the same way? If not today, have you recently?

I talk a lot about the pressures and struggles of teaching and the difficulty in finding balance while juggling a thousand things at once. I won’t remind us of that today. We know what we have to do. We know how hard it is. We don’t need to be re-educated on those things we know oh so well.

I am in a reflective mood. In this time of reflection, I am thinking a lot about what are really the roots of my frustration right now. I really don’t think it has anything to do with the students. I don’t think it is the burden of having so many responsibilities every minute of every day. I don’t think it is the pressures form above me in the hierarchy of things. I don’t think it is the content or curriculum. I don’t think it has much to do with the job of teaching at all. I think it has everything to do with me.

I don’t think I have focus.

I am not saying that I am not focused as a teacher. I am not saying that I am not looking to the standards for direction. I am not saying that I have forgotten my heart for students. I am not saying I do not see my place in the span of things at my school. I think I have a focus on all of these things, and everything else that I should.

And therein lies the problem.

The funny thing about focus is that it is very specific and pointed. When you focus on something, everything around it is slightly more blurry, even if just an imperceptible amount. You cannot truly have more than one focus.

What you focus on is the center of what you do. Everything else gets a little less attention and energy. It has to be this way. If it is not, then you are not really focused on anything.

When you focus on more than one thing at the same time (or many, many, many things), your energy is scattered. Your mind is scattered. Your heart and your soul is scattered.

When you are scattered, you are all over the place. You cannot sustain that. It will lead to frustration, heartache, and burnout. You can not run in more than one direction. You can not have more than one main goal. It just is not possible, at least not at the level it takes to be effective and meaningful.

So, that leaves me with the question, “What do I do now, Self?”

I find the goal that matters most. The goal that I lost along the way. I make that my focus. I give that my energy. I give that my all.

And what is that goal?

I don’t even have to think about the question to answer it. My students are my goal. Their growth, maturity, and becoming learners and people that care about other people is what I personally care the most about. Their who I work for, in essence. They are my reason for all that I do as a teacher.

What does this mean, then, to what I do day-to-day?

It means I weigh decisions based on what they need. It means I get to know them so that I know what they need. I means that I make sure I am not losing them for the sake of lesser goals (like following lesson plans to a “t,” sticking to a strategy that I am told is excellent when it is not working for my students, or staying “on-pace” when my students are falling behind). It means that I work on finding strategies that work for them. It means I am willing to have more than one lesson plan for the day because some students need a little more than others. It means I differentiate, I means I encourage and affirm them. It means I write notes, make parent phone calls, and take time to just say, “Hi, how are you doing?” It means that I never give up. It means that I find a way to reach each and every one of my students. No matter what!

If I find the lost goal…if I make the old goal my new one…if I commit to keeping my focus where it matters most…I will change the world. I will change my students. I will change myself.

I don’t know if this rang true to you, but it is an open and honest reflection for me. This was needed. Thanks for reading if you made it this far! Do you need to readjust your focus, too? Join me in doing that today!

You are awesome! If you are here, it is because you are trying to be the best teacher you can be and looking for a boost of encouragement to keep up the fight. I hope you found that today. You deserve to be encouraged! You are a great, awesome, and amazing teacher! Your students are your goal. They are what really matter. Keep going. Keep fighting. Keep making that difference! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Challenge, Change the World Challenge, Reason for Teaching

The Speed of Change…One by One

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Okay, I found some time to write a post. I like writing posts more than just doing a picture message like the one I did this morning…though they are fun to do. I did not think I would find the time to write, but I finally did. And I found some really cool inspiration that goes right along with my theme this week! We, you and I, need to change the world. Teachers can do it. We need to!

I was reading through some blogs this afternoon, and I came across this message of connecting with students. It was so perfect. This teacher’s message went hand-in-hand with my challenge from last Friday. I gave us all the challenge, myself included here, to change the world by changing our own world, changing students’ worlds, changing other teachers’ worlds, and changing the worlds of those around us, outside of schools. (How have you been doing with this, by the way?) The blog post I read today hit one of these nails right on the head. To change the lives of students we have got to connect with them!

I know what you are thinking…”Duh! Everyone knows that!”

We do…but do we really? Really, really? Really, really, really?

Our actions show what we truly know…or at least believe.

We might know that we need to connect to students, but if someone were to really judge us by our actions would they think that we really and truly believe that it is vital to connect with students?

Take that honest look in the mirror. What is the answer to that question? And I am not talking connecting with some students. I mean trying to have a connection with every student you teach, at least on some teeny, tiny level?

Is that even possible? To connect with every student?

I think so. But it is hard work. You have to be purposeful. You have to try…every day. Find a way to connect. Find a way to build rapport. Find a way to earn a voice. Once you have that voice with a student, USE IT!

Talk to your students. Tell them the truth. Help them to know what they need to work on. Tell them how smart they are. Teach them how to use that smart. Help them use it. Help them build confidence until they act like they know they are smart and capable.

Change your students’ world:

Connect
Build a Bridge
Cross that Bridge
Change a Mind
Change a Life
Change the World

You can do it. You can connect with every student. You can be an agent of change. You can make a difference that lasts a lifetime. Know you can do this. Act on that knowledge. Start tomorrow (or today, depending on when you read this).

Challenge for Today (whenever you read this): Make a purposeful connection with three students today. You can do it! Will you?

You are so amazing! You are so awesome! Do it…change the world by changing your students’s world. The speed of change is slow because it is done one person at a time. Start making those changes now! You can do it! Keep on teaching and changing the world, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Cheer Up, General Inspiration, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic, Thank You!

Letter from the World (that you may never get)

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I know that we all struggle through the tough patches of working in a somewhat thankless career. More than that, we are often scrutinized and demeaned by people who just don’t understand what we do. That can be hard, but we take it in stride and keep pressing on, even if no one notices. That is what makes us awesome. That is what makes you awesome!

I have put words to the unspoken thanks of students in the past, but I thought this morning I might give words to the unspoken thanks to someone else. I know this letter will probably never happen, but I am sure that there are those out there who definitely feel this way. So here is a letter to us from the world at-large.

Know that it is all true, even if we seldom hear it. Read it, smile, and know you are awesome. Share it with other teachers and lets get this Encouragement Revolution kicked into high gear today!

You are awesome. You are amazing. You are making a difference, even if it is only in the background where very few see it. You are making the future, and the world thanks you! I thank you! Thank you, Teacher! Keep on teaching!

Love, Teacher

PS…I know I keep talking about it, but I am so excited about these posters and how they can motivate students (intrinsically) to keep moving and pressing on! The Motivational ABCs Poster/Word Wall are available in the Dear Teacher/Love Teacher TeachersPayTeachers Store…check it out, if you haven’t had the chance! The image in this post is one of the printable posters in the set. Oh, and the posters are on a deep discount sale this week! You have $2 to motivate students, don’t you? 🙂