Dear Teacher – Page 7 – Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

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

Two Wonderful Minutes

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Garfield Friday – Image Found: http://www.xm105fm.com/2014/01/24/for-the-drive-show-on-your-friday/

Dear Teacher,

For two wonderful, glorious minutes I thought today was Friday. Then like a slap to the face the shock set in that it was merely Thursday. It was like a cold water wake up…but now I am away to my Thursday reality.

That reality is simple:

I am a teacher.
It is a school day.
I have a job to do.
I have minds to mold.
I have hearts with which to connect.
I have students’ needs to meet.
I have arrows to block from my students.
I have monsters that need to be fought for my students.
I have content to teach.
I have concepts to make real.
I have weight that I need to carry for others.
I have lessons that need to be lessened.
I have ideas that need to be thought.
I have thoughts that need to be communicated.
I have too much to do and prioritizing that needs to happen.
I have a future to affect.
I have a world to make better.
I have a difference to make.
I have students who need me.
I have me to be.
I am a teacher.

The thing is, no matter what day of the week it is. You, I, and all teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world. We need to embrace all that we are as educators. I hear others (and myself) complain about all that we have to be for students. I am not talking about standards and administration expectations…I mean all that we have to be for students. We have to give them supplies. We have to make sure the get to where they are going. We have to remind, reteach, and re-give instructions until we can’t take it anymore. We have to be nurses. We have to be moms and dads. We have to be mentors. We have to be protectors. We have to be advocates. We have to be forgiving. We have to be patient. Oh, and we have to be teachers. We have so much that we have to be. It is easy to be overwhelmed.

I need to spend more time embracing these all-too-many roles that I have. I need to remember why I do what I do. It is because I care for my students. If they do not have what they need outside of school in these many parts we have to play, then we need to be those things and do so with pride. This is why we are in this game to start with. We are here to make a difference. We need to make that difference and do so joyfully…even when we are too tired to do so much.

And even when it is not Friday.

You are so awesome. I know you are better at embracing these things than I am. One day I will be as good as you. You are making that difference. You are embracing those roles. You are amazing! Keep on teaching and making a difference, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

Quick Note

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Today is your day. Do what you need to do. You know what your students need. Do what is best for them.

Need to change your plans? Change them.

Need to adjust a teaching method? Adjust it.

Need to change how you are dealing (or not dealing) with a certain student? Make that change.

Do what you need to do today.

You’ve got this!

You are a teacher!

You know what to do.

Do it!

Do it today!

You are awesome. You’ve got this today. Be who you need to be. Do what you need to do. Never forget that I believe in you! You are making a difference, keep doing what you do! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers

Added Dramatic Humor Daily (ADHD)

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Sorry for the sparsity if my communication with you lately. I have wanted to write. I have wanted to communicate with you. I have needed to try to talk to you. But there has been so much going on.

How are you? How is the school year? How is everything going? Did you get a lot of snow?

Things have been crazy. Not that crazy is anything outside of normal for the life of a teacher. Actually, I guess I should say that things have been normal. For me only one thing has changed. Perspective. This one change has set my world into a temporary spin, though.

In December (I think), I finally came to terms with the fact that I have ADHD. I have not been officially diagnosed, but I now know it is the truth of my reality. I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (a name for my thinking style that I find completely offensive, but more on that later).

I have been fighting accepting this for years. Everyone was far more sure of it than I was. I do not know why I fought it for so long. There is nothing to be ashamed of. However, I felt like it was accepting a lesser lot in life to accept that I have it.

This self-diagnosis has changed a lot for me. I was pretty sure that I was not “normal” before, but now I am quite sure of it. I do not think like most people. I struggle to stay focused on one thing at a time. I do not have a typical train of thought (it is more like a system of zip-lines). I am not like most people.

I have ADHD. I probably am not thinking what you are thinking. That is it. It is a reality. I have to deal with it. In some ways, so do you.

I am sharing this for two reasons. One is that I want explain about the absence of new posts to the blog. The second is that I want to explain why the topic of ADHD my pop up here from time to time.

Coming to grips with my ADHD has taken up a lot of my thinking “free space.” When I have time to blog, I really have not been able to focus on what I would like to write about. A part of ADHD is the ability to think about more than one thing rather deeply at once (which I see as a strength and not a deficit). I used to be good at that. It is one of the reasons that I was able to write so much here before. I could balance everything in my life and still have extra room in my brain to open one more “app” and be able to write something thoughtful here. Now that app-space is taken up by my analyzing how everything I do could be a part of the “disorder.” Sometimes I can not help what I think about. This is one of those times.

So, that explains that for you. 🙂

Now on to why I might mention ADHD from time to time. Accepting that I have it and analyzing why I do everything that I do has taught me A LOT about teaching. It has also taught me a lot about my students. I now have a special connection with some of my hardest case students because most of them share the diagnosis of ADHD with me. I have been able to understand them better. I have been able to see their strengths and weaknesses. I have been able to help them better work with themselves and start to control their thought life better.

There is something cool about that, though.

I have found that if it works for my ADHD students, it works for all of my students! It has been a really cool progression over the last couple of months. I really want to share some of what I have learned.

In closing, I want to ask you to be patient with me. Please don’t give up on the blog! I will be back. I will get back into the swing of things soon. Hopefully, as I come back from my ADHD journey I will bring back some helpful thoughts and ideas to help you be a better teacher.

I hope that all is going well for you! I hope that you have been able to recover from the missing school days if you have had a slew of them like me. I know that you are probably doing great. You know why? Because you are awesome! Please keep being awesome! I know you will because you are amazing! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Challenge, General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Perseverance

What is the point?

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I know, the title sounds a bit negative, but this is far from a negative message. It is a question we teachers need to think about every day before every class or lesson taught in a day. We need to ask ourselves this question because our students are going to come in with this question. What is the point?

I find that my best teaching days do not revolve around activities planned. They do not hinge on the minutia of my lesson plans. They do not even focus on the details of my standards that I hope to address. No, they have nothing to do with these things (though they help).

My best days hang on having a goal. They have a “point,” so to speak. Great teaching days come when I have a concept or idea (based on my standards) that I focus on in the lessons and activities. I hang my hat on these things. If the lesson goes another way than I planned, I roll with it. If my students come in with too much energy to do what I hoped to do, I adjust. I adjust to them and in a way that still focuses on my goal.

This, I believe, is one of the keys to being a great teacher.

You need to know what the “point” of the day needs to be. Then, no matter what the day brings, you move hell and high water to meet that goal. Have back up activities in mind. Know some good real world examples that you can bring up. Have some challenge problems you can have the students work through. Know your materials. Know your content. Know your stuff. Change an old activity to make it fit in the moment. Roll with the punches. Be flexible. And beyond all else, make your “point” your goal and do not sweat the small stuff that got in the way of your plans.

Make your goal, your point, happen, no matter what!

I share this today because I need to hear this. I have A LOT of things planned for my students. I am a science teacher, so there are a lot of details for me to work out with activities. However, I can not let these activities make or break my day. I need to focus on what I want them to get (the relationship between electricity and magnetism that causes electromagnets in my case). No matter what, I need my students to understand this one thing.

If I have to adjust my plans, so be it.
If I have to do demos instead of hands-on for a class, it is not a big deal.
If the lesson takes a turn I do not expect, I can roll with it.

I have one goal in mind. I know what they need to understand, and this is what will make my lessons. I do not have to stress over things not working out the way I planned. I just need to get to my “point.”

I can do this. You can do this. We can do this!

So what is your point today? What is the one thing you need your students to get by the end of your lesson? How will you roll with the punches? How will you get to the point?

You are awesome! You’ve got this! This is your day. You will get to the point, I know it. You are amazing. You are making a difference! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

Do Something

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Last post, I encouraged you not to waste your todays. Today I just want to remind you of that. Today is all you have. Today is what your students need ythatou to use.

Do something today.

Do something big.

Do something meaningful.

Do something lasting.

Do something.

Make today count. Do not let it slip away. Make it last for a student. Make it last for all of them. Make something of today.

Do something.

You are awesome! I know you will make today a memory worth having for someone. Remember that I believe in you. I think that you are an amazing teacher. Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Perseverance

So Close…Never Give Up..

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I saw this in an article this morning and just had to share. It made me think of you. Yes, it is a real picture. The whale-watchers had no idea they were being whale-watched!

Sometimes we are so close with helping our students turn a corner. Sometimes it is remarkably close, and we just don’t know it. This is why we can’t give up. This is why we must keep going.

Our students are getting it. We are making a difference. Keep going, Teacher! Keep teaching! You are so awesome!

Have a great break! Relax and recharge those batteries!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Get Psyched!, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, You Are Awesome!!!

Almost There…

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

Dear Teacher,

You are almost there! You have almost made it! Holiday break is just around the corner. You can almost count the minutes!

You have worked so hard to keep students engaged. You have poured your heart out. You have put in the hours and the energy to capture their hearts and minds. You have tried to make this time before break both educational and memorable. And you have done it. You have knocked it out of the park!

It may not have been perfect, you you have done well, my friend. Great job! Amazing! You are such a great teacher!

The students may not always appreciate the work you do now, but you are making a difference. You are doing so well. Every minute may not be awesome, but your awesome never stops. Nice job. You have done what you do so well. You are so awesome!

Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for working so hard. Thank you for caring so much. Thank you for being you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

I hope you have the best holiday break ever! Take it easy. Take a break. Rest. Relax. Get charged up for the rest of the year!

You are so awesome! You are so amazing! Your students need you and you are making a difference in their lives. Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Have a great break, you have earned it and deserve it!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

No Idea…(teachers have the upper hand)

Posted on December 11, 2013December 11, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

You are the one. You have what you need. You have plans, but you also have heart. You are ready…even if you are not completely ready.

You have a mind and know how to use it. You can roll with the waves and the punches. This day…this week…this year will not dominate you. You’ve got this. Somewhere deep inside you know that you can handle this.

Your students have no idea what is coming. Use that. You can do something different today. Take them off guard. Show them that you know your stuff. Show them that you care. Show them that you are the teacher that they need you to be.

What do I mean by this? That depends on you. That depends on what you are facing today. That depends on what you need.

Does that mean that I am being generic with my encouragement today?

No! It just means that the message for today is whatever you need it to be.

You really do have this under control, even if you don’t feel like it.

No matter what is ahead of you, you can do this today. You can teach. You can make it through. You can be who your students need you to be.

Be that teacher.

You are that teacher.

Do what you need to do today.

Need to change your plans? Do it.

Need to review though there is little time to do it? Review away.

Need to take a stand about an issue happening in your class? Stand up.

Need to hold your ground on a school issue unrelated to students? Do what you need to do.

Be who you need to be today.

Your students and those around you have no idea what you have in store today. You have the upper hand. You have the element of surprise. Surprise them today.

You’ve got this!

Teach away!

You are awesome! You can do this today. Go. Do. Be the teacher! You are amazing! I believe in you! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

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

Move Along (like I know you do)

Posted on December 3, 2013December 3, 2015 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

If we were to chose an anthem for the life of a teacher, I think this song should at least be on the ballot. It definitely sums up how I feel right now. We have so much to do. We hit so many roadblocks, but still we keep moving.

Click play and then read on.

You are tired…so am I.

You have too much to do…so do I.

You are behind on grading…so am I.

You have assignments/tests to put together and paper work to finish…so do I.

You are a teacher and you have teacher things to do (like them or not) and so do I.

We can’t possibly get them all done, can we?

On top of all of this, there are countless classroom conundrums, people and personality problem, and irritating individual issues that we have to work through day after day after day (after day).

We have those students that like to get under our skin…and they like to stay there.

We have coworkers who can make our work more difficult.

We have family and family things that are also apart of our lives (we have lives outside of school?).

We are overwhelmed.

We are over-worked.

We are over it.

What do we do?

We move along.

Yep. We move along.

A part of teaching, one of the biggest parts in my opinion, is the art of moving along. We find a way to keep our head down and plow on through the difficult times and situations of teacherhood. We focus. We prioritize. We move along.

How do you move along when you don’t feel like you can?

I am not sure how you move along, but I do know that somehow you have to find a way. I know for me it is just picking what I know is vital, what I know I can control, what I know I can take care of and then letting the rest go, do the minimum, or get help. I find a way to get through it.

Don’t give in to the “I can’t do this” part of you. You CAN do this. You CAN survive. You CAN move along.

Move along, like I know you CAN.

Even when your hope is gone, move along.

All you’ve got to keep is strong…move along.

Move along, like I know you do.

I do not know what you are going through, Teacher, but you CAN make it through it. You CAN keep going. You CAN move along. So move along.

Keep your focus on your students. Remember why you are here. Remember that it is about changing your students’ lives and futures. It is about them learning and learning to learn on their own. It is all about them. When you focus on the goal of your students and their needs, you CAN move along.

Move along.

I know you CAN.

You are awesome. You do move along. You get through the tough times. Keep moving. Keep going. Keep teaching, Teacher. You are amazing!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Pep Talk, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic

The Gift of Today

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

You have today. That is it. Nothing else. Only today.

Yesterday is no longer here. Good or bad, it is gone. Celebrate it. Cry over it. Do what you need to do, but it is over. Done. Completed.

Tomorrow is just that, it is tomorrow. It is not here yet. The worries of tomorrow are always a day away. The promises of tomorrow are just out of reach. It is the future. Not yet. Not here. Not now.

You have today.

You have here.

You have now.

It is so easy to be wrapped up in what has happened (yesterday) or what will happen (tomorrow) that we forget that we have the here and now. We have today.

At any second, we can look around and take stock of what we have and make the best of it. Really, all we can control is what we are experiencing in the moment. Think about it. That is all we can do. Act in the here. Act in the now. Act today.

We can use the experiences of yesterday. We can learn from mistakes and successes. We can use what we have gained and accomplished. We can withdraw from the bank of yesterday, but we cannot go back and make deposits. We can’t be stuck in yesterday. We have to use yesterday to make today better.

Now, we can make deposits in the bank of tomorrow. That is certain. We can make choices today that make tomorrow’s today better. Don’t get me wrong. We do need to think about that. But it cannot be all that we do. Tomorrow never really gets here. We have to remember to live in today. Today is where we always are.

Today is it.

Today is a gift. It is what we have to give to the world. It is where we live our life and strive to make a difference. It is the now that lets us make tomorrow’s todays better and better.

It is a gift. However, it is only what you make of it. Will you make it something that you remember and can withdraw from in future todays? Or will you make it a weight that weighs you down? What it is up to you. It is all in how you use it. Your attitude determines so much of what today will be. How are you thinking about today?

Today is all you have.

What are you going to do today? What are you going to make of today? How will you change the way you look at today? How will you make today count? How will you make today be something you remember tomorrow and lets you be stronger in the next today?

How will you use today to change your students’ tomorrows?

How will you teach them to use today?

How will you model today?

Today is our gift.

Let’s give our today to the world. Let’s make it count. Let’s use it to change ourselves, our students, and our world. Let’s make today about making other people’s todays better.

Are you with me?

I know I am thankful for today. Today is mine. I want it to count. Will you join me in making today great?

You are awesome! You make every today count. I am so proud of you for that! You are so amazing! I believe in you. You are making a difference. Keep on living today and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher