Einstein teaching quote – Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Poster/Graphic, Quotes to Inspire

Baby Steps away from Insanity

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

As you reflect and start thinking about next year, what is it that you need to change and do differently?

Classroom management?

Teaching/Learning paradigms?

Use more technology?

Use less technology?

Brain-based strategies?

What is the area of your teaching that you feel like you get the same results every year?

It is easy to get beat up by these things. Don’t beat yourself up.

In the coming weeks, choose one thing to work on…and then work on it. Come up with ideas. Make a plan. Find a way to be, act, and react differently. Just one.

Oh, and I don’t mean pick one thing like “classroom management.” We all know that is not one thing. That is about a million things. Pick one aspect of the area you need to work on most. For instance, if classroom management is the area you have to work on, pick something like how you react to students blurting out and/or disrupting class. One thing.

When you work on one thing at a time, you take baby steps towards the goal of ending Einstein’s definition of insanity in your teaching life and classroom.

Baby steps.

One at a time.

Little movements away from insanity.

Summer is a great time to think and work on your baby steps…so get stepping, Teacher!

You are awesome! I hope that you are enjoying your summer. Keep recharging your batteries, but don’t forget to think about the little things you can try to change. Keep stepping and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers

Past Halfway

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I am not sure where you are in your school year, but if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you are probably past halfway. For me, I am in the last quarter of the year. Getting towards the end.

I find that this part of the year can be the hardest.

I am tired.

I am stressed.

I have state testing coming.

The students are getting spring and summer fever.

I have lost most of the excitement of the year.

Everything starts feeling stale.

I think I go through this every year at this point.

I think this year can be different. I think.

I can choose to feel differently.
I do not have to feel like the year is getting old. I do not have to be stressed. I can manage and prioritize so I don’t feel so tired. I can look for the excitement that I had earlier in the year.

I can choose to act differently.
Einstein said something to the effect that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect different result. I need to do things differently than I have in the past this time of year. I need to find a way to build excitement in me and the students. I need to move them towards state tests without it feeling like a grind. I need to remember what worked earlier in the year and get back to those things. I can do this. I will do this.

I can choose to focus differently.

What if I changed gears to confidence building instead of focus on the end-of-year, pre-state-test push? I don’t mean hearts, rainbows, and feelings circles kind of confidence building, but content based confidence building. I can scaffold those that need it to feeling like they really have learned some of what they need to…they have learned, even if not completely to the level I need them yet. Confidence breeds confidence. Maybe if I build momentum I can get them over the hills they are getting stuck on. The same for my kiddos that fall towards the middle. With my higher students, I can challenge them move past my content into higher levels of thinking. Make them feel and know that they will blow the state tests away. Confidence. What if I changed to that?
I can choose to be different.

I can do the things above. I can change the way I do things. I can do this. I will do this!

I can change. I will change.

What about you? Are you feeling the Past-Halfway-Grind? Can you make some adjustments? Can you change? Can you refocus? Can you be different?

You are awesome, so maybe you don’t feel this way at the end of the year. If you do, though, you are amazing enough to make those changes. You know your students need you to, so you will do the work to get it done. You make a difference every day. I believe you can make this year different. I know you will make it better. You can do this! You are a teacher! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Quotes to Inspire

Quotable Quotes to End Your Week

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

On the Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook page and Twitter feed I have start to share some cool and inspiring quotes about teachers, teaching, and education. To end off your week, I thought it would be a nice end to the week to share them and some more that I have found. If you are looking for a great source to find quotes, by the way, Brainy Quotes is the best source I have found online.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -Ben Franklin

“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” -John Steinbeck

“I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” -Albert Einstein

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” -Albert Einstein, again

“Love is a better teacher than duty.” -Albert Einstein (can you tell I am a fan?)

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” -Robert Frost

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” -Aristotle

“That is the difference between good teachers and great teachers: good teachers make the best of a pupil’s means; great teachers foresee a pupil’s ends.” -Maria Callas

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher… is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.'” -Maria Montessori

“The teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.” -Horace Mann

I also shared this clip of Helen Keller. I thought it was amazing, so I will share it here, as well. Watch and be inspired!

Read, watch, enjoy, and share. You are awesome! Pick one of these quotes to motivate you over the weekend to help you get ready for next week! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher