(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to 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!
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!
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!
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!
I have been so busy this month, can you tell? Sorry for space between notes to you! Hopefully everything will settle down after Christmas break. I hope!
Well, even though it is mid-week, I figure that we all could still use a theme song for the week. Click play and then read on.
The message is simple today, which I have been saying a lot lately…it is nonetheless true. 🙂
Don’t worry, Teacher.
School can be hectic. There is so much to do. There is so little time. Teaching is tough.
It is easy to get caught up in the cycle of stress. We get worn out. We start to let plates fall. The stress builds. We get even more tired. We let more plates fall. More stress. More tired. More broken plates on the floor. And the story goes on and on this way.
We teachers like to worry. Okay, we don’t like it, but we are drawn to worry. We have to worry. There is often no choice but to worry.
Stress is coworker. It is in our classroom. It comes in with the students. It comes in with the administrators. It comes in with our fellow teachers.
It surrounds us. It swallows us whole. It is the lurking monster around every corner. We walk on eggshells trying not to let it know that we are around.
Such is the life of a a teacher. Stress and worry.
And that is just the school stuff! I won’t even go into the stress and worry that comes along with the rest of our lives. Family. Friends. Life in general.
And all of this just gets magnified this time of year. I am writing this before Christmas, but pick the time of year and there is probably something to magnify stress and worry for us.
So what do we do?
We remember one thing…it will all eventually be all right. Everything’s going to be all right.
We can stress less. We can.
We can not worry so much. It is true.
We just have to prioritize and focus.
Easier said than done…but we can do it.
It is not a crime to let some plates drop. We can clean up the mess and move on. It is not a big deal. It just isn’t.
To quote my friend Pete the Cat when he lost one of his groovy buttons, “Do we cry? Goodness no! Buttons come and buttons go.” We can keep on singing our song!
Stuff, stress, and worries come and go. They do. They do not have to drive us to the brink. They don’t.
Don’t worry, Teacher. Every little thing is going to be all write.
Don’t worry, be happy.
It is okay to be happy.
Be happy today. Do it for your students. Do it for you. Find something about what needs to happen today and the rest of the week that makes you happy and let that drive you. Don’t worry so much. Be happy!
I know that you can! I believe in you!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)
As I said, I am writing this before Winter Break. If you are reading this before break, take the rest of the week and make it less stressful. Find a way. Be happier. It is okay. You are allowed to do that from time to time. You and your students will be better for it!
You are awesome and amazing, as usual. You can and do try to stress less and be happier. Good for you! You students are definitely reaping the benefits of it! You are making a difference in their life by showing them it is possible to stress less and be happier. They will need those lessons one day! You are so great and I believe in you so much! Go get it today and make today great! Keep on teaching, Teacher!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to 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!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)
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!
Here is a little message you may never get, but you probably need to hear. Keep going! You are awesome! You are amazing! Keep on teaching and keep on making a difference, Teacher!
Love, Teacher
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)
As I talked about yesterday, we have so much to do, think, and and be throughout our each day. I am feeling the weight of the pull of the thousand things that are tugging at me today.
I am trying to take my own advice and try to make sure that my focus is on the students and what they need. The hard part is deciding what those things are! Even if I move my focus to students and their needs, there are still so many things to choose from. Picking a direction and running at it is important, but knowing which direction is best each day can be a challenge.
The idea of just finding “one thing” comes to mind. One thing, one focus, one direction is all that we need. We just have to make a decision. How do you do that?
Reflect.
Where did you get to yesterday in your content? What do your students seem to be lacking from prior content? What are the learning/thinking skills that they need most? What strategies are they responding to the most?
Get all of this into your mind. What is the one thing that stands out the most? What is the biggest student need across the board? What is the one area that needs to most work or most support?
That is your “one thing,”
Make this deficit area, thinking/processing sill, or content topic your goal and focus today. Make everything else revolve around it. Let the noise of all of the other thousand things be in the background as you work through this one thing that students need most.
Will you have to answer to why you made this choice? Sure. Might it cause conflict? Yes. But no matter what you choose to focus on will cause other things to fall to the wayside and cause the same kind of drama. You just have to make sure the thing you choose is student-focused. That is all that really matters.
Remember, when you are asked, “Why are you doing _______________?” Your answer better have “students” at its core!
Students are our goal and focus. Don’t be afraid to make a stand for them. It will all come out in the end. Students and their needs…their one thing each day…will never disappoint or let you down. The short-run may hold conflict, but that conflict won’t outlast the joy of students learning and learning how to learn in your classroom. That trumps all and will win the day in the end!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)
You are awesome and amazing! I know you know how to make “one thing” choices…don’t be afraid to! I have your back and so do all of the other teachers out there. Student learning is never a bad focus. Stand firm and take a stand today with it! Never fear it! Keep on finding those “one things” and teach on, Teachers!
Great Monday morning to you! I know, there are very few times in the thick of the school year that we view Mondays as necessarily great…we are often being pulled from every angle and feeling like we are ten seconds from being ripped into pieces. Monday only makes it worse because we look forward to the pulling starting over fresh and new. It doesn’t have to be this way!
How do we keep ourselves together when everything wants us to fall apart, especially on a Monday? That is what today and this week’s theme song is all about. The best part is that I get to share one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists with you, and you probably have never heard of him or the song. Get ready to be a fan.
Click play and read on (just in case you are new and didn’t know 🙂 ). When you are done, you might want to go back and watch the video. It is pretty cool.
Teacher, you have so much on your plate. You have things that need to get done. You have expectations to meet. You have classroom management issues to deal with. You have parents to call. You have plans to plan and implement. You have profession development to go to and show evidence of using and applying. You have test to write, give, get data from, reflect on, and plan to use to differentiate and raise student achievement. You have books to read, papers to grade, and Common Core to implement.
You have people constantly looking over your shoulder telling you what to do and who to be as a teacher. You have parents who don’t think you are handling their child correctly. You have administration analyzing your every word and move in the classroom. You have curriculum specialists giving commentary on every strategy and technique you use and giving you tips and pointers on how do do things differently. You have ever changing district, state, and federal mandates and standards that are to be followed to the “t” with little variation.
You have a life outside of school. You have pressures from other places. You have family. You have friends. You have a life…at least you try to have one.
You have students. Students who need you to be more than just a implementer of plans. They need you, the person. They need your heart, soul, and mind to help them navigate through the storms of life and education. They need a mentor. They need a teacher. They need you.
Students are why you do what you do. Students are the key to education. Students are the ends and the means. Without them there are no standards, tests, data, professional development, or lesson plans.
Students are the heart of it all. Students are your heart. Students are why you are where you are. Students make you a teacher.
You are pulled and yanked in a thousand directions every day. You feel that weight the most on Sunday nights and Monday mornings. The waves of the life of a teacher are constantly trying to pull you under. The current is strongest at the beginning of the week.
What do you do? How do you combat this? How do you go against the flow that wants to drag you down? How can you make a Monday feel great and something you look forward to seeing?
One word: STUDENTS,
We have to learn to to be brave enough to run into the flames of the fight to let every decision we make be completely centered on our students. We have to train ourselves to let things go for the sake of our students. They need to be the answer to every question that starts with “Why did you…” Students, their hearts, and their minds need to be key. Few people know them like you do, and you need to stand up and say what you think will work best for them.
It is hard, though. It is hard to let go of some of the anxiety and fear of not meeting the expectations of others. Not meeting deadlines. Having to answer those hard “why” questions. I can’t tell you how to do this for you. I can tell you, though, that it is worth it.
I have been teaching long enough to know that expectations, standards, and mandates change. The current of education moves with the latest and greatest ideas and research, but often it is a circular pattern that always comes back to best practices that have been around for a long time. Tap into that and you will see that it always comes back to some of the same themes. Follow those themes and you can keep up with the changes (I will try to write about some of those themes later).
I am not saying to rebel or not follow guidelines and mandates. I am definitely not saying that. I am just saying that you will start to remember why you love being a teacher when the students return to being your focus for all that you do. And if you get off from the expectations set for you, make sure that your answer has something to do with the specific needs of your students. That is what is key and paramount.
Let go of the fear. Let go of the anxiety. Let the students be the reason for all that you do. Make them the goal. Open up your heart and mind to letting them come first. You will start to feel the freedom that comes from that. You will see that everything comes back around.
You may have to answer questions or be “fussed” at from time to time. Don’t let that worry you. One day, when a student comes back and tells you the influence you had on them and how that changed their life, what are you going to remember? Are you going to remember the lecture you were given or are you going to remember why you became a teacher? I think I know the answer.
Let things go and let yourself make choices in your classroom and with your time that come out of love and care for your students. I promise, when you let it go it will come right back to you. You will make it through and be a better teacher for it!
Don’t be afraid to let go!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)
You are awesome! You are making such a difference in the lives of your students. Keep going. Don’t act out of fear but act out of love and concern for your students. You will never regret it! You are amazing! Keep on teaching, Teacher!
Dear Teacher/Love Teacher 