Teaching – Page 11 – Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Teaching as a Lifestyle

Posted on June 10, 2013June 6, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

This is the first in a series of posts by substitute “Love, Teachers”. As you have probably read, I am taking a short hiatus from the blog (as well as anything else school-related). I feel that this is important. Despite popular thought, teachers do not stop for the summer. Often times we work harder during the summer than during the school year. We plan. We go to trainings. We go to workshops. We teach summer school. We tutor. We do any number of things to help students and prepare for the next year. For this reason, I think it is important to force yourself to take a break. That is exactly what I am doing.

That said, let me introduce my new friend, Dubier. Dubier is a Spanish teacher at an international school in Sweden. Yes, with this post, my blog is officially international! Dubier has a blog called I teach with IT. The blog shares his experiences as a teacher that promotes flip teaching, the use of IT and motivation to improve the education for students. Please check it out. I asked him to guest-post because his blog is both encouraging and challenging.

I think this is a great and motivational message, and I hope you agree! Without further ado, let me hand it over to Dubier.

To be a teacher is a lifestyle.

What does it means to be a teacher? Are teachers only a person who goes to work Monday to Tuesday, planning their lessons, teach and goes home afterwards? If I would ask many teachers, they would answer YES to that question. Understand me right, it is their full right to think so but I am of another opinion. I would like to say that to be a teacher are not a role or job for me, to be teacher is a lifestyle. Lifestyle starts from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep. Your lifestyle is not dependent on a location or time schedule, but it continues as long as you are awake.

Many teachers complaints are about the salary, time schedule and that they need to do some extra work for students. Think about teaching as a lifestyle and maybe you would think differently. A lifestyle is something that you choose, to feel good about yourself, and not something you choose to get something in return. The greatest feeling is when you helped students to achieve something that they didn’t think they could just because you as a teacher didn’t just think about your schedule or salary but the student´s best. That is worth all the money or time in the world. don´t you think?

Many teachers could feel very stressed when parents call after working hours. To be honest I am one of them. However we need think about it in another perspective. They are calling us because they think that we are the only one that could help them. They trust us with their children. They are calling us after their working hours when they are tired. They even call sometimes during weekends when they rather doing something fun. What does that cost us? nothing. 5 minutes of our life…..that maybe could help the parents have a great weekend before they start over again on monday. Do we get paid for that? Yes, in satisfaction

To be a teacher is not only about the students and parents. It’s also about your colleagues. In my opinion your responsibility as a teacher is also to be available for your colleagues when they need support and help. Not just during working hours but also outside.

This are few things that is included in my lifestyle. what is included in yours?

Thank you so much, Dubier, for your encouragement and challenge! You are awesome! You are awesome, too, Teacher, as always! Keep on teaching, Teacher Dubier and every teacher everywhere!

Love, Teacher

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

Handwritten Note, Picture Note, Thank You!

A Personal Note to You, Teacher

Posted on June 7, 2013June 7, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use this picture of you link back to this blog.)

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

Challenge, Reflection, Teacher

Closing Time…(you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here)

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Image found at http://joscafe.com/2012/07/08/closing/closed-sign.

Dear Teacher,

Today is my last day of the school year. It is a teacher work day. It is the day that I close the door on the school year. I can call this one done and look forward to the next.

Part of me wants to say it is bittersweet, but it isn’t. It is just sweet. This has been a good year. As a matter of fact, I can honestly say it has been the best since I have started this crazy teacher ride several years ago. I choose to look back and only see the positives. I can not let the stumbles and falls this year get me down. I need to learn from them and keep running!

As a matter of fact, this new positive attitude is one of the reasons that this has been such a great year. I have learned some vital things throughout the year that I think are necessary to be a teacher for the long haul…and that is what I intend to be. I am sure you have heard these before, but so did I. I think they just have to sink in. Here is another chance for you to see them…maybe they sunk in for you this year like they did for me.

The Stuff I Learned That I Should Have Known:

It is not a sign of weakness to choose to be positive.
Staying positive can be a catalyst to changing the environment among students in my classroom…they learn by watching me…and THEY ARE WATCHING!
Everyone needs encouragement, especially teachers, and even if I am not getting encouragement I can always give it!
Say thank you more often…a thank you can change someone’s day, week, year, or even life!
Never give up doing what is right for others, I never know how far my impact will go.
I need to be the hope that others do not have…my hope can spread to others that then spreads to others…and so on…and so on.
No matter what happens today or happened yesterday, the next day (or next minute) is a new chance to start fresh.
Building relationships with students and fellow teachers is non-negotiable…I can not reach students without having a relationship with them, and I can not do this alone…I need other teachers!
Students can and need to be challenged…and they will rise to my expectations if I let them!

I will probably think of a thousand more things once I click publish, but this is probably enough! Today, as I go in to shut the classroom down for the summer, I need to remember a couple of things. I need to look at the year and choose to celebrate it. I need to see the difference I made and be proud of myself. However, I can not get comfortable. I can not stay in the past. I do not quite have to move on yet…I have the summer for that…but I do need to take stock of what went well and figure out how I am going to move on and move further using the lessons that I learned.

If you are at the end of the year, I hope that you are able to pack up what you have learned and then unpack it to use it to move even further next year! The year is over and it is closing time. You don’t have to stop being nostalgic (and “go home”), but you can’t stay in the memories. Use them to make you even awesomer next year!

You are awesome! I hope your day and weekend are wonderful! You have done a great job this year! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

How Are You Awesome? Let Me Count The Ways…

Image• Posted on June 6, 2013June 7, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Hope for Teachers, Reflection, You Are Awesome!!!

The Ripple Effect

Posted on June 6, 2013August 19, 2015 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

You never really know your impact on others. Sometimes you get to see some of how what you do effects people, but you will never really get to know all of the effects of how what you do changes and and impacts other people. Everything that you do for other people is like dropping a rock in a pond. The effect is immediate at the point where you drop it, but that energy is sent out as ripples and waves throughout the rest of the pond (or at least much further out than the area where the rock went).

This can be viewed in a positive or negative light, but you know I am going to talk about the positive!

Yesterday, I had the honor of seeing the immediate reaction of a note of encouragement to a colleague. It was awesome. Without knowing it, what was said were words that were needed at a timely moment for someone. I got a thank you, a hug, and was told the effects that my words had (and we seldom get to have that). This was quite awesome for me to be able to see the “drop in the pond.”

However, I will never get to see the effects of that splash. The encouragement and “energy” was passed from me to another teacher, but what happened afterwards? Was there a chain reaction that went from the teacher to students and other teachers? Was the energy then moved from them to others? And then to other people…then others…and others…and…well, you get the point.

We just do not know our true impact! This is one of the reasons our job can be draining. We know the potential for all of the little and big things that we do, but we do not always get to see how that potential plays out. We do not get a results report that shows all of our effects on the lives of students and other teachers. I tell you, though, your effects are big, Teacher! You are making an impact, and it stretches far down the line!

I am so talking to myself right now. I am facing the last day with students for the year. It is hard. I do not know all of the good that I have past on down to my students. I will miss them, but more than that I wish I knew if all my hard work will pay off in their lives. I can say that I know it was all worth it. The ripples will be felt, even if not by me.

So keep on doing all that you do, Teacher! No matter what is going on in your life, put on that positive face. Smile. Say thank-yous. Do something awesome for someone else. Love on your students. Be hopelessly hopeful. As a friend of mine says, “Give hugs when necessary.” Be your normal awesome to your students and fellow teachers. And keep on doing all of the little and big things you always do. You never know what these things are doing for others, but always know that you are making a difference!

For instance, I do not know if you are getting tired of me saying this or not, but you are awesome! You are believed in! You are affecting me and others in ways you just do not and will not know. Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

PS…Sorry for all of the links today, I am trying out something new…a way to weave in older messages that newer readers may have missed. Hey, maybe you needed some reminders of things said here before, anyway. I know I do! 🙂

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

Challenge, Thank You!, You Are Awesome!!!

The Joy of Thanks Giving

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

Dear Teacher,

I bet you had to look at the title twice, didn’t you? 🙂 I know it is June and not November…this post is not about the holiday. It is about thanks…giving it and getting it. We all need a thank you and we all have many thank-yous to give out.

I warned you that most of my posts would be about looking back at the school year this week. This one came from reflecting (or refracting) on the school year, but it does apply to everyone in any stage of a “teacher year.” Thankfulness is an anytime kind of subject. We all need to increase our thinking of thank-yous most of the time.

We all hate the feeling of not getting a thank you. We don’t do what we do for a thank you, but it is so nice to hear one once in a while. Thank-yous help us know that what we have done is appreciated and accepted by those for whom we are helping or doing something. They validate the effort we give. They help encourage us to keep doing whatever we are doing. A thank you is just, well, nice.

Teachers do not get a lot of thank-yous. We knew it was a pretty thankless job when we signed up for this. We don’t complain about not hearing the words, but inside we secretly wish to hear one more often. It is not a big deal, but it would just be helpful to hear.

Think about it. If you feel that way, who around you might feel that way? Sure, you are not getting a thank you right now, but could you give one? You know your fellow teachers would like to hear one. Tell them. Find something to thank them for, and be personal about it! Find something they did for you are that they are doing for a student and say thank you. Say it. Write it. Buy a card. You don’t know how much it will encourage them…actually, you know exactly how much it will encourage them! So you be the thank-er at you school!

Thank other people, too. Find some students that are doing great things. Thank them. Go to your administration and thank them for everything that they do. You think you have a thankless job? They hear it a lot less than you do! Go to the school receptionist, administrative assistant, custodians, school maintenance, school nurse, cafeteria workers, and any of the other many thankless people at your school and say a big THANK YOU! You know they would love to hear it!

You may not hear thank you enough, but are you giving them enough? Who do you need to say thank you to right now? Go do it! Think of three people to thank today, thank them, and then come back here and tell us all about it. You are awesome, so be awesome to others!

Before I close this post out, I need to give a thank you. Last night, this blog officially crossed the Over 10,000 Views mark! I started this blog/encouragement revolution just a little more than three weeks ago, and you all have already pushed it to that benchmark. You all are awesome! Thank you for sharing the blog with others! Thank you for all of the “likes” and shares to other sites! Thank you for all of the Facebooking, Tweeting, Edmodo-ing, Pinning, and emailing of this encouragement to others! It means a lot to have this message of hope affecting and helping others remember why they teach and that they are good teachers. I love sending this message…thank you for passing the message on! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Teacher, thank you for letting me be a part of your teaching life! Thank you for being the awesome teacher that you are! Thank you for just being you! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

Reflection

Reflections and Refractions

Posted on June 3, 2013June 3, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

You may use this picture if you link back to this blog.

Dear Teacher,

I know that some of you are done with school for this school year, some are drawing this year to an end, and my Southern Hemisphere friends are just beginning. I am in that middle group. Today I start the last week of the school year, so you will have to forgive me if I seem a little nostalgic this morning!

As I was thinking back on the year and the start of this last week of it, I see a lot of growth and change. Growth and change in my student, which I hope is always a given, but also growth and change in me. I think this year has marked my greatest leaps as a teacher, and I have been doing this a little while. I do not know why this year was my “jump forward” year, but I do believe it has been. I feel like a veteran teacher now, and it is more than the number beside years teaching. I feel like I understand more about what it takes to connect to and reach students, but also to connect to and reach my fellow teachers. I realize how important that is now.

While I pondered on all of this, the idea of the behaviors of light came to mind. The word reflection spurred this jump between trains of thought. Reflection, as you probably know, is the bouncing of light waves off of the surface of an object. That is similar to when we reflect on the year as a teacher, we are letting our experiences “bounce” off the surface of the school year and come back to us to think about. We let the “energy” of the year come back to us, good or bad.

This led me to thinking about looking back in another way, through another behavior of light: refraction. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium/material to another. Refraction is why lenses make things look bigger or smaller. Refraction is what makes images larger or smaller. Either way, after refraction, an image is not the same. Maybe this is a better way to think about end-of-year reflections as a teacher, they are really more of a refraction than a reflection.

When you look back, what you remember is either magnified or diminished. We see the failures as bigger than they should be, though sometimes they look smaller than they should to us. We sometimes shrink the successes in light of the “bad stuff,” sometimes they hide the fall-backs from us altogether. Any way you slice it, or memories are not quite a true reflection. They are not the original image.

This can be a good or bad thing. It is bad if we are not honest and letting our experience over the last year be what it really was. We need an honest look at where we triumphed and where we were defeated. We need to look closely at what we did well and what we did not do well. We need to build on the success and find the trail that led to the not-so-successful parts of the year so we can avoid that path from now on. We need to learn what we can from an honest look at ourselves and move on to bigger and better things!

Refraction of the year CAN be a good thing, though. We do need to pump up and celebrate what went well. We need to find achievement somewhere in each student and magnify. We need to tell them and let them see it, even if it is microscopic. We need to see it for ourselves, even if it is distant and you need a telescope. We need to know where we made a difference so that we can gain excitement from that and make bigger strides next year!

Where are you in this? Are you reflecting or refracting? Don’t forget to do both!

You are SO awesome, Teacher! I know that you will look back at this year so that you can make next year even better! Keeping on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

Weekend Note

A Note from George Lucas: Celebrating Unsung Heroes in Education | Edutopia

Posted on June 1, 2013June 1, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

For today’s post, I am just going to give a link to a note of thanks from George Lucas on his blog on his education foundation’s site, Edutopia (my new favorite website!). It was written on Teacher Appreciation Day this year. I liked it and thought you might.

A Note from George Lucas: Celebrating Unsung Heroes in Education | Edutopia.

I hope your weekend is as awesome as you are! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.

Challenge, Hope for Teachers

Homework of Hope

Posted on May 29, 2013May 30, 2013 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

As a fellow teacher, I would be remiss not to give you a little homework. What is a teacher without an assignment to give? This is, in a sense, happy homework. I hope that you will give this challenge a try!

Let me give just a little background. If you have been reading for the last couple of weeks, you know that this blog was born out of a project that I gave myself. I challenged myself to write a personal note to each of my students. As I wrote, I found myself wishing I had someone to write me some words of encouragement. I realized that most teachers probably felt the same way, so I took on the grander challenge of trying to encourage as many teachers as I can…that can’t be hard. Cheering up and giving hope to an entire group of people in potentially one of the most discouraging careers. Piece of cake. 🙂

What I found though all of this, is that giving hope gives me hope. It spurs me on to bigger and greater things. Helping you helps me be better. Talking about your awesomeness helps me feel a little more awesome. This has led me to another challenge at school. I hope to write an encouraging note to every teacher in the next two weeks before school gets out. I want my school to have a climate of hope and encouragement. Maybe I can be one of the catalysts for this!

That leads me to your homework assignment. I want you to be a part of spreading the awesome around. I want to help facilitate you as a catalyst of hope and encouragement where ever you are. I know you can do it! You can because you are awesome!

The Assignment:

Random Acts of Awesome: I want you to pick three fellow teachers and do something randomly great for them. Write a note. Bring them coffee. Watch their students at bus holding. Surprise them with awesome and then tell them it is because of how awesome you think they are, and then tell them to pass on the awesome. You can do this even if you are out of school for the summer already. Take someone to lunch.
Share a Post: I have had a lot of feedback about how this blog has encouraged people. I want you to share this encouragement with as many people as you can. Part two of your assignment is to pick your favorite post of this blog and share it somewhere. Share it on Facebook with people you know need it. Tweet it. Share it in an Edmodo group or email it to teachers at you school. If you were encouraged, it will probably encourage others.
Tell Me About It: The last step of your assignment is to come back here and tell me about it. What did you do? What was the reaction? Did it spur on others to join the encouragement revolution? The stories will very much encourage me and I can’t wait to read them. If you do not want to post your story here, you can email me: dearteacher@outlook.com.

(c)DearTeacherLT2013