This is going to be a quick one! I, like you, have a zillion things to accomplish and the time to finish about three! Thus is the life of a teacher. Too much to do…and not near enough time to even think about how do to half of what needs to be done let alone get any of it done!
And that is what I want to talk about. What do we do when we have too much to do.
We just do.
We move.
We go.
We do.
It is old and tiresome to quote, but I feel like I need to mention something that the Chinese philosopher, Lau-tzu said a long, long, long time ago:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
We have a thousand miles to move every day as a teacher. It is overwhelming, to say the least. But we can’t let this stop us. We can’t. Our students need us. So we just need to start.
We need to take a step.
Then another.
Then another.
Then…
You get it.
We need to move.
Sometimes movement is the best we can do. Sometimes we can only muster up the energy, strength, and time for a single step…other times it might be seventeen…we might even be able to go a few miles. No matter how far we go, we just need to move. We need to step. We need to go.
Start stepping.
Move.
Go.
You may not get far today, but just move.
Oh, and make sure your students and their needs are you destination!
So what are you waiting for? Just move!
(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 tired, but you are awesome! It is hard, but you can do it! Don’t stop! Don’t give up! Keep going, Teacher, and keep on teaching!
(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 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.
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!
Wake up and roar! (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,
Monday again. Get pumped up. You’ve got this. Today is yours. This week is yours. You are a teacher…Mondays are your day to shine!
For that reason, you need a theme song. You need to let this week know that you are coming. It is time for the “You” show. This theme is your song and your introduction to the week.
I have your theme ready, but this week is going to be a little different. Before I let you click play, I have something for you to read first.
I knew what song I wanted to feature this morning, but when I went on a video search I came across a cover of this song, and an amazing, heart-breaking, and inspiring story. I decided that even though the music side of this version is not as powerful, the story behind this one makes this version a thousand times more inspiring, I think as teachers, this one is going to make us face the week even more courageous than we would have without reading, seeing, and hearing it.
I want you to read this before playing the song. It is the description from YouTube. It tells the story of Olivia Wise. It tells why this song was recorded and presented on YouTube. Please read and be inspired.
Olivia Wise has Brain Cancer. She came into a recording studio for her first time and recorded the Katy Perry song Roar. She couldn’t walk or stand, she didn’t have her full breath or the energy she used to, and she was managing her new pains and new limitations. While her physical condition was rapidly fading, her spirit remained untouched.
Olivia is a fighter and has gone through the fire, in fact, she was going through the fire while she recorded this song, but you wouldn’t know it, because she was dancing right through it. She is an inspiration, a champion, and my hero. This is her Roar.
Here is a CNN story about her and her recording of the song.
I am not sure what I can say after this story. I am not sure if I need to say anything.
What worries you?
What stresses are you dreading this week?
What pressures are you feeling?
What makes you anxious?
Do these things matter in the grand scheme of things? Do they need to own your energy and patience? Do they need to master you? Do they need to break you this week?
What is most important? What matters most? What deserves your time and energy? What deserves you and your life?
Focus on what really matters. Focus on your students. Focus on your fellow teachers. Focus on your family. Focus on what helps you be there for others. Focus on you (in a good way).
After hearing what others are going through and fighting through, it really gives us perspective on ourselves. Really, what is it that truly matters?
What is the big picture? What, if we think about it, won’t matter later? Can we let those things go? Can we at least put them on the back burner?
I want to challenge you this week to let some of the stress go. I want you to think of what your students need, need of you, and need you to be. Put your energy there. Spend your time there. Let those things take your attention. If other things go, or at least make them wait. You will never regret putting your students and their learning first.
I think you will do more than not regret it, you will thank yourself for it later. So will your students. So will the future.
Focus on people this week. Be there for students, teachers, friends, and family.
Don’t let the weekly pressures choke out the space you need to have for others.
Have the eye of the tiger. Be louder than the lion. Stand firm. Let this week and the stress that comes with it hear you roar as you keep your priorities straight and you make a difference.
You are a champion. Prove it. Show it. Roar!
You are amazingly awesome! You are capable of not letting this week rule over you. You won’t let it. You will let your focus lie where it should. You are going to roar! I know you will! You are a great teacher, so of course you will! Be great and keep on teaching, 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!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)
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!
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!
(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,
Here is just a little reminder of why what you work so hard to do is far more than worth it. You are amazing and awesome, no matter what your day felt like! Keep going! Keep pushing! Keep proving your awesome everyday! You are making a difference, I promise. Keep on teaching, you Magnificent Teacher, you!
(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,
You are a lot of things, and you play a lot of roles. But most of all, you are AWESOME! You are changing lives! You are amazing! Keep on teaching, Teacher!
Can you tell with the dramatic decrease in posts that it has been a busy start to my new school year? New school years are always hectic, but even more so when there is a drastic change to what or how you are teaching. This is kind of what today’s post is about. However, first things first. It is Monday, so it means this is a theme song post.
This past week, for me, is more than just the start of a new school year. Last week marked a change in how I teach. This summer I did a lot of work to learn more about teaching/learning and best practices for making that transaction of teaching and learning happen more effectively for me and my students. I found out a lot of things that need to change, I planned ways to make those changes, and last Wednesday was where the rubber met the road with it all.
I have made two major changes. I am teaching through the use of Problem Based Learning units, and I am using brain-based learning strategies for my actual instruction. This are both huge shifts in how I teach. Not that I was not student-centered before, but these two things are making me far more intentional about anything and everything I do in the classroom.
This transition started with a long look in the mirror. I had to stop pointing fingers about the lack of improvement for some of my students. I had to take responsibility for my side of the teaching/learning relationship. This drove me to look and ask for help. I did this in a variety of ways, but something that kept coming up was Problem Based Learning (PBL) and brain-based strategies. So I spent time learning about both of these.
I was, in essence, driven back to the drawing board. In a lot of ways, I started over with how I thought about my role as a teacher, my students’ roles as learners, and what my classroom should look and feel like. I made strides with changing these things. I redesigned my classroom, my style of teaching, and how I set up the dynamics of lessons and units. I put a lot of effort into this over the summer.
Last week, it all began. This song pretty much sums up my experience.
It was hard to constantly remind myself of the changes that I am making. I had to constantly rethink every interaction and transition. I had to remember to keep each activity targeted and intentional. I had to keep my mind on the fact that students that were not engaged might be a sign of something that I need to adjust in the classroom. I had to be more proactive about every situation and potential conflict.
It got easier throughout the week, but it was difficult and tiring. I came in early every day and stayed late. I reflected and took mental notes. I made small adjustments moment by moment, depending on the need. It very much was a climb.
Did I lose some battles with myself? Sure. Did I get tired and worn out? Of course. Did I lose sight of my goals from time to time? Yes. Did I want to give up and slide back down the mountain every once in a while? Affirmative. Did I give up? NO. Did I keep climbing? YES.
Change is about the climb. It is about moving in the right direction. Are we always going to win? No, we aren’t. Is going to be work, and hard work at that? Yes, you know that it is. It is the work and difficulties that actually change us. We learn from failures more than successes. When we have to backtrack and start again, we know what not to do and can do better the next time.
Becoming the teacher we can be is difficult. But we need to keep on moving. We need to keep on climbing. As we climb, we are becoming more and more of the teacher that we need to be for our students. We choose a destination, but it is the climb that makes us better. Reaching the goal is not the ultimate success. Being the person that we will become to meet that goal is the true success. Change is the highest achievement. The climb is what causes this change.
You are awesome! I know that you are striving to make the changes that you need to make for the betterment of your students! I know that you will keep working to make those changes! You are amazing! Keep on teaching, Teacher, and climb on!
(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,
Okay, I know that you may or may not be starting the new school year when you read this. However, there is a good chance that you are, because most of the readers of this blog are from the US. If you are not starting the new school year, you may still find some motivation here in this post, so read on. I hope it will be worth your time!
This is a theme song post; you know the procedures by now, I hope! Click play and then start reading when the music starts!
This is it, Teacher. A new school year is upon you. Are you ready? Are you nervous? Are you anxious? Are you excited? Or are you, like me, a jumble and mix of all three and then some?
What are your plans for the year? I don’t mean unit and lesson plans. I mean what are your plans in the terms of what you want the school year to look like? Do you have those kind of plans? Do you have goals, hopes, and dreams for what the school year could be like? I don’t mean the kind of hopes and dreams that you think, “That would be nice but it won’t happen.” I mean the kind of hopes and dreams that you believe in so much that it gets you up in the morning and you will wear yourself out to make happen?
A lot of us had those kind of plans when we first started teaching. Unfortunately, the longer you teach the more that kind of thinking fades. Lofty and slightly unrealistic goals get beat out of you by the realities of teaching. It does happen slowly, thank goodness, but our hopes erode over the years.
Drip by drip, the stress and pressure of teaching starts to wear on you. It breaks down the hope. It washes some of the dreaming away. It dims the light that used to shine so bright.
Sometimes this gets to the point that the school year happens to you. You get stuck in a form of “survival mode” that you stay in just to make it through. You love and do your best with your students, but the spark is faded or gone. You go along with the waves and currents of the year because you have so little fight left. It is a normal part of teaching for so many of us. Don’t feel bad if you have been there or are there. There is hope!
What is that hope, Mr. Dear Teacher/Love Teacher?
The hope is that IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!
Most of this is going to be a mental exercise, so I know that you may or may not see this as a little bit of “pie in the sky hooey,” but you just have to change your thinking! You have to believe that this year is going to be different. This year will be the change and you will never be the same teacher again! You have to stand firm and resolute. You have have to stand tall, look this new school year in the eye, and be determined that you are going to happen to the year and the year is not just going to happen to you!
Your attitude has to change.
Remember way back to when you first started out. Remember those wild-eyed dreams that you had. Remember the teacher that you were determined to be. Remember how you were going to take the world by storm and change the lives of your students for the better.
Have that image and those thoughts in your head, and then look in the mirror and tell yourself that it is not too late. You know why? It is because, no matter how long that you have been teaching, IT IS NOT TOO LATE! You can still be that teacher! You can still meet those goals!
The best part is that the longer you have been teaching, the more know-how and experience you have to make those things happen and be that teacher you wanted to be. You just have to purpose yourself to do so! And you can! You can because you are awesome!
The past does not matter. No matter the teacher you have been, you can still be the teacher you always wanted to be! Find a way to do it. Hang out with those teachers that are closest to what you dreamed of being. Learn from them. Read, read, read! There are so many sources for strategies and ideas! I will post some of those sources soon. Get to know your students. Find out what they think they need from you as a teacher. Try to become the teacher that they need!
Teacher, YOU CAN DO THIS!
It is your teaching life. It is your year. It is now or never. Teach like your alive! You are alive! You can be the great teacher you wanted to be or that people think you are and you don’t believe them. It is never too late!
BE AWESOME! MAKE THIS YEAR AWESOME! DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES! YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU ARE AMAZING! KEEP ON TEACHING, TEACHER!
(c)DearTeacherLT2013 (You may use the picture if you link back to this blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher.)
Dear Teacher,
I am not sure where you are in your summer break or school year, but for me it is the last day of summer. Tomorrow is the first day back for teachers. The countdown is on! Summer is over and it is time to start remember what day it is again (stole that one from a post I saw on Facebook).
Weekly theme song time, so click play and keep reading. This is a silly version of the song, but it still works!
This is it. You have rested. You have planned…maybe. You have had some summer PD.
Last year is officially “in the bag,” and the new one is about to begin. Are you ready? Your students are almost to your classroom door. They are waiting for you. Are you waiting for them?
Teacher, this year could be the best year ever. Make it the best year ever! No matter what has happened in the past, this year can and will be different. Make it that way. You can. You are awesome. You can do it! You just have to be brave enough to do whatever it takes to make that happen…and you can!
So, what do you need to do with the minutes ticking off of the clock?
Get your mind ready. Take a look in the mirror. No finger pointing at anyone besides yourself, what do you need to change about you? What things can you do different with your students? How can you build relationships better? How can you deal with stress better? How can you plan more efficiently? How can you communicate with parents better? How can you change in how you interact with fellow teachers and administration?
Get your heart ready. Take a look in that mirror and only point at yourself again, what do you need to fix? What fences do you need to mend? What bridges need fires put out? Who do you need to forgive and/or as forgiveness from at your school? You need to work with who you work with for the sake of the students. You need to make it work. What do you need to do to make things work? Do you need to forgive yourself? Do you need to move on from the past and just let some things go? Do it. It will be worth it to have the best year ever!
Get your spirit ready. Take one more look in that mirror with your fingers ready to point, what do you need to be excited for the coming year? Do you need to just let go of curricular hang-ups? Do you need to forget your worries about expectations from others? Do you need to erase your bad experiences with students from years past and just assume this year will be better? It will be better. Get excited! You have the best job ever! You are about to have students that you have never taught before! They don’t know your past! You get to start over! Start over! Find something to be excited about and BE EXCITED!
This is the final countdown to the best year ever! Get excited! Expect the best! Let go of the past and just find ways to make this the year of your teaching dreams! It can be, no matter your circumstances. Make it that way!
You are awesome! I wish you the most awesome-est year you have ever had! Make this year as awesome as you are! Keep dreaming and keep on teaching, Teacher!
Dear Teacher/Love Teacher 