by Bruce J. Stewart
1. Listen More than You Speak – We have much to learn from our students and colleagues. If you find yourself doing most of the talking while teaching, it’s time to change the dynamic. Empower your students to do the heavy lifting. For example, use open ended questions, Socratic dialogue, and group work. Ask student volunteers to summarize the lesson’s objectives. The adage Learn to Listen and then Listen to Learn makes perfect sense. Also, see number 6 that follows.
2. Read Every Day – Read for enjoyment, inspiration, and professional development. Make time in your day, every day, to read. Shut down social media, texts, and email for at least 30 minutes or more, so you can learn something new; or relax; or to be inspired. You won’t regret it.
3. Practice Daily Giving – Whether it’s a smile, words of encouragement, or the giving of a cup of coffee to a colleague, your small gift will create a big memory. For our students, enthusiasm is the best gift we can give them each day.
4. Journaling – How many times have you told yourself, “I must write that down so I don’t forget.” Your journal, the recipient of your thoughts, won’t let you forget, or talk back to you, or interrupt your writing. Journaling can be therapeutic; but if you use your computer for journaling, be aware, the time thieves are waiting for you, tempting you – their intention is disruption. Don’t click on the bait, no matter how tempting it looks!
5. Avoid the Energy Thieves – The teachers’ lounge, school hallways, and the parking lot are where you’ll find the energy thieves. These are the people who always have a litany of problems to share with anyone who will listen. Perhaps you’ve offered a solution to the thief once or twice only to be rebuffed with an encyclopedic list of reasons why your solution won’t work. Yikes. Stay away.
6. Collaborate – Seek a mentor. There’s a colleague in your school patiently waiting to share insight, advice, and friendship. Invite a trusted colleague to share a cup of coffee and to seek their advice. You may begin by asking, “I’ve observed your students are always engaged in their group work. What tips can you offer me to engage my students in a similar manner?”
7. Relax, Reflect, and Relate – Teaching is both art and science; and it is all relational. Create time in your day to take a few minutes, or more, to relax; to unwind a little and reflect on a student or a colleague that made you smile. It’s the relationships that you share in the classroom and with your colleagues that is at the heart of teaching. Be genuine, be yourself, and you will be blessed.