Like every year I have tons of resolutions....exercise regularly, do more of what I like to do, go camping (like that's gonna happen LOL!) . reach out to long time friends that I haven't see in a long time, eat healthier.....well, these resolutions are not the ones I am talking about.
For us teachers, back to school is equivalent to a brand new year, well, it is! Like with any resolutions we do for the new year, I have some resolutions of my own for this new school year. The only difference is that I really DO stick to these ones ;)
My resolutions is based on my previous year's performance and areas I feel I could have done better. I have a list, yes, a looooong list. But the ones that I consider most important for my students and for me as their teacher are:
1. Don't sweat the small things.
I am learning and I think I have let go of so many small things that at the end of the day, are not important. I have learned to pick my battles and enjoy the moment. What if my student spilled blue paint on my brand new jeans....well, we use washable paint, right?! What if my students did not close the play dough tub and we just made it yesterday, well, we can always make more.
2. Sit down and eat my lunch.
Oh, that's a biggie! This school year's schedule has increased my lunch break 15 more minutes....yay!!! It is my intention to sit down and eat for at least 20 minutes. I can answer emails and get other things done later, or tomorrow! No more running around with half my sandwich in my mouth while I try to find a specific paper :)
3. Communicate openly with my team.
Another change that we will have this year is the wonderful addition of instructional assistants. Our team is growing, from a team teaching classroom, now we will have to work with a team of 5 extra people - two instructional assistants, one student attendant, speech therapist and the special education teacher. I consider to be very important to sit down and discuss the team's goals and expectations; having a clear goal will save us misunderstandings and other issues along the way. All for the kiddos sake and benefit!
Besides these three new year's resolutions I always intend to: smile more, drink more water, make memorable experiences for each one of my students, get to know my families better, enjoy each day in the classroom (or PLCs!), learn something everyday, and last but not least......relax and enjoy the ride!
What resolutions do you have for the new year? Share with us!
Keep learning!
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