By Naomi Rockler-Gladen, Ph. D.
Calling all teachers: college professors, high school and middle school teachers, elementary school teachers, preschool teachers, teaching assistants, and everyone else. Need some New Year’s Resolutions? Be nice to your students, be nice to yourself, and here are a few suggestions for specific resolutions that may help you out. Pick and choose your favorites and give them a whirl.
- Resolve to accept that bad days will happen and that sometimes activities and lessons won’t go well. You are not a perfect teacher and never will be, and that’s fine.
- Remember what it was like to be a student. Keep this in mind on days when you feel like wringing their necks.
- Resolve to never let your students push you around. Ever. You’re in charge. When they try to push the boundaries, let them know the boundaries don’t budge.
- Resolve to say something nice to each of your students at least once a week, if not more.
- Resolve not to let students fall through the cracks. If someone is having problems, make an effort to do all you can do to help.
- Recognize that teaching is a two-way street. Let yourself accept that after a certain point, you’ve done all you can, and it’s the student’s responsibility to get motivated and get it together.
- Don’t compare yourself to other teachers. You can learn from them, but don’t beat yourself up if you’re not as charismatic or creative or well-liked as that guy down the hall. Just do the best you can and play upon your own strengths.
- Make an effort to read up on current events, even though you’re busy. Incorporate current events into your classroom.
- Resolve to grade papers and exams more quickly.
- Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep.
- Resolve to try new things in your classroom. Be creative, and read up on interesting activities. Look for new ways to present material. If some of these things don’t go well, don’t worry about it. Keep trying.
- Stop worrying about whether your students like you. You’re not there to be their friend.
- Put a little time into your own continuing education. Read at least one article a month about teaching methods, and read at least one article a month about your area of study.
- Learn to say no to "volunteer" duties when necessary. Go ahead and be a little selfish.
- Resolve to leave the classroom behind at the end of the day. Yeah, you may have papers to grade, but you don’t have to go home with the frustrations of a bad day. Let yourself be someone other than the teacher when you go home.
- Get to know your fellow teachers better. Give them an opportunity to vent about their classroom problems with you. Offer help if you can. Be the teacher who brings in birthday cards for all the other teachers to sign. Resolve to invite teachers out for coffee. Don’t talk about them behind their backs. You’re all in this together.
- Try to keep your desk neater. Clean up at least once a week. Improve your file system.
- Incorporate some kind of service learning into your class.
- Stop beating yourself up because you think you don’t look as good as your students. They’re younger than you, and besides, you look great the way you are.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen is a freelance writer for numerous print and online publications. Gladen received her Ph. D in communication and critical media studies from the University of Minnesota. She has eight years of experience as a college professor. |
