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Teaching is like having 147 tabs open at the same time 

9/18/2016

4 Comments

 
Some observations about teaching gathered over the years...
  • Teaching is like having 147 tabs open at the same time - you must know how to multitask. When students come in your door, you often have a multitude of situations and issues to deal with all at once. You have to think on your feet. Teachers probably make as many quick decisions as doctors and nurses in a day. 
  • To teach is to be "on" all the time. Even the shy, more reserved teachers are, essentially, performing for a good part of the day. I was talking to a teacher the other day who said that when she gets home, she doesn't want to talk to anyone because she's been talking all day. Sometimes I feel that way too....I have a short commute but I know teachers who like their long commutes to unwind from the day. 
  • Teaching is mentally and physically exhausting. All those split-second decisions and the being "on" all the time tax our bodies and minds. When it's time for a long weekend or a vacation, we really, really need it. 
  • Teaching involves so much more than preparing lessons. So so much more. We are called upon to parent, to nurse, to counsel, to love, to fill in gaps, to lead, to follow, to negotiate, to accept, to tolerate, to motivate, to engage .....and the list goes on. 
  • Sometimes, you have to find a different path than you thought to get across to your students. It requires a lot of flexibility and thinking outside of the box. But, as my new principal would say, "There is ALWAYS a way." 
  • The students can be the highlight and the low point of our days, depending on how things go. Hopefully they are more often the highlight!
  • In order to teach well, and be fully present, we have to take care of ourselves. Teacher self-care and mindfulness are areas I have been reading and hearing about a lot lately. It's like the oxygen masks on the airplane: first put yours on before you put your children's on. Seems counter-intuitive, but it's necessary. Writing this blog is part of my self-care. It's how I reflect and process teaching; it's my mindfulness.

I would love to hear from other teachers. What are some things you have learned in your teaching career? What do you wish someone had told you before you started? Please comment below! 
4 Comments
Julie Woynar
9/18/2016 09:41:54 pm

To be human. To remember that some of these kids are going though a lot and they just need something steady and normal in their world. To make each kid feel important., and that you are glad and happy to see them, even if they do piss you off. You have to laugh every day.

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Nina Tepper
9/19/2016 08:14:03 am

Thinking of your question, I wish teacher training focused more on professional collaboration. Much of the stress that teachers may feel comes with being isolated in our classrooms & constantly recreating the wheel. Sharing practice, brainstorming concerns and laughing with colleagues does more to help keep a perspective knowing we are never alone & it's ok to ask for help.

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Sonia Nieto
9/23/2016 11:17:49 pm

I wish someone had told me, when I was 20 and in my teacher education classes, that it would be okay to cry. I did a fair amount of crying that first year and that, along with the patience of my students, the love of my family and of Angel, who I married that first year of teaching, helped me get through it.

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Kevin Hodgson link
9/24/2016 06:57:41 pm

Alicia
Great list ... taking care of ourselves allows us to take care of our students, with heart and love and compassion.
Kevin

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