Reply to Am I Making a Mistake?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thank you all for solidifying my choice. If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom, I would highly appreciate if you would be so kind as to share them with me and I will apply them to the best of my ability.[/quote]

If this is OP, what was your final decision?[/quote]

I will be honored and genuinely gratefulto sign the contract.[/quote]

Congratulations, OP! You’ve got this.

I’ve said this before, but it seems worth repeating: force yourself to bounce back from those bad days. You get chances to start over, and it gets easier.

When you feel overwhelmed, remember what you’ve already accomplished and don’t focus as much on what still needs to get done. You won’t be able to get it all done, but you can do a great job on a lot of it.

Don’t take it personally when a student says something cruel. It’s hard not to, but that insult came from a child who is likely feeling scared or insecure. You’ll develop a thick skin if you don’t have one already.

Sometimes administrators are helpful, but the best help will come from other teachers. They are in there with you, whereas administrators have been out of the classroom so they may not remember what it’s really like. If your observations aren’t great at first, don’t worry too much. Ask a fellow teacher to take a look at them and see what advice they have.

Find yourself a quiet place in the building. You may not get a lot of time there, but 20 minutes to yourself is precious and calming. I found a bench in a back hallway that’s my spot, and it gives me a break from the classroom. Sometimes the same walls get claustrophobic.

Be the teacher who knows the students. That’s the best thing you can do to develop strong classroom management. Go to after school activities and see them in a different environment. They’ll remember you cared enough to stop by.

Give yourself 10 minutes at the end of the day to triage. What needs to be done before you leave? What can you take home? What can wait for the morning? I keep a notebook at my desk with running to-do list. I highlight the ones I have to get done *that day*. (Also: I don’t throw away old pages. I keep them as a reminder of all I’ve accomplished. It makes me feel better.)

Hope some of this helps![/quote]

I plan to talk with the other teachers about how to prioritize my responsibilities. I am also trying to think of ways that might reduce my grading, like using an online quiz generator and having students do some presentations in class. I do believe that only people who are hurting, hurt others and that is something will have to train myself to be more mindful in the moment. This is very valuable advice, especially the part about taking an active interest in what the students are interested outside of the classroom. I like the way you refer to ‘triage’; that makes so much sense to me. You would be absolutely amazed at how many notes I make in notepad on my iPad. When I was performing my practicum, I learned to keep a teaching experience journal for future reference. I could incorporate my to do lists there. TY for the helpful suggestions.[/quote]

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