Make 2018 A Memorable One In Your Classroom And Your Personal Life!

Sweaty palms, heart palpitations, anxiety and excitement – the joys and jitters of back-to-school are in the hearts of all teachers. Whether you’re in the classroom teaching already or you’re not starting back until next week, you can’t go without our survival tips for the year. They may not all apply to your situation, but just as with teaching, take the ideas that that work for you and make them your own!

1. Set a reasonable time to leave school each day and stick to it!
   There is always more work you could stay and do at school. It’s not going anywhere. Establishing boundaries for your personal life can help you manage stress and be well rested for the next day with your class. Trust e you are going to need it!
2. Get serious about germ prevention!
   Make it as easy as possible for your students to frequently wash their hands. Check to see if they can reach the sink and pick up a stepping stool if they need a boost. You don’t want any gross memories to share with your fellow teachers at break time.
3. Ask to observe your more experienced colleagues teaching in their own classrooms
   Watch and learn. There are always people more experienced and more sane than you are… You will be surprised at the amount of knowledge you can gather.
4. On Sunday, plan all of your after-school activities for the week and write them into your plan book
   Force yourself to get organised and schedule things like workouts, grocery shopping, meal prep, laundry, etc. Being on top of your own life will definitely come in handy when you don’t

You will spend so much time in your classroom that it will start to feel like your second home. Keeping some essentials on hand at school will save you in all those little hiccups that can pop up. Snacks and Xanax should be top of your list!

5. Document ALL parent and administrator contactGet a simple notebook at one of the back to school sales coming up and keep it with your plan book. It doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. Jot down the date, who you had contact with and a few lines to remind you of the most important points.
6. Practice some positive phrases to use in difficult situations with parents and/or administrators
   There will inevitably be some tense conversations during your first term of teaching and beyond. Do everything you can to stay calm, to listen more than you speak and to show empathy for the person you are talking with. If you really need to, keep some stress balls in your drawer… Try to respond by saying something like this: “Thank you for letting me know about this. I’ll think about it some more and get back to you soon.” This type of statement gives everyone time to simmer down and reflect on what the next steps should be.

Deep breath in, deep breath out, you got this dear teacher! Make 2018 a year that you will remember for all the good memories and changes you made to your students’ lives.