I remember in teacher "school" as I like to call it- all the older professors would shower us with tips for surviving our first years. They would bombard us with facts like over half of teachers quit their career in the first five years because it is so hard. I felt like their pep talks weren't always the most encouraging. I feel like advice should come from someone who's just been there and done that recently.
Well, I am a third year teacher, and wow, I made a ton of mistakes my first year. Here are the 10 things I WISH I would have done! (I will be releasing one tip per day!)
Drum Roll Please!
I got griped at a lot my first year for this one. My class = bad...my boss = horrible... my coworkers = even worse! I became a real negative Nelly, and it got me nowhere pretty fast. Should you just lie to yourself and others until things get better? My surprising answer is YES! Of course, go look for support before things get really bad. I tried to keep everything inside...my poorly behaved class, my unprofessional boss, my nosey coworkers, and the year turned into a disaster. I should have sought out counseling and just pretended my way through the rest... or I should have just quit that job!
Either way, my negativity had an ill effect on my class... my reputation and my health! I still struggle with negativity from time to time, but I strive for positivity everyday. My best advice to you- New Teacher- is to just *think* before you say anything negative to ANYONE at school. Unless you have a long standing trustworthy relationship with that person, your comments could be seen as unprofessional...and negativity will always paint YOU not the situation in a poor light. Don't even complain about the weather! It may seem very fake to you at first, but trust me fake positivity on every situation will help you through the first year a lot more than sarcasm or negative thoughts will!
I am also a firm believer in the Law of Attraction. What ever you put out, you will get back. Your thoughts will attract more of the same. Also, positive thoughts just feel better. Here are ten tips to make yourself happy after a bad day of teaching:
1. Listen to your favorite music
2. Watch a stand up comic on netflix
3. Buy yourself an indulgent magazine and give yourself time to flip through it
4. Take a bubble bath or light some candles when you get home, pamper yourself for no reason
5. Eat something naughty like Dove chocolates!
6. Try out 2 new yoga positions (they really do make you feel good)
7. Imagine your life as being perfect. Make a list of everything your perfect life has in it.
8. Make plans for a pretend dream vacation! Google up every detail!
9. Doodle your name- how whimsical can you make it?
10. Dance in front of your bathroom mirror (I swear you WILL laugh!)
Lastly, remember you are not alone... there are hundreds of thousands of teachers out there and many of them have had a rough day too!
Until tomorrow friends,
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