Ten Things I’ve Learned

Rowdy in First Grade is hosting a fabulous linky party! I love this idea!

“Ten Things I’ve Learned From Teaching”

1. You can’t do it all. As a first year teacher, I have quickly learned this (the hard way).

2. Those kids are MY kids. Even when I have kids of my own, I know that my class is always MINE. Some of those babies don’t have a great home or someone to tell them how special and wonderful and smart they are. So it is my job to make sure they know it, everyday.

3. There needs to be a line drawn somewhere on how much money I put into my classroom… I have most definitely reached my limit for this year already, but I know that I won’t be able to help myself. Something about buying neat things for my room just makes me happy!

4. Even though that one child drives me NUTS, and it is really easy to let it get to me, it is important to vent to my team/husband/friends/whoever so that I don’t take it out on my kids.

5. I’ve learned recently to just laugh off the people who don’t think teachers work much. They haven’t a clue what it takes to be a teacher, which is why I’m doing this job, and not them.

6. Looking forward to the weekend/Spring Break/summer doesn’t make you a bad teacher.

7. A simple “You’re so cool!” from a six year old totally makes any bad mood/day 100% better.

8. I could be reading the dictionary, and if I did it with funny voices and a lot of enthusiasm, my kids would still love it.

9. It is important to be organized and know ahead of time what your lesson is. At the beginning of the year I wasted too much time trying to figure out what I was doing while my class was sitting there right in front of me.

10. Sometimes at the end of a bad day, you just have to leave. Don’t try to get any more done, don’t organize, don’t plan. Just go home and do whatever makes you feel better (gym, shopping, talking, crying, eating…) You’ll be more prouctive and feel better the next day if you don’t dwell on the bad day.

and a few more….

11. A mental health day in the middle of a week can be a total lifesaver.

12. Don’t give anyone the power of making you doubt being in this profession.

I am loving reading everyone’s posts! Great idea! :)