Tomorrow is back to school for teachers in Chesapeake and some of the surrounding areas. I have to tell you, I’m kinda excited. Not about the meetings and the pressures and all the other stuff…but, I’m excited about the new year.
We see and say BACK to SCHOOL a thousand times between July and September.
We buy BACK to SCHOOL supplies.
We buy a BACK to SCHOOL outfit.
We get the BACK to SCHOOL newsletter.
Students get a BACK to SCHOOL letter with their teacher.
We create BACK to SCHOOL handouts.
We have BACK to SCHOOL Night.
Welcome BACK to SCHOOL.
Here’s my take on BACK to SCHOOL, so those words can be your BACK 2 SCHOOL mantra.
Be Positive.
I could be the only positive part of a child’s day (or another teacher’s, for that matter.) I need to look at the good things first!
Accept Differences.
Not everyone is at the same place at the same time…accept them for where they are. But son’t make excuses for them…help them make strides toward the goal.
Create a Place of Calm
This is hard for me. I need to be a place of calm. I need to look at all angles and circumstances before I react wildly.
(Kill them with) Kindness.
This does work. Giving someone kindness who doesn’t necessarily deserve it can diffuse a situation…or at the very least, throw them off their game a bit. (hehe)
Remember with back to school, 2 Heads are Better Than One.
Find a colleague that can be on your side, through thick and thin. Someone who can help you problem-solve and create. Someone who can listen.
School Spirit
Get ready to show your school spirit. Let students know you are proud of your school and proud to be a part of your school.
Collaborate
The best way to find a great answer for all school questions is to work together! Together big problems can be solved.
Help those that don’t want my help!
I have learned the people that scream the most about NOT wanting help…are the ones needing the most help. I have to find a way to offer help without making it feel like I’m helping.
Only About THEM!
So much to do: read, curriculum, write, data, interventions, data, read, write, data…but none of that counts as much as the THEY do. We have to make sure it’s about the kids. The curriculum and data mean nothing, if the students are at the forefront of everything we do.
Outside of School
It can’t be all about the job. There needs to be a balance. My husband and I are first-time empty-nesters. We’re excited about that. I need to make a priority to be present outside of school, not just inside of school.
LOVE what I do.
You’ve heard the saying, do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, I can argue that one. Being a teacher and teaching children is definitely work, but it’s a work of the heart. I will say it’s a passion for me, not a profession.
Every time we hear BACK TO SCHOOL, think of what it can really mean. Good Luck and Have Fun this year!
Here’s a Back to School FREEBIE! Enjoy!