Year Two...CHECK!

Monday, June 10, 2013 4 comments
Last Several Friday's ago (I started this post and then summer happened and I forgot about it... yikes!) I finished my second year of teaching. I can't believe how fast time has been flying since I graduated college in May 2011. I have two years of adult world under my belt and I must say... its not too shabby. I think it helps that I found a job that I really enjoy. I don't always enjoy the big girl expenses and decisions... haha. But overall, my life of a grown up isn't too shabby.

What I learned in year two of teaching.

From day one, be consistent. 
This is in regards to decisions and behavior. 

Smile, EVERYDAY. 
We have been implementing the 7 Habits at my school and they use the phrase...
"You carry your own weather." This is so true. No matter what is going on, I need to always choose to be happy for my kiddos.

It is impossible to stay organized. (In my world anyway! Hah!) 
We get SO many papers, students turn in so many papers... what do I do with it all? This is one of my goals for the summer.. come up with a system to stay organized.

You don't always have to re-create the wheel.
In an internet world where there are SO many resources,
I am learning that I don't always have to come up with ideas myself.

Have a life OUTSIDE of school.
I tend to stay in school mode long after the kids have gone home for the day. I need to know when to leave everything school related alone so I can go have some fun.

Never wait until the last minute... or at least try not to.
No matter how hard I work to try to get ahead, I always seem to be running to the copier right when I get to school in the morning to make that extra set of copies. I don't know how this happens because I try to be prepared for my whole week.

Always have a plan B.
You never know when the copier might break, the power might go out (this for real happened to us several times the year.. yikes!), or when the technology won't cooperate. Always have a back up plan in mind. How can you teach this technology driven lesson without technology? How can students complete a worksheet without an individual copy of their own? Several times this year I wouldn't have survived without a back up plan. 

Well, there ya have it... just a few things I learned/realized during year 2 of teaching. It is hard for me to believe that I have been teaching for two whole years! Craziness. Now I need to get back in the grind and start working on things for next year... I have not been very good at that so far this summer.
Happy Monday... aren't Monday's so great during the summer months? =)
Have a fabulous, relaxing week!