At this time of year when going back to school is on the horizon, many teachers are thinking about all the things they need to do to prepare.
But maybe it’s a good idea to spend some of the precious summer time thinking about how we need to be as a teacher. How we want to BE will guide much of what we DO.
1 – Be yourself. Be authentic. Kids can tell if you are not being “real” with them. This doesn’t mean you need to tell them everything about yourself (be selective about that!), but it is okay to admit your mistakes, to acknowledge your emotions, and to ask for their forgiveness or for their help. This helps your students see you as someone they can trust and it allows them the freedom to be themselves as well.
2 – Take a genuine interest in your students and show you care. As you get to know them, look past the demographic info, the academic data, and the test scores. Look at who the child really is. What is going on in their life? What do they care about? What are their interests outside of school? Make an effort to get to know these things about each of your students and to ask about those things on a frequent basis.
“How did your soccer game go?”
“How is your baby brother doing?”
“Is your mom feeling better?”
One great way to do this is to make home visits to your students (your school may have guidelines for doing this) or to attend some of their events outside of school. These might include sporting events, music or dance recitals, concerts, whatever they’re involved in. You don’t even have to stay the whole time! But making that effort to show up goes a long way toward showing your students and their families that you truly care about them.
3 – Give your students a voice. Give them choices when possible. Ask for their opinions and feedback. Listen to what they say. This communicates respect for your students and will build their respect for you.
4 – You can ease a lot of stress (both your own and your students’ stress) with humor. Look for ways to bring laughter and joy into your classroom on a daily basis. Read something funny. Show a funny video. So many funny things happen in a classroom on any given day. Look for those moments and allow yourself and your students to enjoy them. Laughter relaxes the entire body, releases endorphins (the body’s feel-good chemicals), and diffuses tension and conflict. Make your classroom a joyful place to be.
5 – Tell stories. Be selective but allow yourself to be vulnerable. Tell stories about what you struggled with when you were their age. Tell stories about what you struggle with doing now. Tell funny stories about yourself or about your own kids. This helps you to form connections with your students, to use humor, and to let them see you as someone who makes mistakes and learns from them.
6 – Do things to make your students feel special. Some teachers share special greetings with each student at the door each morning. Some teachers ask students to do favors for them (bring a book or your phone or your coffee to you). Spend time with them, ask them questions about themselves, and let them know that you care about them.
It helps to remember this quote from Dr. Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Want to learn more? Check out my Back to School Planning course on Teachable!