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As we head into the start of a new school year, it's time to think about ch-ch-ch-change. The kind I'm talking about is good, it's productive, and it's one you're in control of; however, this kind of change can be intimidating because 1) if you're going back into the same classroom with the same subject(s), it would be much easier to keep everything the same and 2) talking about change requires taking ownership by saying "hey, some of the things I've struggled with were on me."
If last year was challenging and you're just waiting for it to be easier, I'm here to be the one to tell you that it might not. This job is always difficult. The only way it really gets "easier" is if YOU GET BETTER. Your toolbox grows, you gain experience, you fine tune your practices to the point that you know how to best handle different situations and different classroom dynamics. If you truly want change, you can't wait for it. You have to be willing to make some for yourself otherwise you're just going to be getting more of the same.
If you're ready for something different, I challenge you to pick ONE thing that you want to improve on from last year and lean into that area this year. This is how you grow. This is how it gets "easier". This is how you get better. Little by little, you become a "master" of each piece until you can do it all.
💡 IDEAS for areas of CHANGE:
-classroom management (classroom systems, organization, behaviors)
-classroom culture (managing student drama, building mutual respect)
-connecting with your students
-student engagement
-curriculum (standards & content, project pacing)
-instruction (lesson planning & implementation, rigor, reteaching, shift to student centered)
-feedback (being timely & specific)
-communication
If you're not sure where to start, think about the hardest group you've ever taught and then pretend you get a re-do. What would you go into the year doing differently? What would you change right from the beginning to set yourself (and your students) up for a different end of year outcome? Pro tip: Do these things this year! If your class ends up being equally as challenging, you're starting with a leg up. If your class dynamic is more mellow, then think about how much quicker you're going to get them to a point of autonomy by starting with better practices.
Still not sure what to change? Here are some really simple, big picture examples of healthy shifts:
-Instead of starting the year as the "fun" teacher, start the year with the intention of being the fair & respected teacher.
-Instead of playing games just to fill extra time, be mindful of the activities you plan to focus that build relationships, practice routines/procedures, and foster an inclusive classroom culture...while incorporating content.
-Instead of waiting until the first project is graded to find out the levels/needs of your students, plan to collect a work sample, give a pre-test, or allow students to self assess/disclose before jumping into curriculum.
-Instead of relying on last year's lesson plans verbatim, do a preview of each project before starting it to make sure it's still relevant to your course material and then review lesson plans before each week to identify areas of improvement and give yourself time to make those improvements.
-Instead of trying to squeeze in re-teaching groups or mini-lessons, build that time into your block and protect it.
-If you struggle with feedback: Instead of just giving number scores on projects, create a bank of frequently given feedback (positive & ideas for improvement) to copy/paste onto student work.
-If you struggle with follow through on classroom expectations: Instead of starting the year with unattainable standards that eventually deteriorate, work on creating reasonable & meaningful class norms, rules, and clear expectations that you feel you can uphold fairly and consistently.
-Instead of being assuming you'll be on "auto-pilot" by a certain point in the year or that what you've always done will work the same this year, plan to stay actively engaged with your group and be open to making changes as you go based on your class needs.
Do not wait to have the perfect class, to be given the perfect curriculum, to get the perfect schedule because perfect does not exist. However, you can take anything you get and make changes in what you are doing to end up with something better than what you started with. Exactly how much better it becomes is up to you 😉