Lessons Learned

I entered this year a little nervous about classroom management, but not too nervous because I had years of experience from being a camp counselor. What I didn’t realize was how tough the switch from camp counselor to teacher would be. You see in the summer, all I had to do was hang out with kids and make sure they didn’t die or kill each other. I could joke around with them and be their friend. Yes, I had to keep my students alive this year and make sure they didn’t kill each other, but I was not at school to hang out with them. I was there to teach them, which totally changed the dynamic of my relationship with them. This was a tough switch for me that led to some bumps in the road with classroom management. I knew I wasn’t there to be their friend. And, I knew I wasn’t supposed to care if they liked me or not. But…(shh don’t tell anyone)…I really wanted them to like me. So, I didn’t crack down on students at the beginning of the year like I should have. I took care of “major” issues, but smaller things like talking and joking around I didn’t. Eventually, we got a handle on these things, but it took some work.

Here’s what I learned:

They’re going to like you.

Some of them won’t like you no matter what you do.

You won’t like some of them.

Making an example of someone (aka following through with threats) shows you mean business.

They want rules to follow.

Some of them are still going to be bad no matter what you do.

Middle schoolers get over things in 5 minutes. So, even if you make them mad, they’ll love you again in 5 minutes.

So, next year I’ll be entering my classroom as a teacher. Not as a teacher trying to be a camp counselor.

I’m still learning this last lesson. I’m a people pleaser and a rule follower. I am a hard worker and have always been a good student. Teachers and bosses have always liked me and praised my hard work. I’m used to receiving praise for my work. I didn’t realize how much I had come to rely on this praise for my sense of approval until this year. I was not the shining star of Carrington and I had to learn that my approval and self-worth does not come from other people; it comes from God. My purpose is to bring glory to Him in all that I do whether or not people are singing my praises. I’m not here to please other people or even to be praised by them. 

It has been so humbling to learn this because I have missed and craved that praise from my administration this school year on many occasions. Yes, I have a lot of room for improvement, but overall I feel like I did a good job this school year. So, I had to learn to find my satisfaction from the Lord and learn to only be concerned about pleasing Him and not other people. I also had to learn that not getting praised by my administration didn’t mean I wasn’t doing a good job. That was probably the hardest part of all because I had gotten so used to being told on a regular basis how good I was. I know that sounds arrogant, but I say it to say that in all of the craziness of this year, the most valuable lesson I learned was humility. And, like I said, I’m still learning. I still have days when I really wish one of my principals would say to me individually that I’m doing a good job with my students. I think I will probably always have those days, but I’m learning to not depend on those praises for approval.

“For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

“Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Render service with a good attitude as to the Lord and not to men…” Ephesians 6:6

A Year in Review

Friday I completed my first year of teaching. Well…technically I still have three teacher workdays, but in my mind it is complete. I have heard many a horror story about teachers’ first years. The planning takes forever. The kids are crazier than you can ever imagine. All of your brilliant ideas that you think up never work out how you think they will in a classroom. You’ll want to quit. You will stay sick…etc. etc. etc. Needless to say, I was a little nervous entering this school year in August, but I dove right in and never looked back. 

Yes, there were long days. Yes, the planning took a lot of time. Yes, the kids were crazy…they’re middle schoolers what else could I expect. BUT, I did not want to quit. I did not go home and cry everyday. I did not apply for other jobs. I didn’t even search for other jobs. I didn’t get sick beyond a few bad colds. You could probably say I was blessed with the best first year a first year teacher could ask for. And, I can only give the Lord all the glory for that. He worked out everything perfectly…again. He’s pretty good at that. 

While I was having a great first year, I did learn a lot! And, as I was walking endless circles around my classroom staring at the wall during EOGs, I began to reflect on this year because I do not want to forget all I learned and the areas I feel like I did well.

Let’s start with the good…planning. As a first year teacher, you might have some random resources from student teaching and other college classes, but overall you have nothing. So, my Saturdays this year were spent planning lessons and making flipcharts for the upcoming week. And, I can say that I went into every week completely planned. Part of that is because I was required to turn in lesson plans for the week on Monday mornings. I am so excited that I will not have to make flipcharts from scratch again next year. I will have some changes/improvements to make, but the majority of my planning is done. Woo hoo!

At the beginning of this school year, I told my students I would enter each class with a fresh, positive attitude no matter what had happened earlier in the day or what was going to happen later in the day. I asked them to do the same. I’m not saying that I kept that positive attitude throughout a whole class, but I did go in each class this year with a clean slate even if the previous class had really frustrated me. Some days it took counting to 10 and taking several deep breaths. Other days it took me biting my tongue and just giving a look so I didn’t say something I regretted. But, I often said to my students when they were upset that I was sorry they were upset, but that I did not deserve the attitude or frustration they were showing as I had nothing to do with whatever they were mad about from last class. Since I said this a lot, it reminded me that I needed to give them the same courtesy. And, I’m proud to say I feel like I did that this year.

Along with these successes and many more, I learned some very valuable lessons this year about myself, about teaching, and about students. Lessons learned coming soon…