10 Things I've Learned from Teaching

Hey friends!  I hope you have all had a great weekend!  We are finally back in town and are here to stay for a while (we've been traveling so much lately).  It's been really nice to just lounge around my house!  

Miss Kindergarten is having a fun linky called 10 Things I've Learned from Teaching. I thought I would join in on the fun!
1.  Teaching is exhausting, especially the first week.  I am always SO tired the first week of school and it usually takes me a couple of weeks to get back in the groove.

2.  No matter how many years I've been teaching, I still get a little nervous (in an "excited and can't wait to see how it goes" way) every first day of school.  I always read the book First Day Jitters and we talk about how we all get the jitters sometimes!  I do wonder if I will get this feeling this year since I am looping up with my class.  
3.  Make friends with certain people in your school, such as: janitors, lunch staff, and secretary.  They will each serve an important role in your school and you will need their help at one time or another.

4.  It doesn't matter how hot or cold it is, children still want outside recess.  Well, I'd say this is true for 95% of children.  We have a rule: Temperature must be above 45 degrees and less than 95 degrees.  Under 45 is too cold and over 95 is too hot and our playground equipment is too hot to even touch!

5.  Keep your eyes open for bargains anywhere and everywhere: work room, yard sales/garage sales, free giveaways, Goodwill, etc. I've bought many books at yard sales. Lots of teachers clean out their room and put unwanted materials in our teacher work room. Also, check Goodwill every now and then.  I've gotten lots of books at Goodwill. Last year I snagged this computer desk for $10 at Goodwill.  I was searching for one and had been to office supply stores and thought I'd stop at Goodwill just in case and voila!

6.  Collaboration is KEY!  When I first started teaching at my school, I learned that team teachers must plan together (2 teachers per grade level).  I wasn't sure what to think about that simply because I hadn't experienced it before.  Since working with some amazing teachers and collaborating and planning TOGETHER, I have became such a better teacher.  Blogs are a great way to collaborate, but it is important to collaborate with your team teachers.  Hang with those that WANT to collaborate and share ideas!  I know it's difficult when you teach with someone who isn't willing to collaborate.  Just do the best YOU can to collaborate.  

7.  Let your students get to know you personally (to an extent, of course)!  It's important for them to know you are more than their teacher.  My students have loved when I share my interests with them, pictures of my family, etc.  I usually do this during the beginning of the year.  They always ask about my son and other family during the year, though!

8.  Attending your students extra-curricular activities will make you a hero in their eyes.  They love when you come see them play baseball, basketball, dance, or whatever it may be.  And I am the worst at this.  :(  Living 40 minutes away from my school makes this hard when I have to drive home to get my son from daycare and then drive back to school...it's hard.  But it makes such a difference to your students!

9.  Kids love to tell personal stories and most of the time, at all the wrong time!  During Math, they may think about the kitten that their dog ate or the time their uncle got his leg bit off by a crazed racoon or some crazy story like that.  Haha!  I try to give my students time to share personal stories, such as on Monday mornings when they can share about their weekend.  If it's during class, I usually ask "Is it a question or comment?" and that keeps the personal stories down.

10.  Being a teacher now makes me realize how I completely took my teachers for granted growing up.  I never even thought about all the hard work they did before school, after school, or on weekends. Wouldn't you love to go back and thank all of your teachers?  I know I would!  I am glad I realize it now so that I can teach my son to be thankful for all of his teachers! :)

13 comments

  1. I can tell you're from the south....because when it's 45 degrees here, our kids want to wear shorts! :p

    We go outside unless it is below zero!

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    1. I too chuckled when I read the cut of temp of 45 degrees. In Maine if that was the cut off, you'd be spending a lot of days having inside recess. Ugh!

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  2. I love the book First Day Jitters! I also completely agree with your first point. I only student taught last year, but my entire house (all teachers, one with 8 years experience)were so tired during the first two weeks that we came home and took naps after school! Also, I agree with Raye's comment. 45 is beautiful in Illinois and Indiana. I have plenty of friends that would wear shorts. Thanks for sharing! This looks like a fun linky to read.

    Meghan
    Learning and Teaching for Life

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  3. The secretaries and janitors are definitely your best friends! I have kindly asked them to do things for me that I know they would refuse for other people.

    ~Amy
    http://middleschoolminions.blogspot.com

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  4. That's too funny about the temperature because we don't go outside if it gets below 50! Southern problems! LOL!
    ~Rachel
    A Tall Drink of Water

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  5. So funny! Recess issues too funny! We don't go outside if it's 20 degrees or lower!
    I love your blog title... I actually say that phrase ALL THE TIME in class. My students even repeat it...or they say "oh, for the love of learning" HAHA.

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  6. I couldn't agree more with everything you said here...including the one about recess. (Except in Wisconsin, we go out unless it is storming and/or below 20...which happened more than you would expect this past winter!)

    Jennifer
    Mrs. Laffin's Laughings

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  7. Couldn't agree more with what you said! I especially know about those personal stories coming from 2nd :)

    Lauren
    The Sweetest Thing
    Follow me on Bloglovin'!

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  8. #9 is so true!!! Why do they do that??? I loved reading your top 10 and can't wait to read more post. If you get a chance I would love for you to come check my blog out. Thanks for sharing.

    Jamie
    teachingtidbit.blogspot.com

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  9. Wonderful post Lana! I'm a the third generation of teachers from my family, my mom always pressed upon us how to be thankful to our school's faculty and staff too.
    Erin
    Short and Sassy Teacher

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  10. #9!! yes!!! One year we were talking about what you might see on a mountain and my kiddo raised his hand and said "my hamster died". bahaha!!! Thanks for linking up!

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  11. I also laughed when I read the 45 degree rule. If we did that up north our kids would never get to go outside in the winter.

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