How teachers can thrive this school year
Tips from a former teacher
One of the things I felt as an English teacher was that most days, I wasn’t doing nearly enough. After all, there were always so many ways I needed (and wanted) to improve.
My classes should be more engaging. My students could benefit from more opportunities for creativity and leadership. I need to meet more of my students’ learning preferences. I need to help certain students feel more included in class. I should come up with a better way to track my students’ participation and behavior.
The list of things to improve only ever grew. And as a result I felt frustrated and guilty when I fell back on old habits, forgot to do a task, and mishandled situations because I was tired or stressed. I always felt I could — and ought to — be doing better as a teacher.
As we start this new school year amid the coronavirus pandemic, teachers will be hearing (and absorbing) the message to “do more” more than ever before — both from their own inner voices and from those around them.
And this may mean teachers are anxious about this new school year in unprecedented ways.
Your small, daily efforts to connect are sometimes the most important ways you can help students thrive and be resilient.
Be confident in yourself. Your students love you
While there is always room to do “more” as teachers, one way to better manage this pressure and create a sense of safety in our classrooms is to simply accept our own efforts as “enough” at the end of the day.
One of the most defining things I learned in my time teaching was that even if I was just an “okay” or “good enough” teacher, most of my students and children were incredibly forgiving. They loved me in spite of my bad days and my many mistakes, and they were surprisingly gentle on days I felt vulnerable.
Students love their teachers and appreciate their hard work. We interviewed kids about what they were most looking forward to about the new school year, and many mentioned their teachers!
Look to your students to “see” if you’re on the right track
As you grow to know your students better, they will give you small clues that you’re helping them feel safer and more connected. My own students asked me questions about my own life, and shared stories about their families and friends; they gave me cards and snacks and told me jokes.
A few times, when I walked into a class, the students would cheer, which was a sign to me that not only was I a “good enough” teacher, but more importantly, my students felt safe and connected around me.
In our EveryDay Strong training, we remind parents and community members that “you can do more than you think.” The same is true for teachers.
If you’re “doing what you can” to connect with your students, and are striving to build a safe space for your students, it’s okay to accept your own efforts as “enough” at the end of the day.
Your small, daily efforts to connect with them are sometimes the most important ways you can help students thrive and be resilient.
Don’t forget to care for your own needs, too
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs applies to both adults as well as kids, so as you prepare to kick off this new, Covid-altered school year, remember to take care of yourself physically and psychologically. As you do, your own sense of emotional safety and confidence will help you become an even brighter light and source of stability to your students.
After all, there are few moments more precious than when a quiet student surprises you with a smile, a socially struggling child shyly hands you a card, or a teen stays behind class to share a story.
And these small, rare moments are, for me, and for many teachers, tender reminders that despite our failings — despite sometimes feeling like our efforts are “not enough” — we are on the right track in our journey to help the students around us feel safe, and connected, and confident. ※
Originally published at heraldextra.com on August 22, 2020.
