A New Series Just for Beginning Teachers 

When the pandemic began, I had five upcoming speaking engagements that I was particularly looking forward to. At all of them, I would be helping groups of teachers figure out ways to deal successfully with their most challenging students so that those students could be successful classroom citizens. And, of course, my hope was that their teachers could also enjoy their profession more without the debilitating stress that accompanies trying to deal with unruly and difficult students.

The pandemic changed everything. 

At home, I watched as teachers were hailed as heroes for the way they managed the incredible task of teaching kids during the pandemic lockdown. And not just teaching: seeing that their students were fed and cared for even when normal classroom support systems were not available. I watched with pride as teachers everywhere found the grace and patience to connect with their students in new ways. 

And then that changed, too. With growing despair, I watched as teachers were vilified for not doing enough. NOT DOING ENOUGH? 

Now there's the "surprising" news that there will be a record shortage of educators this fall. Of course, there will be. Incredibly difficult jobs + unrealistic expectations + stinking heaps of public criticism do not make make becoming an educator a popular career choice.

Old news, I know, to those of you who lived it. But, despite everything, better times lie ahead. I fully believe that. As the horrors of the pandemic begin to fade, education is still a worthy and personally fulfilling profession. You help people change their lives when you are an educator. 

To help beginning teachers adjust to their new profession, I plan to publish some of the slides that I had prepared for my pre-pandemic presentation. My hope is to provide a weekly framework of suggestions to help new teachers find ways to support and work well with all of their students--not just the most difficult or challenging ones. 

So, to start, here are a few thoughts about how to avoid one of the most common classroom problems: power struggles. 

HOW TO FIGHT SCHOOL-RELATED STRESS

Although developing a positive outlook and turning problems into opportunities are effective tools in the battle against burnout, they are not enough to stop the cycle of self-defeat. To avoid the damage that burnout can cause, you also need to be proactive; you must prevent the buildup of the small stresses that eventually lead to distress and burnout. Consider some of the following strategies when you create a proactive plan to prevent toxic stress from consuming your life.

·        Place great value on your personal time. Working long hours every day is a sure path to burnout. You need time to just be yourself. School will always be there.

·        Allow yourself time to make effective transitions from one class to another. This is particularly difficult when you have many classes each day. One way to manage this is by having an opening routine that your students can do independently. This will free you to make the mental, emotional, and physical switch from one group of students to another.

·        Keep a flexible attitude. Get into the habit of looking for solutions instead of dwelling on your problems. If you are open to alternatives, you will be able to assess your options much more quickly.

·        Everyone benefits when you delegate responsibilities. Decide who you want to do a task, clearly explain how you want it accomplished, and then step back and allow the people you selected to get busy.

·        Plan ahead. When you know that you are approaching a tough time at school, find opportunities to prevent or solve problems and not just suffer through them.     

·        Take good care of yourself. Teachers tend to be nurturing people who focus on
the needs of others. But to succeed in taking care of others, you must take care of your own needs. Allow yourself time to rest, relax, have fun, exercise, eat well, socialize and enjoy life.

·        Slow down. Stop rushing from one responsibility to the next. Here are some ways to slow your life down: take time to eat lunch, allow yourself at least ten minutes to relax with colleagues at some point during your day, and use a journal for reflection.

·        Put some fun in your instruction. Plan activities that you and your students can look forward to. Few teachers experience burnout while they are having fun.

·        Pace the intensity of the work. Learn to plan your instruction to allow for some less arduous teaching periods. For example, you should not be “on” day after day. Instead, allow your students time for independent work, small group work, or even activities such as viewing films related to the subject under study. Being “on” all the time will quickly exhaust you.

·        Add structure to your life. Routines will prevent many stress-inducing problems.

·        Start to put together a network of supportive and positive people who can help you. Being connected to others is an important way to avoid the stress that can make every day miserable.

·        Take command of as much of your school life as you possibly can. Establish realistic long-term and short-term goals for yourself and then strive to achieve them.

·        Think before you act. If you plan your responses to unpleasant situations you will prevent many problems. Situations that you should think about before you act include dealing with incomplete homework assignments, angry parents, defiant students, cheating incidents, tardy students, and other frequent classroom disruptions.

At Last! The Third Edition Is on Its Way!

For those of you who have purchased my books, read my blog, and Tweeted along with me over the last few years, I am very pleased to announce that the third edition of The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide will be published next week! Although the book only took about a year to actually write, it contains about thirty-five years of classroom experience.

What I have here is two of the tables of contents for this book. The first one is just the titles of each of the seventeen main sections. The second one is a detailed listing of the contents of the printed material. You can probably see from the cover that there is also a DVD that accompanies the book. The DVD contains bonus material as well as all of the handouts in the book so that they can easily be electronically accesses for printing.

I've updated my Web site (www.juliagthompson.com) if you would like to learn more about the book. Just click on the links you’ll find there and you can find all sorts of useful information.

It was my goal to pack a book with just about everything that a first-year teacher would need to have the confidence to go ahead and have a great year.

 

Table of Contents One

CONTENTS AT A GLANCE

I. Assume Your Professional Responsibilities

Section One: Know What It Means to Be a Twenty-First-Century Educator

Section Two: Develop the Practical Skills You’ll Need to Manage a Classroom
Section Three: Collaborate with Others in Your School and Community

II. Establish a Learning Community

Section Four: Begin a Successful School Term

Section Five: Develop Positive Classroom Relationships

 III. Promote Student Achievement

Section Six: Control Class Time

Section Seven: Manage Your Classroom
Section Eight: From Reluctant to Engaged: Motivate Students to Succeed

 IV. Design and Deliver Effective Instruction

Section Nine: Choose Appropriate Instructional Strategies and Resources

Section Ten: Design Effective Instruction
Section Eleven: Deliver Engaging Instruction
Section Twelve: Meet the Needs of All of Your Students
Section Thirteen: Assess Your Students’ Progress
Section Fourteen: Level the Playing Field: Cover Basic Skills

 V. Maintain an Orderly Environment

Section Fifteen: Prevent Discipline Problems

Section Sixteen: Manage Discipline Problems
Section Seventeen: Learn to Solve Classroom Problems

 

Table of Contents Two

CONTENTS

About the Author

Acknowledgements
About This Survival Guide

 I. Assume Your Professional Responsibilities

Section One: Know What It Means to Be a Twenty-First-Century Educator

The Challenges of Our Changing Profession

You Can Manage Your Professional Challenges Successfully

Professionalism: The Powerful Force Underlying Everything We Do

Your Professional Responsibilities

Become a Reflective Teacher

Developing a Reflective Practice

Teacher Worksheet 1.1: Template for Professional Self-Reflection

Teacher Worksheet 1.2: Characteristics of Successful Teachers

Teacher Worksheet 1.3: Learning from Exemplary Teachers

Finding Role Models and Working Well with Mentors

Seeking Feedback on Your Professional Performance

Teacher Worksheet 1.4: Making the Most of Peer Observations

Teacher Worksheet 1.5: Lesson Study Observation

Using the Evaluation Process to Improve Your Teaching Skills

Teacher Worksheet 1.6: How Observers Will Evaluate You

Teacher Worksheet 1.7: Data Tracking Sheet

Maintaining Sustained Professional Growth

Teacher Worksheet 1.8: Are You in Charge of Your Career?

Teacher Worksheet 1.9: Track Your Professional Goals

Learning to Manage Your Stress

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Know What It Means to Be a Twenty-First Century Educator

 

Section Two: Develop the Practical Skills You’ll Need to Manage a Classroom

Arrange Your Own Work Area

Become an Efficient Teacher

Teacher Worksheet 2.1: Meet Your Classroom Priorities

Teacher Worksheet 2.2: A Teacher’s Daily To-Do List

Teacher Worksheet 2.3: Checklist of a Teacher’s Weekly Reminders

General Tips for Managing School Papers

How to Organize and Manage Student Information

How to Grade Papers Quickly

Tips for Managing Electronic Files

Tips for Managing E-Mail

How to Maintain Your Class Web Page

How to Save Paper

Optimize Your Use of the Photocopier

Prepare Your Classroom for Students

How to Protect School Resources

How to Request Repairs

Classroom Safety Issues

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Develop the Practical Skills You’ll Need to Manage a Classroom

 

Section Three: Collaborate with Others in Your School and Community

Your School Community: A Network of Teams

Communities of Practice

Where Do You Fit In as a New Teacher?

Building Trust: The Importance of a Reputation for Integrity

Strategies for Effective Collaboration

How to Handle Professional Disagreements

Quick Tips for Developing Professional Relationships

What Your Coworkers Expect from You

Working Well with Difficult Colleagues

Social Media Guidelines

The Importance of Perfect Attendance

The Support Staff

The Chain of Command

Collaborate Successfully with Administrators

Working Well with Parents and Guardians

What Parents and Guardians Expect from You

Prevent Miscommunication with a Transparent Classroom

Teacher Worksheet 3.1: How Effective Are You at Creating a Transparent Classroom?

The Importance of Keeping Contact Records

Teacher Worksheet 3.2: Home Contact Documentation Form

Be Positive with Parents and Guardians

Sample 3.1: Sample Positive Message to Parents or Guardians

Open House

Take Care to Interact Professionally

Class Newsletters

Conduct Successful Conferences with Parents and Guardians

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Collaborate with Others in Your School and Community

 

II. Establish a Learning Community

Section Four: Begin a Successful School Term

The First Day Is Important

Overcome Those First-Day Jitters

What to Do on the First Day: Your Priorities

First-Day-of-School Welcome Packet

Parent or Guardian Worksheet 4.1: Inventory: Please Tell Me About Your Child

Sample 4.1: Letter of introduction to Parents or Guardians

Activities for the First Day

Teacher Worksheet 4.1: Planning Template for the First Day of School

Teacher Worksheet 4.2: Checklist for the First Day of School

Student Information Records

Student Worksheet 4.1: Student Information Form

Learn Your Students’ Names Quickly

How to Get to Know Your Students

Student Worksheet 4.2: Inventory for Elementary Students

Student Worksheet 4.3: Inventory for Middle School Students

Student Worksheet 4.4: Inventory for High School Students

Additional Topics for Student Inventories

Create a Positive Group Identity

What You Can Expect During the First Week

Mistakes to Avoid at the Start of School

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Begin a Successful School Term

 

Section Five: Develop Positive Classroom Relationships

Develop a Positive Relationship with Students

Teacher Worksheet 5.1: How Appropriate Are Your Relationships with Students?

Teacher Worksheet 5.2: Are You a Good Role Model?

Help Students Learn to Relate Well to Each Other

Teacher Worksheet 5.3: Checklist of Social Skills All Students Should Master

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Develop Positive Classroom Relationships

 

III. Promote Student Achievement

Section Six: Control Class Time

You Control the Time Your Students Have With You

How Teachers Waste Time

Teacher Worksheet 6.1: How Well Do You Use Class Time?

Principles of Effective Classroom Time Management

Raise Your Students’ Awareness of Class Time

How to Handle Interruptions

Pacing Instruction

The First Ten Minutes of Class

Teacher Worksheet 6.2: Plans for Starting Class Effectively

Productive Transitions

How to Handle Requests to Leave the Classroom

Sample 6.1: Hall Pass

Teacher Worksheet 6.3: Student Sign-Out Sheet

The Last Ten Minutes of Class

Teacher Worksheet 6.4: Plans for Ending Class Effectively

How to Use Any Time Left at the End of Class

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Control Class Time

 

Section Seven: Manage Your Classroom

A Well-Managed Classroom

How to Focus Your Class on Good Behavior

The Importance of Clear Expectations

Procedures, Policies, Rules: When to Apply Each One

Policies You Will Need to Develop

Teacher Worksheet 7.1: Planning for Classroom Policies

Establish Procedures

Teacher Worksheet 7.2: Where to Find Help with Establishing Procedures

Suggestions for Establishing Three Necessary Procedures

Teach and Enforce School Rules

Creating Classroom Rules

Teacher Worksheet 7.3: Checklist to Determine If Your Rules Will Be Successful

Teaching Classroom Rules

Enforcing Classroom Rules

Enlisting Student Support for Class Rules

Positive or Negative Consequences?

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Manage Your Classroom

 

Section Eight: From Reluctant to Engaged: Motivate Students to Succeed

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Be Positive If You Want Positive Results

Lay a Solid Foundation

Motivate Your Students with a Variety of Methods

Extrinsic Motivation

Make Sure Intrinsic Motivation Is a Classroom Constant

Make Success Attainable

Teach Your Students to Follow Directions

Purposeful Learning

Teacher Worksheet 8.1: Assignment Checklist

Take a Goal-Oriented Approach to Learning

Student Worksheet 8.1: Setting and Achieving SMART Goals

Use Frequent Smaller Goals to Motivate Students

Make Success Visible

Teaching Students to Track Their Own Mastery of Material

Student Worksheet 8.2: Progress Tracking Chart

How to Survive the Homework Debate

Sample 8.1: Homework Letter from a Teacher

Teacher Worksheet 8.2: Plan Successful Homework Assignments

Student Worksheet 8.3: Missing Homework Explanation Form

Student Worksheet 8.4: Class Log

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: From Reluctant to Engaged: Motivate Students to Succeed

 

IV. Design and Deliver Effective Instruction

Section Nine: Choose Appropriate Instructional Strategies and Resources

Take Advantage of the Advances in Educational Research

Why Small, Strategic Steps Are the Keys to Success

Overview of Just a Few of the Instructional Options Teachers Have

Socratic Seminar

Classroom Technology Resources to Aid Your Instructional Practices

Useful Web Sites for Educators

“There’s an App for That!”

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Choose Appropriate Instructional Strategies and Resources

 

Section Ten: Design Effective Instruction

The Benefits of Careful Planning

Backwards Design: Think Big, but Start Small

Cover the Curriculum or Teach Your Students?

How Prepared Should You Be?

Common Planning Problems

How to Find the Time to Plan

Your State’s Standards

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

Assess Your Students’ Prior Knowledge

How to Begin Planning Instruction

Teacher Worksheet 10.1: Format for a Course Overview

Teacher Worksheet 10.2: Format for a Unit Plan

What to Include in Your Plans

Teacher Worksheet 10.3: Easy-to-Use Format for Lesson Plans

Successful Learning for Nontraditional Schedules

How to Adjust a Lesson

Always Have a Backup Plan

Twenty-Five Backup Plan Options

Free Online Resources for Lesson Plans

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Design Effective Instruction

 

Section Eleven: Deliver Engaging Instruction

Guidelines for Improving Your Classroom Charisma

Pitfalls That Plague Too Many Teachers

Improve Your Oral Presentations

How to Make a Point Students Will Remember

How to Help Students Stay on Track during a Lecture

Conduct Class Discussions That Engage Every Student

The Power of Play: Using Toys to Capture Attention

Games Your Students Will Enjoy

Puzzle and Game Sites

Use Graphic Organizers to Engage Students

Provide Learning Centers for Enrichment and Remediation

Two Simple Techniques: Learning Cubes and Colored Dot Labels

Providing Models, Examples, and Samples

How to Make Seatwork Appealing

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Deliver Engaging Instruction

 

Section Twelve: Meet the Needs of All of Your Students

Differentiated Instruction to Support All Learners

 Teacher Worksheet 12.1: Individualized Instruction Worksheet

Teacher Worksheet 12.2: Questions to Determine Differentiated Instruction Strategies

Students Who May Need Special Care

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Meet the Needs of All of Your Students

 

Section Thirteen: Assess Your Students’ Progress

Use the Spectrum of Assessments to Your Advantage

Data-Driven Instruction: Summative and Formative Assessments

How to Use Formative Assessments

Teacher Worksheet 13.1: Tracking Formative Assessment Data

Types of Formative Assessments

How to Gather Baseline Data Before Beginning a Unit of Study

Using Review Sessions as Formative Assessments

A Useful Formative Assessment Strategy: Exit Tickets

Offer Helpful Feedback

Use Podcasts to Respond to Student Work

Encourage Students to Learn from Their Errors

Student Worksheet 13.1: Assignment Reflection

The Two Most Common Written Assessments: Tests and Quizzes

Create Useful Objective Questions

How to Grade Objective Questions Quickly

Conduct Rules for Quizzes and Tests

What to Do if Many of Your Students Fail a Test or Quiz

Types of Authentic Assessments

Sample 13.1: A Simple Rubric

Keeping Track of Grades

Student Worksheet 13.2: Grade Tracking Form for Student Success

How to Personalize a Grade Report

What You Should Do When Students Challenge Grades

What to Do When You Suspect a Student of Cheating

How to Manage Cyber Cheating

Extra Credit Dilemmas and Solutions

Success with Standardized Tests

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Assess Your Students’ Progress

 

Section Fourteen: Level the Playing Field: Cover Basic Skills

Why It Is Important to Cover Basic Skills

Media Literacy Skills

Listening Skills

Oral Presentation Skills

Writing Skills

Vocabulary Acquisition Skills

Critical Thinking Skills

Reading Skills

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Level the Playing Field: Cover Basic Skills

 

V. Maintain an Orderly Environment

Section Fifteen: Prevent Discipline Problems

Punishment Is Not the Way to Prevent Problems

Self-Discipline Is the Key

Be Aware of the Causes of Most Discipline Problems

Easily Avoidable Mistakes Many Teacher Make

Teacher Worksheet: 15.1: How Effective Are You at Preventing Discipline Problems?

Your Role in Preventing Discipline Problems

Teacher Worksheet 15.2: Preventing or Minimizing Discipline Problems

Be Positive: Nothing Creates Success Like Success

Become a Consistent Teacher

Become a Fair Teacher

Withitness: One of the Most Valuable Prevention Techniques

Teacher Worksheet 15.3: What Is Your Level of Withitness?

The Crucial Step in Developing Withitness: Monitoring

How Students Can Get Help Quickly

Earn Your Students’ Respect

An Unexpected Tip: Be a Good Listener

Early Intervention Strategies

When You Should Act

Harness the Power of Positive Peer Pressure

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Prevent Discipline Problems

 

Section Sixteen: Manage Discipline Problems

Myths about Discipline

Control Your Anxiety with Proactive Strategies

Behaviors You Should Not Accept

What Do Your Supervisors Expect from You?

Respond Instead of Just Reacting

Teacher Worksheet 16.1: Classroom Management Techniques to Avoid

How to Avoid a Lawsuit: A Teacher’s Legal Responsibilities

Teacher Worksheet 16.2: Behavioral Incident Report

Due Process Procedures

Cultivate Grace under Pressure

Great Advice: Don’t Take It Personally

You May Be the Troublemaker

Think before You Act

Don’t Give Up on Your Difficult Students

How to Deal with a Difficult Class

Cope with a Student’s Chronic Misbehavior

How to Hold Successful Conferences with Students Who Have Misbehaved

Put Detentions to Good Use

Manage Referrals to an Administrator with Confidence

Handling Four Common Types of Student Misbehavior

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Manage Discipline Problems

 

Section Seventeen: Learn to Solve Classroom Problems

Be Guided by Sound Principles

Questions to Consider When You Are Trying to Solve Classroom Problems

Take a Problem-Solving Approach

Teacher Worksheet 17.1: Work Through Classroom Problems

Problems Associated with Individual Students

Problems Associated with Enforcing School Policies or Rules

Problems Associated with Behavior During Instruction

Problems Associated with Students’ Relationship with Their Teacher

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Learn to Solve Classroom Problems

 

A Final Word

Index

Sometimes You Just Have to Let Go

It’s a hard lesson, but it’s important to realize that you are not going to win every battle you get into with your students. A while ago, I was asked to help a teacher who was in an absolutely awful situation—four weeks of school left, and she had just taken over as a long-term sub after several other subs had come and gone.  If you have ever been in this miserable position, I bet you just shuddered at the memory.

               The kids were pretty much running the show. There were not many procedures in place and no clear expectations. Students were doing the parts of the assignment that they felt like doing. They were off task. They were argumentative. They were acting like kids do when there is not someone to guide them. It was unpleasant to be in that class—for the kids and certainly for their teacher—who, even more heart-breaking--was brand new to teaching.

               As I talked with the teacher to help her create some sort structure for her class, I realized that she was not taking in anything I had to say. She was so focused on an unpleasant incident involving a disrespectful student that she simply could not listen. All she could focus on was that a student had been rude to her and had refused to apologize when an apology was demanded.

               Instead of talking about what she could do to make her classroom more productive, our conversation kept circling back to the rude student. Even worse, the incident had happened two weeks earlier. For two long weeks, this teacher had been mentally replaying the incident. She wanted to resolve the situation in such a way that she won. No matter what I said, I could not convince her that she was not going to win this battle. Not ever.

               You have probably done something similar. You’ve taken the unpleasant parts of your school day home with you or lain awake worrying over something that went wrong in class. Working with students of any age can sometimes be discouraging and stressful. You just can’t take any of the bad things that happen at school personally. Sometimes the only way to really win is to just let go. Focus on what you can change. Let go of the rest.

Verbal Immediacy Creates Positive Classroom Relationships

Here's an excerpt from the book I've been working on lately--a third edition of The First-Year Teacher's Survivial Guide. I wrote this because I am struck over and over by the knack that excellent teachers have for using verbal immediacy to connect with their students. What we say to our students has more power than we can possibly imagine. It's not always easy to remember that when a student is defiant or silly or determined to hinder others from learning, but well worth the effort

 

"The words you use when you speak with your students are one of the most important ways you have of creating a strong bond with them. Kind words spoken in a gentle voice make it much easier for your students to connect with you. If you say something unkind to a student, it will hurt even more than an insult from a peer because it is from someone the student should be able to count on. Using language to create verbal immediacy is one of the best tools that you can have to create a positive relationship with students.

            There are very few rules about how you should speak to your students. The age and maturity level of your students will guide how you speak. For example, it is usually a serious offense for a teacher in an elementary classroom to tell students to shut up. In a high school classroom, this phrase is not as serious; it is merely rude. You should avoid using it, however, because there are more effective ways to ask students to stop talking.

            The one language mistake you should never make is to swear when you are with your students. When you do this, you cross the line of what is acceptable and what is not. If you are ever tempted to swear around your students, remember that teachers have been fired for swearing at students.

            If a word slips out, you should immediately apologize to your students, let them know that you are embarrassed, apologize again, and then continue with instruction. After your class is over, you should speak with a supervisor and explain your side of the situation as soon as you can and certainly, before your supervisor hears about it from an angry parent or guardian.

            While swear words are clearly not something you should say around students, there are other language issues you should also pay attention to. Make sure your own words are ones that help your students and do not hurt them. Never make negative or insulting remarks about any student’s

• Race
• Gender
• Religion
• Family
• Friends
• Nationality
• Clothing
• Neighborhood
• Body size
• Sexual orientation
• Disabilities
• Age
• Appearance

            You should also make a point of using “I” messages whenever you can. “I” messages are statements that use words such as I, we, us, or our instead of you. For example, instead of the harsh, “You’d better pay attention,” a teacher can say, “I’d like for you to pay attention now.” “You’re too noisy" becomes “We all need to be quiet so that everyone can hear,” and “You’re doing that all wrong!” can become “I think I can help you with that.”

            With these simple changes, the statements are no longer accusatory, harsh in tone, or insulting. The language points out a problem but does not put anyone on the defensive. “I” messages work because they state a problem without blaming the student. This, in turn, creates a focus on a solution and not on an error the child has made."

Thirteen Resolutions

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”
~Abraham Lincoln

It’s a natural combination at this time of year—New Year’s resolutions and a reflective teaching practice. While Winter Break gives us a few days away from school, we have an opportunity to gain perspective. No matter how busy our holidays are, most of us can’t resist the impulse to think about school and our students and the work that we need to do as soon as our break ends.

            Now is a good time to use that impulse to create resolutions that can bring your dreams for a well-run classroom filled with successful, high-achieving students closer to reality. In honor of 2013, here are thirteen productive resolutions that you may want to consider adopting as part of your own teaching practice in the year ahead. Pick and choose what will work for you. If you would like to share your own resolutions, feel free to make comments. Learning from our colleagues is a great way to begin a new year.

Resolution 1: Respect your students. I know this seems simple, but too often we overlook what our students are capable of achieving because we are focused on what they don’t know or can’t do. Instead of seeing them as competent learners, we see them in terms of what they lack instead of what they are.

Resolution 2: Manage your stress. The last day of school is a long way away. Start employing as many simple strategies as you can to keep your work life and your personal life in balance. Using brief, purposeful actions to ward off the ill effects of chronic stress every day will make a huge difference in your fatigue levels.

Resolution 3: Plan as far ahead as you possibly can. For example, if you know that you are going to be giving a test in two weeks, you have time to create and photocopy it well in advance of the long line of frustrated teachers waiting their time at the copier on the day you want to give it. Knowing what your students are going to be doing for the rest of the year is a positive step that will make it easier for you to use class time wisely.

Resolution 4: Shake it up. No one says that lessons have to be dull to be effective. Use as many different strategies as you can to reach your students. Let them be creative and messy and loud if they are still learning at the same time. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Resolution 5: Explore different ways to increase your own productivity. If, for example, you have a tall stack of papers to grade, instead of plowing through it with a red pen, investigate other ways to use those papers to help your students learn. Ask your colleagues. Use your imagination. Again, don’t be afraid to experiment.

Resolution 6: Use the resources available to you. Create a PLN, open a Twitter account, explore Tumblr, check out the images on Pinterest, invite community members to speak to your students…the list is endless.

Resolution 7: See your students as partners in learning, not little vessels waiting to be filled with your expert knowledge. Involve them in planning, listen to their ideas, and ask important questions. Encourage your students to assume more responsibility for their own learning and then watch the positive results that can happen.

Resolution 8: Make every minute count. Use those tiny blocks of time that can go to waste in any classroom to keep students engaged and learning. Think door to door when it comes to instruction.

Resolution 9: Make a deliberate effort to try a new strategy or technique each week. Some will be fantastic, some will be okay, and some will stink, but you will expand your repertoire of teaching skills and that’s always a good thing.

Resolution 10: Use your students’ strengths. When you expand on what your students already do well, you will find it easier to remediate their weaknesses. Don’t just focus on the strengths of individual students; capitalize on the strengths of the entire class, too.

Resolution 11: Keep moving forward. At this time of year, it’s easy to get mired in the muck of undone tasks and a seemingly endless curriculum. Take a deep breath. Plan ahead. Look ahead. Bit by bit you can build your students’ skills and knowledge.

Resolution 12: Solve problems. If you wanted to, you could spend your entire planning period complaining about your students and trying to fix blame for what goes wrong in your class. Instead of wasting that time, look at the setbacks in your school day as problems that you need to solve. With this attitude, you can move forward.

Resolution 13: Be the role model your students want you to be. For some of your students, you are the only one who will take the time to show them how to be successful, how to read, how to write, how to speak well, how to behave. Whether you want to be or not, you are a role model and far, far more important than you can imagine. Rise to that challenge.