Are you feeling the joy?
This time of year sometimes patience wears thin, and we feel like students have forgotten expectations even though it is March. For teachers, the creative juices might have dried up a bit. We could all use some of the energy we had in September. You are not alone, this happens across the state, country, world.
So, what to do? Think about how you could press the reset button to refresh and re-energize yourself and your class. Here are some ideas:
- Do relationship-building activities every day for a few weeks. Fifteen minutes of fun could go a long way.
- Remind students of expectations in an empowering way. Have them reteach each other with quick presentations on the expectations that need revisiting. Don’t forget to have them explain the ‘why’ behind the rule.
- Look at your lesson plans for the day and make sure there are things you are looking forward to in there. Students can read us like a book–if we are stressed and not having fun, they will mirror us.
- Focus on how far students have come rather than the problems that pop up. Share the joys with you colleagues. They could use the lift!
- When problems do pop up, talk over solutions with your principal or a teammate. You are not alone!
There is so much to celebrate every day. We have to dig through the other stuff to find it sometimes, but it is always there, just waiting for us to rediscover it.
How will you ‘reset’ and find the joy again?
Serendipity in Education 
This is so important especially at this time of the year. We often don’t realize how far our students have come and may not focus on the gains they have made. Whatever our attitude is they will mirror it! Let’s make it a good one:) thanks for sharing friend!
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Thanks Allyson for these tips. This reminds me of 3Rs that I shared with my staff. I encourage them to Rest, Reflect, and Remember. Thanks for giving us some strategies to keep the energy high.
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