I Do It For The AHA Moments!

Calling All Educators,

The time has come for us to go back into the fields to educate and lead young minds. The summer has come and gone. Many of you have spent the summer attending professional developments, gathering materials and resources for your classrooms, contacting parents, creating an atmosphere of learning, and many other things in preparation for a smooth school year. For many of us, we even had to learn how to do virtual learning remotely. As educators, we have many questions and uncertainties as we continue to work and teach through a pandemic.  

Many of us went to school to become educators, or some of us are just natural-born educators. Yet we all share the same common goal to change and shape minds for the future. We all know that we are not doing it for the money, but for that AHA Moment! The excitement of seeing a lightbulb going off on our students brings us great joy. We feel great satisfaction. Yes, there are ups and downs in the classroom, but many of us return each year to this profession for those AHA Moments.

The following five tips are useful as you get the school year going:

1. 1. Be Organized. Nothing is worst than seeing a disorganized classroom. By being organized, it will lead to excellent classroom management. It will also minimize distractions and reduce stress for everyone in the classroom.
   2. Get To Know Your Students. Each student wants to feel special. Go beyond knowing their names, but knowing their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, family life, and other interesting facts. No student is the same. Find something unique for each student in your classroom. They will love you for taking the time to know them and their interests.
   3. Protect Student Self-Esteem. Some of our students have low self-esteem coming into the classroom. Some are struggling readers, math deficiency, and overall not great learners. You are the one that the students are looking up to for support and motivation. Don’t criticize your students in front of others but in private. Be aware of any beliefs and how to address them within the classroom setting. Always start and end the day on a positive note. 
   4. Listen to Your Students. Ensure your students that the classroom is not an individual room but a collaborative learning center. You are not always talking but having constant conversations and dialogues with your students. Ensure that each of their thoughts and opinions is important to the learning. Ask for feedback from your students on the lesson to ensure understanding and clarify any confusion they may have had from the study.
   5. Have FUN! Learning doesn’t have to be boring. Connect the knowledge to the real world. Bring the stories to life. Students learn best when they can connect the information to something familiar. Share fun facts throughout the week and have the students be part of creating a fun environment. 

       

      Educators make this year count. Have a great school year, and look for those AHA Moments that will happen throughout the school year.

      #teacherlife