- Creating a welcoming, inviting, and comfortable learning/teaching space
- Staying on top of cognitive and content research and information
- Developing a positive relationship with every student
- Continually developing pedagogy so that learning is up-to-date, responsive, engaging, and meaningful
- Staying up-to-date and informed with regard to optimal teaching tools and resources
- Working with good collaboration and camaraderie with students, families, and colleagues
Good teachers also have to carve out time to take care of themselves because similar to parenting, you can't give if you're not personally strong, healthy, and rested.
This kind of self help is a challenge in any service profession or activity since service-to-others jobs and professions are limitless. There's always more you can do to teach well and serve students and families better.
How can educators carve out this needed time and effort:
- Follow a positive daily/weekly routine
- Simplify in places where you can
- Work smarter, not more
- Work together with colleagues to replace time-taking activities that are less potent, with more streamlined, targeted, and possibly differentiated effort.
This morning I'll take a bit of my own advice as I relook at the teaching/learning schedule and effort to better streamline and target efforts so that I'm doing the best possible job and taking care of self too. Onward.