Teachers, It’s Your Time to Get Ready for School
Let’s Get Ready for School, Part 3  Part 1,  Part 2
By Barrington H. Brennen, August 24, 2022
 

This article is the last in a three-part series titled, “Let’s Get Ready for School.” This time I am sharing tips for teachers. I know that most, if not all the teachers from kindergarten to university levels have already attended teachers’ preparation seminars, workshops, and skills training. They are all geared up for school to begin with renewed energy, and a determination to be the best teacher he or she can be. They will face the old and the new students. They will also face eager-to-learn and not-so-eager-to-learn students. Most days after a long day teaching, they will go home exhausted, yet to face more challenges with their own children or families.
Here are a few tips to help teachers be effective and to have a successful school year:

TIP ONE: Pause and take a deep breath. Do not push yourself into frazzles. Learning how to organize and plan is key to managing or preventing overwork. Every day take time to laugh, and exercise, if only for ten minutes. Also, learning how to do deep breathing to relax is a plus. Take care of yourself.

TIP TWO: Bathe your mind with relaxing music at least once a week. Ideally, if you do this for just five to ten minutes a day, it will be great for your mind and soul. Choose music that has about 6o beats a minute or less. This is needed to help relax the heart and your nerves. If you are always listening to fast, high intense music, that will also impact your overall health. Take a break by listening to more quiet, slow music. For example: inspirational classical music, light jazz, light country music. Believe it or not, this can impact your energy and outlook as a teacher.

TIP THREE: Make sure you laugh a lot. No, do not laugh at the students, laugh with them and at yourself. Yes, you can laugh with the students. That will be awesome. This is really a greatly needed tool in the classroom. Outstanding education Dr. Bod Kizlik states the following: “Research has consistently shown that good teachers have a sense of humor, and they are able to use humor as part of their teaching methods. He states that humor, used properly, can be a powerful addition to any lesson.”

TIP FOUR: Take power naps. Learning how to take short naps during the day is excellent for overall health and managing stress and overwork. Many overworked teachers arrive home after school, to noising their own children, a chaotic dirty house, and unplanned or uncooked food. What to do? Take the time to relax. Learn how to have fifteen minutes naps. These can really rejuvenate the tired teacher.

TIP FIVE: Learn to love and respect all your students, even the not-so-lovable ones. It is important to seek to understand each child in the classroom. Seek to discern why he or such might be grumpy in class, comes late to class, or look untidy. Do not write them off. Love them. Reach out to them.

TIP SIX: Listen to your students. It is imperative that the teacher learns to read between the lines. Listen to frustration, unusual questions, anger, and sadness in the voice. Notice the untidy clothes or untidy hair. Be aware of the change in behavior or mood. Listen to the choice of words or expressions of disappointment, frustration, or anger. Respond to these concerns with compassion and a willingness to help. Even if you do not have the answers, your listening attitude mixed with a spirit of compassion will go a long way. Far too many teachers ignore the pain of their students and punish them when to do wrong or appear to be rebellious. Listen to them.

TIP SEVEN: Dress decently. It is imperative that teachers dress neatly and appropriately. Dress also impacts behavior and attitude. Dress can inspire respect and honor. Avoid tight skirts, pants, blouses, and deep shirt necks that expose too much flesh.

TIP EIGHT: Eat well. Teachers, make sure to start the day with a good breakfast. A well-balanced breakfast is important to provide the energy needed to face a potentially stressful day. Avoid rushing every morning to school with just coffee and donuts. That is a recipe for disaster. You might be energized for a while, but your veins and arteries will tell the tale in the long run. Make sure your breakfast includes protein, complex carbohydrates, and fruits with a boost from good vitamin tablets.

TIP NINE: Make sure you are computer and internet literate. Every good teacher must have a good computer with a fast internet connection. Fifty years ago, a good teacher would be noted for having good books and access to a library. Today, the library is at your fingertips. The tools to reach the library are the internet and the computer. Knowing how to maneuver the mouse, open and close programs, search using a good search engine, print, download, email, and transfer files. Another plus for good teachers is being able to create effective slide shows by using good software (PowerPoint, Presentation, Prezi Present, Vyond, Zoho Show, etc).

TIP TEN: Be creative. A good teacher is one who is creative and thinks out of the box. If the teacher lacks creativity and innovation, learning will with stifled. The students will be forced to stay in a learning box that often does not facilitate growth in most students. The truth is creativity requires energy and too many teachers or lazy and simply regurgitate what they know to the students. If you want good results and want to be a great teacher, be creative.

Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist. Send your questions or comments to question@soencouragement.org  or call 242-327-1980 or visit www.soencouragement.org