“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” ~Japanese Proverb~

You survived!!!! October 22nd marked 30 days since your students stepped foot in your classroom.  Time sure does fly by!  What type of experiences have you created in your classroom?  What rules, routines, procedures etc. have you implemented that are really working and speak to the type of culture that you want for the remainder of the year?  Which rules/routines will you totally abandon?!?! (It’s okay to have those…and the fact that you recognize such is an awesome trait to have… it means you’re a reflective teacher!).  What do you know about your students already? From what you gathered about them, what do you need to put in place to ensure their success in your class? Last question, and maybe the most important, what have you learned about yourself in these past 30 days?

As teachers, we must always take time to reflect and get a good picture of our “current standing.”  Your present state is a great indicator of many things:

1) It gives you a pulse of where you are “RIGHT NOW” – A second or two later, it can be a totally different picture; therefore, embrace the current.  While you are there, celebrate what’s working!  Have an attitude of gratitude for even the smallest feats!  We must be careful not to be our own worst critics.  When we focus on the negative, it is difficult to actually identify areas that show promise and we end up losing momentum and never fully developing in those areas.

2) It gives you a sense of direction – We live in a world of standards! Standards from society, standards at work, standards at school (if you are still working on your masters) standards from parents, standards from students, standards from our family, loved ones, and as if all of that is not enough and as if we need any more on our plates, we have the standards that we put on ourselves.  Standards are good in the sense that they give us an ideal “pie in the sky” desire of where we want to be (some would argue, should be).  As educators, it is our natural inclination to be in pursuit of excellence.  We want to know more, we want to be right, dare I say, we want to be perfect! And for good reason, we are responsible to shape and mold the minds of our future! Therefore, excellence is what we strive for, and in the words of Brian Tracy, it is a continuous journey that NEVER ends!

3) It keeps the focus on YOU! – Comparing ourselves to others can be the worst thing we do.  It produces unnecessary worry, anxiety, and self-sabotage. A wise person once told me, if you compare yourself to someone else, you must be willing to step foot in their shoes and live the life they live.  In other words, there are so many factors to a person’s life that leads them to their current state and unless you can mimic the exact same events, your results will be different.  If you are going to compare yourself to anyone, compare yourself to YOU!  Look at your areas of progress, stagnation, and declination.  Action plan how YOU will make adjustments so that YOU can improve in the areas that YOU desire.

4) It gives us empathy for our students – When you have personally experienced and know how a situation affects you, it gives you empathy and a sensitivity to others who will endure the same.  You become more keen to the aspects of the situation that may cause hurt, danger, etc. and you are able to give praise when they are doing well, warning signs when they are approaching the danger zone, and navigation suggestions to ensure their overall success in the process.

It helps us create an atmosphere conducive for learning – The Japanese proverb at the beginning of this message is really powerful and highlights the importance of the type of atmosphere that we create in our classrooms and the kind of teacher we are for our students. While studying and rehearsing content is an important part of gaining an education, it will only go so far. There must be opportunities to explore meaning, purpose, and personal connection/benefits to their life. What students really need and actually have a craving/hunger for are those moments where they truly connect with their teacher and learn a lesson that no textbook or website could ever provide. These are the priceless lessons of real life, from someone who has had those experiences and made the mistakes and grown as a human being because of them. That’s you, and those experiences are like gold to any student. Make them happen as much as you possibly can.