ALIVE AND KICKING

I know, I know,it`s been a while.
4 months to be exact.
What happened ?
The end of the year.
Very busy is an understatement.
Then the year ended, the summer holiday began and my back went out.....again.
So it was a quiet,stress free summer filled with lots of naps and downtime.
All that without ANY caffeine.
Yep , this teacher had to go without coffee after 12:00 pm, doctor`s orders.
Fortunately my students didn`t have to go through my withdrawal.
My family on the other hand.....
Why do teachers drink coffee ?
Because they NEED it !

After lots of R&R, back to school came strolling by.
With promises of taking better care of myself during the year,not fuss over little things and not being too much of a perfectionist, I came back.
Let`s see in June how I did with these new objectives.

I realized that this is my 17th back to school !
I decided I shouldn`t stress with the work ahead but rather trust my experience acquired so far.
Easier said than done people.
That little hamster in the wheel can`t stop working overdrive sometimes.
And that little hamster likes the work done perfectly and likes it done yesterday.
Do I put the hamster to sleep ?
No , but I can give it warm milk so it can settle down.
Notice I said warm milk, not coffee.

So what have I learned in 17 years of teaching ?
What advice would I give to a new hamster-I mean teacher ?
Well , it`s not polite to give advice whan not asked, but I `ll give it anyway.

ANNIE`S TOP 10 : STUFF I`VE LEARNED

10- Be in tiptop shape, mentally and physically.
Teaching is an art mostly but there are days when it`s an extreme sport.

9-Learn new stuff. You can`t stop learning when your job is to incite your students to learn.

8-Be curious about everything, read newspapers ( good ones ), go to museums, see plays then bring back all that new knowledge and share it with your students.
And for the love of God, be passionate about it !

7- Smell good

6- Be available,be attentive. Listen.
If you have a gut feeling something`s wrong with your student,he / she needs help, a pat on the shoulder, an ear, take the initiative. Go see him /her.

5-Make sure you have a sense of humor. You need one to enjoy your periods, your day, your year.You`d be surprised how students love it when your teacher is sarcastic and ironic. Never be mean though and make sure YOU are the butt of the joke , never them.

4- Smile,smile, smile.
Greet them at the door with a smile. It costs nothing, you see how each one feels that class (angsty, stressed out, happy, tired, under the weather, sick, about to cry, mad etc ) . All that before the bell rings.
They`ll never admit it, but they love that.

3- Tell them they are the best. Because they are ! They are YOUR students and that`s exactly how you should perceive and treat them.
I mother them to death, and they let me.Never had a complaint.

2- Be yourself. Students know when you are faking it.
Àction speaks louder than words.
If respect is part of your value system,then you have to be respectful. Nobody likes a phony, especially teens ! They`ll see right through you and eat you up.

1- Love them. ALL of them. The pain in the neck students ?
Love them more.You`ll both win.
Sometimes it`s hard,but keep in mind they are teens, kids, don`t quit on them. They just need a special place in your heart.

As you can see, I haven`t even mentioned lesson plans, homework , report cards simply because if you don`t teach with your heart, you`ll never teach. You`ll just pass on information and knowledge. Any idiot can do that.
Teaching is connecting with students, sharing a passion for knowledge, teaching is an act of generosity,the art of communicating.
Your subject ( English in my case ) is like a viral disease and your job is to make sure everyone catches it.
I just love it when my students leave my classroom with major symptoms !

I`m not a perfect teacher, far from it, but these are lessons I`ve learned along the way.
It`s the best profession in the world, and to be honest, it`s complex and very difficult attimes.However, I truly believe my students teach ME just as much as I teach them . I know that now. I just had to be attentive to their teachings.

So to all my students,
I promise we`ll have a great year together, you `ve won my heart already.
Keep teaching me and don`t go easy on the homework !

No rest for the wicked,
Annie