School and Community Fall 2022

Teacher to Teacher Advice

“When I became a teacher for the first time, my mentor (my mom) taught me that classroom management is the key to success. You want to make sure to make sure that you lay a good foundation for your students so they can understand what your expectations are for them. Taking care of yourself is highly important. Make sure you’re getting plenty of rest. Enjoy time off whenever you’re SUPPOSED to be off. During my first year, I thought I had to be at school all the time working late. But that’s not the case. Carve out time for yourself. Build relationships! It’s awesome to have a co-teacher in the building that helps you over time who you can lean on, ask questions, and to ask for advice. Don’t try to do it all. Many teachers think that they should do everything right at once, but that’s not realistic. Whenever you plan a lesson that you think is going to go fabulously, and it doesn’t... just know that it happens to all of us. There’s been many lessons that were wonderful in my mind and on paper but, in fact, it was a complete disaster. Hang in there, make sure you get lots of rest and enjoy the school year. You’ve got this!” — Malinda Howard, Maries County R-1

“A student’s behavior is not personal. It may feel personal, it may appear personal, but it’s not personal. Your relationship with students is the key to success with managing behavior in the classroom. On top of that, you need to understand that students will act out where they feel the safest. So, if you’re seeing a lot of those behaviors in your room, congratulations. The student feels safe in your room. The second part of this is to build a relationship. Students who have a relationship with you will work harder to please you.” — Scott Shepard, Northwest R-1 “Set boundaries. Set your alarm on your phone and make sure you leave school at a reasonable time. Make sure you arrive at a reasonable time too. I used to feel so overwhelmed and like I wasn’t doing enough, and I would come in at 6 or 7 a.m. and stay until 8 or 9 p.m. laminating, cutting things, etc. If you NEED to do things like that, take it home and do it in front of Netflix. Set those boundaries and make sure you’re staying healthy for yourself so you don’t get burnt out like I was my first year.” — Hallie Henry, Farmington R-7

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