Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

Teaching with Heart and Creativity

Keeping the Joy in Teaching

This is my seventeenth year of teaching primary age children.  I have seen education fads come and go.  Some have impacted my teaching greatly and some have not.  It’s easy to get caught up in the flashy fads but as days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, what sticks in the rigorous classroom is what truly works for both teacher and student.

Due to the demands of teaching, teachers have learned to “show off” what others want to see.  The true art of teaching happens when no one is watching.

Walk into a classroom unexpectedly on day 148.  What you will see is the true teach.   New teachers crave to understand it and experienced teachers refine and reflect on it daily.

We begin with the optimistic joy of teaching.  It is the twinkle you see in a brand new teacher’s eye when she learns she has the first class of her career.  It’s the experienced teacher’s bag bursting with a new week’s lessons.   We take our joy and love for teaching combined with the true teacher that we are when no one is looking and the result is our classroom life.  

There is also an art to teaching.  What do the most effective classrooms do?  We can change how we teach based on what we learn along the way.

These qualities sum up what I have found in my teaching experience to be effective classroom happenings:

  •  There is a risk free relationship from teacher to student and peer to peer
  • The teacher maintains a simple predictable structure/routine to the day.  
  • The student’s work changes to meet the needs of the student from simple to complex in every subject.
  • Students can sustain the work they are given because the teacher has given them an instructional level of work.
  • The teacher makes the best use of  time with individuals, small groups, and whole class teaching time.
  • The student knows what they are learning,  why they are learning it,  and how they can learn it
  • The students take part in goal setting and reflection
  • The teacher uses his/her strengths but also attempts to engage areas of weakness for growth
  • The students work from his/her strengths but also attempt to develop areas of weakness for growth.
  • Lessons do not always succeed
  • Trials and challenges are fuel for learning and not to be avoided but rather put into the spotlight for growth potential
  • No year looks exactly the same because the teacher creates the classroom climate and culture based on the students present this year.
  •  You can change how you are teaching if it isn’t working and your students will move right along with your change. 
  • Students use each other as a resource as well as the teacher
  • There is undeniable joy for learning

Many times teachers give up the joy of teaching due to all the demands that are
pushed down upon us.  We walk into our classrooms and can’t see our students through the same eyes any more.  We stress out when they need our help.  We fuss when they need a loving explanation. 
The classroom joy turns to stress and resentment.  We rock out an amazing learning week then realize our planning for the next week will consume our weekend.  This is a reality
for every teacher I have ever worked with or come into contact with
through my career.

I am humbled when I receive letters
from teachers.  These letters ask how to stay motivated.  They ask how to stay positive.  This is a real issue.  New teachers, teachers raising families, veteran teachers: We all struggle with the time and demands.   Sometimes I feel like I can answer the letters and other times I am clouded with stress and work and can not read them without tearing up.

The
demands on teachers can steal the art of teaching.  Our work day is for students.

Every minute of our day is spent
teaching/interacting/facilitating/disciplining/loving those amazing
students.  That’s our joy!  But what comes at the end of those days requires another full work day without students.  We don’t have that time.   It becomes our evenings and our weekends.  This reality leads to teacher burn out.

In order to keep the joy alive here’s what I have found that helps keep me motivated.

  •  Close your door, look at your students, breathe deeply, and teach from your heart like no one is watching. 
  • Slow down and listen – Focus on the little hearts and minds in front of you.  Does anything else really matter right this second?
  • Pray for your students, school, and administration every day
  • Be honest without being negative
  • Focus on small things to make big changes over time.
  • Let go of what is out of your hands.  
  • Be the point of positive impact for that student or that team teacher
  • Find something that brings you joy with your students and be sure it happens often.  
  • Find one area you feel lacking in {we all have those areas} and google it. Research and read all you can until you feel like you have a plan to change one part of what you are doing to make it better.  You may even find that what you are doing is actually right on track! 
  • Prioritize and let the rest go
  • Be yourself  because you are amazing…you are a TEACHER!

Have a fantastic week!  We are in this together! 

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    Comments

    1. WOW! It is like you were reading my mind. I needed to be reminded and refreshed and your post did just that. I was grumbling about all the pressure, stress and requirements of day to day teaching, family life, college courses etc. and not remember how lucky I am to work with an amazing group of first graders who need and rely on me daily! I totally agree with the statements you shared…especially about closing the door and teaching like no one is watching. If we just do what is best for the students in our classrooms all the rest will fall into place. Great post!!!!

      Reply

    2. Thank you! I am in my 7th year, my 4th at my current school – as my spring break begins this week – I really needed to read this. You hit it on the head for me. I was debating writing a post quite similar to this just today – I think I will now. And I have to agree, I always say, "when all else fails, close your door and teach. Teach your heart out."
      Thanks again!
      – Sydney
      Lessons Learned

      Reply

    3. Thank you for this beautiful post! I've been teaching for nine years and definitely have my days or weeks when it's hard to stay positive despite the constant demands. I always remind myself that my students are just 6 & 7 years old and they're doing the best they can to meet high standards.

      Reply

    4. Love this post! I have been feeling completely burned out from things that really are not in my control and it was good to read your tips for keeping my joy. Thanks for helping me change my attitude towards my week.

      Reply

    7. I'm going to keep re-reading this to stay motivated! I have more burn-out moments than not. Knowing that it doesn't help to give into negative thoughts and wanting to keep positive ones doesn't always happen for me. I find that I often feel so inadequate when I visit teacher blogs and know that I'm not perfect. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂

      Reply

    11. Thank you, Reagan, for your inspirational words. It is also a gentle reminder about the WHY and the WHO. Thank you! It was an uplifting read for my upcoming week! I know I'll print it and share it with many teachers. I may just need to post it in our teacher's lounge!

      Reply

    12. Thank you so much! I really needed this! We were on Spring Break last week, and I have been feeling kind of down about going back. This really inspired me and gave me the peace I needed to feel at this moment.

      Reply

    14. Reagan, you are an amazing, articulate writer who truly knows children and teaching. Thanks for motivating me on a daily basis and saying what I know those of us who are meant to teach, really feel.
      Have a wonderful week.

      Reply

    15. Thank you! Can't wait to look at my students with a fresh set of eyes tomorrow! I am a 1st year teacher and just turned 51 years old!!

      Reply

    16. Thanks for the heart felt post. I've been teaching 25 years and love, love, love the kiddos. It's the paperwork and unrealistic demands that weigh me down. Your message was a good one..focus on what's important & teach.

      Reply

    17. FANTASTIC! I always tell my students "do the right thing even when know one is looking." Loved reading the same message here for teachers! Thanks you – a wonderful early Monday morning read to get ready for the week! Thanks!
      Jen

      Reply

    19. Thank you so much. I feel like your points helped validate me. This is my 21st year teaching & I do believe I still have the joy of teaching. I also think I make a choice everyday to start fresh & stay positive. I've seen teachers become so negative & I don't ever want to go down that road! You are very insightful. Thanks! Carol

      Reply

    23. Thank you so much for your wonderful words of wisdom! Well spoken and just what I (and my fellow teachers) needed to hear! I am off to a wonderful Monday with my students~ So glad I opened up my email from you this morning!

      Reply

    24. So true! I especially love the list of things to remember in keeping the Joy in Teaching. May have to print that out and post it somewhere for myself. 🙂 This is the time of year that I think everyone gets extra-stressed-so much to still get into the students' minds and so little time left. Thank you for your positive thoughts.

      NotJustChild'sPlay

      Reply

    26. Love this post! I've had a similar idea for a post in my head for a while. Thanks for posting this. Thanks for reminding us that it is about our students and nothing else.

      Reply

    27. Thank you for this! It is interesting that you posted this as my wonderful teammates and I were just talking about a lot of this. I couldn't wait to share this post with them. I found some very encouraging words and it helped to redirect my positivity for teaching. Just like some wonderful coworkers keep reminding is that we are here for the kids and we need to stay focused on them. Thanks again!

      Jamie
      3 Teacher Chicks

      Reply

    32. Thanks for this awesome, reflective post. And I also wanted to say how much I appreciate reading about what's going on in your classroom. I've stopped reading many blogs because they no longer talk about the day to day classroom happenings, they only try to sell their products. Thanks for putting your ideas out there and inspiring others 🙂

      Reply

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