April 17, 2008

Below is our newsletter for the week. Remember, we are not the end-all, be-all! We are just teachers sharing our thoughts and ideas with you. Feel free to modify strategies you receive from us to fit you and your classroom.

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Inspiring Teachers now has its own page. If you love what we do here, please become a fan and join our group! To find us, do a search from your main facebook page (top right corner) for Inspiring Teachers. Our page and group will show up. You can become a fan of our page and share it with others. I'm posting events (places where I'll be) and other information there as well.

Also, please write on our wall and share some of the creative and inspiring things you are doing in your classroom! Let's get a collection of awesome ideas going for other teachers to read and use. I'd love to hear from all of you who are active on Facebook! If you don't have a page, it is so easy to join. Click on the link below and follow the directions.

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Weekly Tip: Take a Deep Breath

As the school year gets closer to the end you may have noticed how much easier it is for misunderstandings to arise and tempers to flair. Those crazy little actions of students that seemed cute or harmless near the beginning of the year are now about to drive you batty. You may even find yourself annoyed with the behaviors of your colleagues. Make no mistake; you are not the only one. Everyone within the school may seem to be going just a little stir crazy. Part of this is a result of too many days together. Part may be a result of familiarity. A large part is the anticipation of summer and days of freedom mere weeks away.  For those of you in upper elementary and middle school there is also the onset and continuation of the pesky hormones in both boys and girls. So how can we survive these last several weeks of school in relatively good health and spirits? The key is to take a deep breath.

·    Take a deep breath and count to ten when you feel a rise of irritation. This will help you reach for a little of that same understanding you had at the beginning of the school year.

·    Take a deep breath and reach for that well of patience deep inside.

·    Take a deep breath, and begin asking questions rather than jumping to assumptions.

·    Take a deep breath and determine whether the child/student has any idea of what he or she has done that is wrong or simply irritating to you. (Many students have no clue.)

·    Take a deep breath and help the student see the situation from your point of view.

·    Take a deep breath and work out a solution that both of you can live by until the end of the school year.

Sometimes taking a deep breath means getting away from the stresses of school for an afternoon. Spend some time doing something you enjoy whether it is gardening, running, reading, playing mindless video games, or seeing a movie. Remove yourself and your thoughts from the students and the school to take some “Me” time. You need it after a long day of guiding children, listening to the bickering, following procedures, and making sure everyone is ready to pass whatever test is looming ahead. Moms are often told that they need to take some time for themselves to be a better mother. The same applies to teachers.

It is very easy to react to a situation without thinking about it, especially when we feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and busy. Certainly it takes less time to say, “You’re in trouble,” and hand out a consequence than it does to talk to the student, determine the issues & causes, and work towards a solution. However, this reactionary type behavior only leads to more frustration and irritation on the part of the student, which then leads to more inappropriate behaviors. This negative cycle can continue for the rest of the year culminating with teachers and students who are more stressed out than they need to be. Is that really how you want to end the year? If not, simply close your eyes and take a deep breath.