Love it or Leave it

Teaching takes endurance and a positive attitude. Teaching is not about excuses. We can get frustrated with various mandates set forth by folks that are not in the profession, and yes, that can be frustrating. That being said, as a teacher we must focus on the students…always. Some of the mandates have been put in place to insure that our students are receiving the best education possible. Now, I am not an advocate for testing students constantly, but I am an advocate for knowing where your students are and having a plan as to how to move them educationally. Standardized testing is a tool for us to make a plan. The testing debate can be had another day, but that is just a brief touch on the topic.
The point of this writing, is to say that regardless of the mandates (every profession has them by the way), teachers must come to work with a positive attitude. An attitude that says “my job is to teach to every student’s ability level”. Debating the mandates and fighting the changes in education do nothing to support student achievement. As I like to say “no one forced you to become a teacher, you selected this career willingly. No one lied about the pay or the work that would be required, and no one said the career would be easy. If someone said otherwise, you need to go back and have a visit with them”.
Knowing that you chose this profession, also gives you the ability to choose to leave it when your heart is not with it anymore. It is important that you recognize when it is time to make a career change not only for yourself, but for your students. Our students deserve to come to school and be met with a teacher that is preparing them for a global world, and pushing them to achieve as much as possible. They need teachers that will fight for them, not lower the expectation for them because it is easier. This does not help them be prepared for the global world.
Now, let me please say that teachers can not do it all alone. They must receive professional development, they must have supportive administrators, they must have the tools available to get the job done (this is not to say they will not have to work on providing those tools), and parents must take responsiblity to take part in their child’s education. Parents are a child’s first teacher, and they must take part in the education process of their child. This does not mean volunteering at the school per se, but it does mean reading to/with your child, checking their folder/agenda, asking them about their day,and communication with their child’s teacher(s). Education is a team effort.
Education requires heart, positive attitudes, and a willingness to change and adapt so that our students are prepared for an always changing world. Teachers must be risk-takers, willing to think outside of the box, and administrators must be willing to support the risk-takers, and be risk-takers themselves. Our future depends on the education our students receive, so take a moment, look in the mirror and decide to return to work in 2015 with renewed spirit and energy to get the job done.

Get Connected

Educators must “get connected”. It is imperative that we connect with one another within our building and outside of our building. As an educator you need to have connections with others in the profession. The reason? Well, besides just helping you maintain your sanity, they will reassure you that you are on the “right track”, and they can also serve as guides to show you back to the “right track” should you happen to deviate.
The support of key educators within my school have provided me with guidance and feedback about upcoming decisions I need to make, and decisions I have made. I value the relationships I have developed within my very own school; however, it is not just relationships and connections within our school that matter. We must get connected with other educators outside of our building, outside of our district, community…we must get connected with other educators in other states, even other countries. The best way to do this? Social Media. Now, I caution my teachers about social media because when not used wisely it can get an educator into trouble, but when used wisely your network of educators will be vast.
Twitter is just one of those ways that you can easily connect with educators throughout your local community and world. I have found amazing articles, graphics, quotes, chat opportunities, all of which I can share with my own faculty and staff. I have received amazing ideas from Twitter, many of which I have shared, and some of which have been implemented at my school.
I encourage all educators to “get connected”…don’t be afraid! Just five months ago I set up my Twitter account. I thought is was just a place for famous people to make statements and share about their life. I had no idea the wealth of information that would await me once I took the plunge and “got connected” Twitter style. Now, I love it…I am a proud educator and “tweep”! Are you ready to “get connected”? Come on, you can do it…there is a whole world out there just a Twitter account away. I am @PrincipalWatts…send me a tweet!