Teacher Appreciation Week 2011

[#1]

As I began my teaching career 15 years ago, I was given the usual (extremely valuable) advice: Start off the year with structure and a strong behavior plan and stick to it; get organized, will make your life a lot easier, and make notes for the next year as to what works, and what doesn't. However, the advice I found most helpful I received from a college professor that had spent a great deal of time in the classroom: Be flexible. 

She taught me that in this profession, you have to be prepared to change your "plans" at any moment, for any reason. Wow - was she right!! I kept this advice in mind when I had a student throw up during one of my lessons. Be flexible. I had to quickly turn the attention of my third graders elsewhere while I took care of the situation. There was the day we had a small electrical fire in the building AND a tornado warning at the very same time. Be flexible. Sometimes you just have to stop what you are doing. Period. (The crazy thing is that we were studying natural disasters at the time!) Or, there was the teacher that I was to switch classes with to teach math - who decided to do a science lesson instead, leaving me to teach an impromptu math lesson with a group of students I usually didn't teach. Be flexible. I could go on and on about the assemblies, shortened days, illnesses that seem to cause half the class to be absent on the same day.... but I think you get the point.

Be flexible. These things will happen. You will get through it. It is part of this wonderful profession and part of what keeps is exciting!