Lessons Being Learned....

The past three weeks that I've been in the 6th grade, I've been learning a lot of lessons, some good and some bad. The last two nights I've read a few tips for helping me become a better teacher. Read on....

Taken from 2 Sisters' Daily Cafe Tip of the Week : "I Am Still Really Smart!"

Don't you savor those moments when you see a former student... How delighted I was to hear those words from Maleesha - "I am 6, and I am still really smart!" You are the one who has the power to tell your own Maleesha the truth -- she (or he) is really smart, and will only get smarter if shejust believes it. I look down the lists of standards, skills, and minutia we're expected to teach every day. It takes a Maleesha to pull me away from the papers I'm delivering to the office and back to the most important work you and I do -- we help students believe in themselves, and show them in tangible ways every day how much they are learning, and how smart they are. Who is your Maleesha this year? Have you told her how smart she is today? Have you helped him take pride this week in a new skill mastered?

From Chicken Soup for The Soul "A Wrinkled Piece of Paper"

As teachers, we strive year after year to help our students feel successful. We do the best we can to find ways to make them achieve their goals and grow as individuals...David knew that someone thought he could learn and that someone had listened to him.

Wowie, here I go into my 4th week of teaching at Ridgeview. The kids have really been challenging me with their behavior so tomorrow I will go in with these thoughts and be prepared to listen to my students and tell them how smart they are!