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What’s the Best Teaching Advice in Five Words or Less?

As it’s lunar New Year break, we should look at something positive. There are several truthful five-word idioms. Enjoy reading it no matter you are a teacher, a parents, or just the general audience who read this post out of your interests.

1. Kids learn when they’re loved. —Andie M.

That pretty much sums it up.

2. Don’t try to control everything. —Martha P.

Focus on what you can control; both you and your students will be happier for it.

3. Work-life balance is essential. —Shane H.

It’s way easier said than done, but take time for dinner out. Get together with friends. Take a walk in the park. Go on a date with your spouse. Something. Anything! Remember not to lose sight of all the other important components of your life outside of teaching.—Andy R.

4. Don’t sweat the small stuff. —Melanie B.

And you know what they say…it’s all small stuff. Operating from a “kids first” perspective will help keep things in perspective.

5. Every day is a new beginning. —Mary J.

You’re going to have some good days and some bad days. Don’t carry things over from one day to another. And treat each day as an opportunity to do better.—V. Chan

6. Take care of yourself first.—Michelle M.

Take the time to eat right, sleep well and get exercise. Don’t let your job ruin your health or take away from your personal life. You can be an amazing teacher without losing yourself in the process!

***7. Stay home when you’re sick. —Andrea C.

We know, planning for a sub is almost more work than going in and doing it yourself. But if you don’t take the time your body needs to heal, you’ll be no good to yourself or anyone else.

8. Don’t forget to have fun. —Ashley F.

Sometimes we take ourselves so seriously! The days go by quickly; take time to enjoy your time with your students. And remember, your sense of humor may be the thing that saves your sanity.

9. Remember, they’re just kids. —Kathy B.

You can have high expectations, but you also have to love them, play with them, give them time and encouragement and understand their unique needs.

10. Learn to count to five. —Debbie T.

Sometimes it’s really hard to have the patience it takes to be a good teacher. Taking a pause and a deep breath always helps.

11. Every student is someone’s child. —Jenni S.

It sounds obvious, but as a parent, it puts things in perspective. How would you want your own child treated?

***12. Always remember Maslow before Bloom. —Lynn J.

Basic needs must be met before children can learn. We have to teach/help/love the whole child.—Alicia B.

When I read this, I had a aha moment : )

13. Be firm, clear and kind. —Angela E.

Kids respond best when they know what is expected of them and that they will be treated fairly.

***14. Don’t grade everything they do. —Michelle T.

Trying to do so is a surefire way to burn out in a hurry. Give kids lots of practice, then assess and grade.—Mark D.

15. Sincerity over perfection is key. —Becky L.

Students respect teachers who are also authentic learners.

16. Don’t compare yourself to others. —Patricia M.

Sometimes we’re so hard on ourselves. Do your best, trust your instincts and follow your own path.

17. Leave the judgment at home. —Alison D.

People are judged enough, especially kids, on a daily basis. Be non-judgmental With your students as much as you possibly can!

18. Have a procedure for everything. —Kirsten C.

Be prepared for whatever the day will bring.

19. I do, we do, you do. —Wendy M.

This model of gradual release of responsibility is key for teaching kids how to learn and gain independence. Once I learned this, everything else fell in place.

20. Meet students where they are. —Rose S.

Each individual child learns differently, and it’s important to treat each student as an individual.

21. Do not take anything personally. —Mary K.

Remember when dealing with a difficult student: kids’ choices are rarely made with the intention of hurting/upsetting/angering you personally.

22. Treat students fairly, not equally. —Nora S.

It’s inevitable that some kids will have greater needs than others. And that can change daily. Treat each child as an individual, and it will all balance out.

***23. Students remember kindness, not curriculum. —Maria O.

It’s the small gestures like frequent wellness checks- a simple “How are you today?”- that really make a difference.

24. Look children in the eye. —Cindy P.

You miss so much if you’re not really looking.

25. Make use of teachable moments. —Jan P.

Sometimes in the rush to “get through the material,” you miss the most delightful tangents. Be flexible.

Refderence: https://www.weareteachers.com/teaching-advice-in-five-words/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0fjuTgOLnEbmYZQNz7B6sdT8U1K-xRPqupCCGOteB7oF8_FKjrw_uiw4k#Echobox=1642878685

Happy Chinese New Year!

It’s lunar New Year, the year if tiger, today. When I proofread the application documents from Desiree, I thought of the process of what leads one to become a teacher and how I make a career change from a school admin to a classroom teacher. I have to admit that I am grateful that there are many unsung heroes behind the scene. I won’t be who I am without them. Therefore, thank-you all for helping me in this journey. If I am talking about you, please kindly accept my deepest appreciation.

     

CNY greetings

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHVNFRxrCXE]

  • Kong Xi Fa Cai 恭喜發財: Good luck getting more wealth.-> I hope you will be prosperous in the New Year.
  • Kong Xi Fa Cai Nian Nian You You 恭喜發財 年年有餘:Nian Nian- year by year; You You-sybolism for “fish”, to have more than enough, to have a surplus-> I hope you will have ample surplus in the coming year. I hope your year will end with more than enough.
  • Xin Xiang Xi Cheng 心想事成:Aladdin and magical lamp —may all your wishes come true
  • Wang Xi Ru Yi 萬事如意:Wang Xi-10 thousand things; Ru Yi-as you wish ->May all things as you wish. May everything go as planned.

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The continuity of the ugly story…

I hate my aunt and if I meet her, I will yell at her that “You are a THIEFT.” I knew it is mean, but I really cannot tolerate such a mean action she did to me, STEALING my student loan but not admitting AT ALL. I think that she is MORALLESS, SHAMELESS, and NASTY. It is my very first time using such strong language to describe a person in my whole life. I can’t believe that it is her!

In the condition that my student loan is a mortgage that applying using my grandma’s house under her consent. This afternoon, my dad stopped me form saying my aunt is a thief because it cannot change that fact that she stole my student loan. According to his intuition, my dad seemed to know that my aunt is trying to transfer my grandma’s house to siblings unfairly and doing SOMETHING ILLEGAL. The other part of my dad’s concern was that if my aunt messes up, then my dad is my surety, also the principal debtor, to shoulder the primary liability, repaying my my student loan.

However, I just want my life back to normal. Here are 4 pictures that describe my current situation. Forget everything and focus on my studies.

Top 10 Ways Parents Can Make a Teacher’s Day

Let’s be honest – pandemic teaching has us fried these days. We’re burned out, exhausted, and bone-deep tired. The joyful moments in education are still here: light bulbs going off when a student finally gets it, the students’ eagerness when new activities are presented, and our awe for their resilience each day. But the day-to-day grind – it’s hard. Parents, if you’re wondering how to help, here are the top ten things you can do to make a teacher’s day.

10. Voice your appreciation

If you happen to meet us somewhere – morning drop-off, Zoom parent-teacher meeting, Target – this statement means a lot: “I don’t know how you do it, I could never do your job!” This tells us that you really see us and all the balls we are juggling every day. Parents, we love to be seen. A simple, “Thank you for all you do,” goes a long way, too. A quick email with those words would also make a teacher’s day.

9. Be part of the village

Send an extra school supply, lab fee, or snack with the note, “This is for a student who didn’t bring one.” Teachers often pull money out of their own wallets for those children who are without. It’s so nice when someone else helps, too.

8. Support teachers online

It means a lot to see parents share memes, videos, and other media about supporting teachers. You can make a teacher’s day by standing up for teachers when social media comments are negative. We see and appreciate the support.

7. Interact with our updates

When we post pictures and videos on a school webpage or social media, we appreciate reading your positive comments. It helps to know that you’ve noticed the post and enjoyed it. The same is true when we email newsletters or other parent communication. A quick reply of “Thanks for keeping us in the loop!” means a lot.

6. Acknowledge our efforts on that craft project your child gifted you

Teachers spend a lot of time guiding their students to make homemade Christmas/Mother’s Day/Father’s Day/etc. gifts. A quick note after the event to tell us what you liked about it makes the glitter disaster, paint on every surface, classroom crafting chaos totally worth it!

5. Tell us something your child shared

We often wonder what students say about us at home. Do they share their learning, talk about the fun parts of their school day, or are moved by something in particular? An email from you about something your child enjoyed in their day is a great way to make us smile!

4. Add to our comfort food stash

Coffee, tea, and chocolate will make a teacher’s day. Enough said.

3. End on a positive note

Sometimes parents are upset and need to email or talk to teachers about it. This is okay; we get it. But ending these conversations with the words “Thank you for all you do” acknowledges that you understand we are trying our best.

2. Remind your child to give us that card they made over the weekend

Child-made cards with notes like, “Thanks for being the best teacher” (even if spelled incorrectly) always bring a smile to our faces.

1. Share happy memories and life updates

The number one way you can make a teacher’s day? At any time through the years, if you and your child are talking about the good ol’ days, and they mention a special time from when we taught them, email us out of the blue and tell us that they remembered:

“She’s in college now. Thanks to the confidence you instilled in her.”

“He remembers how you were the teacher who could always help him understand the tough stuff.”

“She thinks of fourth grade as ‘the year of great books’.”

Parents, this is why we do this job, even though when we say goodbye to our students we rarely hear from them again. These blast-from-the-past messages keep us coming back each and every day, each and every year – even during a pandemic.

Pandemic teaching is harder than we ever imagined our job could be. However, a little support from parents can really make a teacher’s day so much brighter!

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/make-teachers-day