Most people have been through the public school system and so have a general idea of what teachers do – they plan lessons, teach content, grade assignments. What makes teaching such a challenging – and rewarding – job, though, is that the basic job description doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the hats a teacher wears on a given day. Teachers teach, of course, but we also act as counselors, social workers, nurses, event planners, and mediators. Lots of our extra duties are tons of fun (staff volleyball tournament, I’m talking to you), but some are serious and sobering, such as when we comfort a crying child or report signs of abuse to the authorities. Most of all, teachers do what we can to make sure every child in our care feels important. This list of 50 extra things teachers do is a look behind the scenes of teacher life.

1. We buy snacks for hungry kids. Every teacher I know has a desk drawer filled with snacks for hungry kids. From apples to granola bars to PB&J fixins’, hungry kids have to eat, and teachers are here with the emergency snacks.
2. We apply for grants for eyeglasses and shoes. We see students who need things like shoes or eyeglasses, and while we spend an awful lot of our own money on our jobs, luckily, community programs exist to help kids get what they need. If a student needs a pair of glasses, we might not be able to foot the bill, but we’ll search high and low until we find grant funds to cover the cost.
3. We act as a travel agent for field trips. A class trip to the pumpkin patch involves a lot more than meets the eye, and a teacher has to do it all, including coordinating with the pumpkin patch, booking buses, collecting money, and finding chaperones.
4. We worry. We’re up late worrying. We wake up early worrying. We’re worrying on our commute and during lunch. We worry about the student who isn’t understanding our content and about the kids who won’t have gifts under the Christmas tree.
5. We fix the jammed copier. Okay, anyone with an office job does this one, too, but can you unjam the copier within the span of a four-minute passing period? Teachers can. Some of the extra things teachers do prepare us for random reality game show challenges.
6. We laminate everything. And hole-punch it, staple it, make packets, etc. These routine tasks add up when you have 100+ students.
7. We clean up the classroom every day. Yes, we teach kids to clean up after themselves, but at the end of any given day, a classroom needs tidying. The desks need to be straightened, books picked up, the rogue water bottle recycled.
8. We buy consumable supplies for lessons. Science teachers, this one’s for you. We regularly need supplies for a lesson or science lab or special project, and often those supplies have to be purchased the night before the lesson. Eggs for egg drops, baking soda and vinegar, glitter, paper mache paste, you name it, we have the local craft store aisles memorized.
9. We zip coats and tie shoes. Elementary school teachers are adept at buttoning, zipping, tying, and generally making sure students are all squared away for recess or the ride home.
10. We conference with families outside of school. Inevitably, we run into students and their families while pumping gas, getting groceries, or cheering for the football team. And those quick run-ins result in a check on Jonny’s progress in social studies.
11. We provide a shoulder to cry on. Students of all ages turn to their teachers to vent or weep when something goes wrong.  We’re really good listeners.
12. We troubleshoot technology. Especially in the era of distance learning. Thanks to COVID, we are veritable experts at troubleshooting technology. We know how to help students log into their various platforms, change their passwords on the regular, restart Chromebooks, and navigate any technology blip with aplomb.
13. We unstick lockers. Oh yeah, we’re really good at this.
14. We provide mentorship to students who have graduated. Students often check back in with their teachers after graduating requesting another set of eyes for that first college essay or a reference for a job application.
15. We provide referrals to community agencies. Sometimes, students come to us for help for things beyond our control. Their families need food or shelter or help filing their first tax forms. We know the resources that exist in our communities and we know who to refer students to when these things arise.
16. We sharpen pencils. You wouldn’t think sharpening 100 pencils a day would be so time-consuming, but here we are.
17. We show up to extracurricular events just to support our kids. Students pop by my classroom every day asking if I’m coming to tonight’s softball game or the school play. Teachers can’t go to everything, but we spend a lot of our time cheering for our students in their extracurricular pursuits.
18. We grade off the clock. Some of the extra things teachers do are part of the job but extend into their personal time. The big ones are grading and lesson planning. Both are incredibly time-consuming if they are to be done well. It is impossible to find time in a 45-minute prep period to plan for the day and catch up on grading. So, we bring bookbags stuffed full of papers home to grade every night.
19. We work a second job. Teaching isn’t lucrative, especially compared to the wages earned by other people with advanced degrees. Sometimes, we need to make ends meet, so we moonlight as florists, writers, waiters, and sales clerks.
20. We do data analysis and input. Most schools require teachers to collect and analyze data to track of our effectiveness. We are pretty good at crunching numbers to keep track of academic growth, attendance, standardized test scores, and whole lots more.
21. We do so much paperwork. Detention forms. Referral forms. Behavior plan tracking forms. Positive behavior check-ins. Documenting the good and bad from each day. Completely aside from the mountain of grading, teachers have a gigantic amount of recordkeeping that must be done each day.
22. We learn all the acronyms. Most professions have their own jargon, but the teaching profession would win the gold medal for the number of acronyms we invent. IEPs. SEL. TAG. ELL. RTI. IDEA. NCLB. Okay, you get the idea.
23. We buy all the prizes. We love to celebrate success, but that often comes on our own nickel. Those classroom pizza parties and award ceremonies and gift cards and candy rewards? That’s on us.
24. We soothe broken hearts. Many students experience their first breakup sometime during their school career, and because that breakup often happens at school and involves a fellow student, these heartbroken kids turn to us to comfort them.
25. We attend weddings, funerals, baby showers, graduation parties.Our students keep in touch after they graduate (which we love!). They invite us to their major milestones so we get to see them grow into amazing adults.
26. We break up fights. From elementary school to high school, physical altercations are an unfortunate part of every school year. Teachers are the ones to separate the students and help calm them down.
27. We mediate peer disputes. Students turn to us for all kinds of advice, including help solving disagreements with peers. We listen to each side and try to offer our best advice.
28. We help students process current events. One of the worst days of my teaching career was the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. We talked and cried together for the rest of the day. During election season, students want to know about the electoral college, and after the Super Bowl, students want to talk about the commercials. After every major event in the news cycle, we debrief with our students.
29. We pray for snow, too. So we wear those PJs backward and sleep with spoons under our pillows just like our students, because who doesn’t love a good snow day?
30. We stay current on trends and slang. To stay relevant, we need to understand everything from TikTok to Snapchat, from fashion trends to the slang of the day. At least teaching keeps us young!
31. We make samples of assignments. Students need to see models of the work we assign, whether that’s a college admissions essay, a free throw, or a clay bowl. So, in addition to planning the lesson, we often do our own assignments so students can see the process modeled for them.
32. We chaperone dances. On any given Friday night after a home football game, you can find four or five dedicated teachers staying up until midnight to let the kids burn off some steam.
33. We walk 10,000 steps a day – easily. We’re on our feet all day, walking around the classroom giving individualized help, pushing kids on swings at recess, walking kids to the school library, or waving to kids on buses.
34. We decorate our classrooms with our own money. Those Pinterest-worthy classrooms don’t happen magically – they take a lot of elbow grease and money.
35. We have the hygiene talk. Several times a year, we pull a student aside and help them troubleshoot hygiene issues. Sometimes, students don’t have access to a shower or money for deodorant, and we can help with that.
36. We answer all the questions. And it’s not just content questions all day long, but every other question under the sun.
37. We cover duties. Bus duty, lunch duty, recess duty, all of these are necessary to make a school run smoothly, but they do pull us away from our classrooms.
38. We put on a performance. Whether we are dressing up in disco attire for “Blast from the Past” day or doing a dramatic reading (with voices!) of The Scarlett Letter, teaching is truly performance art, and each day we bring our A-game.
39. We plan formal dances. Students and parents help with this, of course, but planning a formal dance is like planning a mini-wedding. You need DJs, decorations, flowers, a venue, a theme, crowns and sashes for royalty, and teachers help with every single decision.
40. We participate in pep assemblies. Of course, we love this, but every teacher I know has participated in staff dodgeball, a “Thriller” flash mob, or a hula-hooping contest. Yup, sometimes the extra things teachers do involves actually being “extra.” All in a day’s work!
41. We are lifelong learners. Whether we are attending professional development on a weekend, taking a college class over the summer, or pursuing a side gig related to their subject area, we never stop learning.
42. We are constantly learning new technology. This year, we’re talking Zoom, Canvas, Blackboard, and Google Classroom in addition to the annual overhauls of our grading programs. We are fortunate to get new equipment like document cameras or SmartBoards, but they all come with a learning curve.
43. We read. Reading fuels the brain, and we want to model this for our students, so we always have a good book handy.
44. We work through lunch. If we advise clubs or our students need extra help, we often squeeze those things in during our half-hour lunches.
45. We hand out lots of bandaids. Students get scrapes and papercuts, and teachers come to the rescue with our handy first aid kits. This is one of many extra things teachers do that come out of our own pockets.
46. We keep kids calm during drills. Students participate in fire drills, earthquake drills, and scariest of all, active shooter drills. We help students stay calm and process these sometimes scary events.
47. We develop a rapport with each and every student. Teaching is most effective when a student trusts us, so we work hard to get to know each of our students as individuals.
48. We are career counselors. High school teachers especially help students apply to colleges, fill out their FAFSAs, craft resumes, and find their first jobs.
49. We tutor students after school. Sometimes, students need extra help, and we are always there for them.
50. We love students unconditionally. Most of all, we are your child’s biggest fans and we take our role as cheerleaders seriously.

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/little-things-teachers-do?fbclid=IwAR2BbESMvnZboYr1B7GA61mxTNokRET0TzT8uxkOZ2hPDtMPvMq8rvfZzM0

Here are 81 of Michael Jordan’s most inspirational quotes:

1. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

2. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan

3. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan

4. “My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.” – Michael Jordan

5. “You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan

6. “To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.” – Michael Jordan

7. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan

8. “If you quit once it becomes a habit. Never quit!” – Michael Jordan

9. “Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan

10. “Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.” – Michael Jordan

11. “I never thought a role model should be negative” – Michael Jordan

12. “To learn to succeed, you must first learn to fail.” – Michael Jordan

13. “Just play, have fun, and with the game” – Michael Jordan

14. “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” – Michael Jordan

15. “Don’t let them drag you down by rumors just go with what you believe in.” – Michael Jordan

16. “Make it happen” – Michael Jordan

17. “If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.” – Michael Jordan

18. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

19. “Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.” – Michael Jordan

20. “The minute you get away from fundamentals – whether it’s proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation – the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.” – Michael Jordan

21. “Success isn’t something you chase. It is something you have to put forth the effort for constantly; then maybe it’ll come when you least expect it.” – Michael Jordan

22. “The key to success is failure.” – Michael Jordan

23. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan

24. “Learning’s a gift, even when pain is your teacher.” – Michael Jordan

25. “Failure is acceptable. but not trying is a whole different ball park.” – Michael Jordan

26. “There is no “I” in team but there is in win.” – Michael Jordan

27. “I play to win, whether during practice or a real game.” – Michael Jordan

28. “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”- Michael Jordan

29. “Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.” – Michael Jordan

30. “The best come from the worst.” – Michael Jordan

31. “I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… When you think about the consequences you will always think of the negative result.” – Michael Jordan

32. “I’ve never lost a game I just ran out of time.” – Michael Jordan

33. “I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.” – Michael Jordan

34. “My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.” – Michael Jordan

35. “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.” – Michael Jordan

36. “The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.” – Michael Jordan

37. “I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me. Failure always made me try harder the next time.” – Michael Jordan

38. “It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can. People may not agree with that. I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.” – Michael Jordan

39. “If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say I was afraid to try.” – Michael Jordan

40. “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.” – Michael Jordan

41. “I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it.” – Michael Jordan

42. “Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That’s truly about the game, and in some ways that’s about life too.” – Michael Jordan

43.“Heart is what separates the good from the great.” – Michael Jordan

44. “I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.” – Michael Jordan

45. “You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” – Michael Jordan

46. “I own the guy guarding me.” – Michael Jordan

47. “The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can’t let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.” – Michael Jordan

48. “There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, & I don’t believe there is only one greatest player either.” – Michael Jordan

49. “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” – Michael Jordan

50. “You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.” – Michael Jordan

51. “I accept failure, everyone fails at something.  But I can’t accept not trying” – Michael Jordan

52. “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan

53. “I mean we all fly. Once you leave the ground, you fly. Some people fly longer than others.” – Michael Jordan

54. “Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.” – Michael Jordan

55. “Best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.” – Michael Jordan

56. “Winning isn’t always championships.” – Michael Jordan

57. “Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you’re in a fight.” – Michael Jordan

58. “I want to wake up every day and do whatever comes in my mind, and not feel pressure or obligations to do anything else in my life.” – Michael Jordan

59. “Enjoy every minute of life. Never second-guess life.” – Michael Jordan

60. “I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.”  – Michael Jordan

61. “If I had been playing for money I would have complained a long time ago that I was underpaid.” – Michael Jordan

62. “Being Michael Jordan means acting the same as I always have.” – Michael Jordan

63. “My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said you never know what you can accomplish until you try.” – Michael Jordan
64. “I want to be the bridge to the next generation.” – Michael Jordan

65. “When I will lose the sense of motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball player, it’s time for me to move away from the game.” – Michael Jordan

66. “I hope the millions of people I’ve touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and perseverance with a positive attitude.” – Michael Jordan

67. “Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.” – Michael Jordan

68. “In reality, I never want to grow up.” – Michael Jordan

69. “How many times have your parents told you not to do things, and the next thing you know, you go do it? And you realized you shouldn’t have done it.”  – Michael Jordan

70. “My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.” – Michael Jordan

given the chance to meet all kinds of people, to travel and expand my financial capabilities, to get ideas and learn about life, to create a world apart from basketball.” – Michael Jordan

72. “In any investment, you expect to have fun and make money.”  – Michael Jordan

73. “For a competitive junkie like me, golf is a great solution because it smacks you in the face every time you think you’ve accomplished something. That to me has taken over a lot of the energy and competitiveness for basketball.” – Michael Jordan

74. “My challenge when I came back was to face the young talent, to dissect their games, and show them maybe that they needed to learn more about the game than just the money aspect.” – Michael Jordan

75. “Do I need my number retired throughout the course of the league to acknowledge what I’ve done? No.”  – Michael Jordan

76. “I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who love challenges.” – Michael Jordan

77. “I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else’s talent.” – Michael Jordan

78. “Even when I’m old and gray, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.” – Michael Jordan

79. “I know the signs of scaredness.” – Michael Jordan

80. “It’s absolutely wrong that I don’t want guys to challenge me. And the people who say that aren’t in the room.” – Michael Jordan

81. “Live the moment for the moment.” – Michael Jordan

Reference: https://addicted2success.com/quotes/81-inspirational-michael-jordan-quotes/?fbclid=IwAR0LHO5MDZW0Lmq1sbKJw6PXaTvSP6j6sYfp1G-ohK55WnPemdFmfSWVEBs

We’ve all seen moving stories about adults who remember a specific phrase, whether positive or negative, that changed their life’s trajectory. From “You are an artist” to “You aren’t good enough,” teachers have the power to move students deeply, or to cause permanent damage. Harvard researchers have determined that the single most significant common factor in building resilient children is those who succeed had at least one “stable and committed” relationship with a caring adult in their life. To be that one person for our students, we have to choose our words wisely. As society works as a whole towards more inclusive and positive language, it’s more essential than ever for teachers to both teach and model excellent language choices. Our students’ futures depend on it. As we all work towards positive language that builds our students up, let’s examine five areas where we can make some word swaps that matter.

#1 Positive reinforcement: Focusing on the child, not the product

Top child development researchers have long encouraged adults to praise a child’s efforts, perseverance, and grit rather than the result. They’ve also warned not to tell them how smart they are, changing the focus away from “permanent” traits and instead giving them the power to achieve and persevere using what they can. For example, if a child studies and does well on a test, and a trusting adult praises how smart they are, what will they think when they fail a test? That they are dumb. Instead, we can focus on noticing their determination in studying well, or their willingness to make test corrections to learn from their mistakes.

Say this, not that: 3 easy swaps to focus more on the child and less on the final product

• Instead of: “Great job” try “I love how you worked through that tough problem.”
• Instead of “You are smart!” try “I saw how much effort you put into that!”
• Instead of “I love what you made!” try “Wow, I wonder how you did that! Can you explain your process to me?”

#2 Emotional intelligence: Saying the right thing when it matters

Part of building those trusted relationships with students is knowing just what to say that will help, rather than making the problem worse. When a student is in distress, the last thing they need is a teacher choosing words that further increase their self-doubt, shame, or frustration. This even applies to a student who has made a bad choice and is “in trouble,” as sometimes they are simply reaching out for positive attention.

Say this, not that: 3 easy swaps to help a child who is misbehaving, struggling, or in emotional distress

• Instead of “What’s wrong with you?” try “What happened?” giving them the opportunity to explain rather than justify or defend themselves
• Instead of “Why are you so upset?” try “How can I help?”
• Instead of asking “What’s wrong” to a student with their head down, you can quietly ask, “Sick, sad, or sleepy?” to determine instantly which course of action you should take next. This can also be done on a post it note (“circle one” style) to increase the privacy of the conversation if other classmates are around.

#3 Gender-neutral language: Updating your common expressions

Depending on your location, your community may find it more or less acceptable or common to say “Hey guys” or “Ladies and gentlemen” when addressing a group of people. As teachers, we have the responsibility to teach progressive language as much as possible, especially when we may be the only environment in which our students can become more educated on this topic. In 2019, Pew Research reported that 1 in 5 Americans know someone who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, and those people are you, your coworkers, your students, and members of their families. There are clear steps you can take as well to make sure your LGBTQ+ students experience an inclusive atmosphere.

Say this, not that:3 easy swaps to ensure you are demonstrating gender-neutral language in your classroom

• Instead of assuming your student prefers “he” or “she” especially when you are aware that a student identifies as transgender or gender-neutral, ask their preferred pronouns at the beginning of the year, and work to respectfully help others honor their wishes as well.
• Instead of addressing the class as “Hey guys,” take a note from our friends to the south and try out “Hey, Y’all!” If you aren’t feeling that, “Hey, friends!” works well too.

I usually said “hey class!”

• Instead of “ladies and gentlemen” opt for “class” or “students.”

#4 Inclusivity: Adapting your language to all family situations

Long gone are the days where anyone should be asking a student’s mom to sign their planner (remember planners?!) Around 1 in 4 students are living in single-parent homes, more than any other country in the world, and our language should reflect that. There’s nothing worse for a child than having to inform the teacher they don’t have a mom or dad due to an insensitive and non-inclusive comment. Beyond single parenting, some students live with grandparents, other family members, in foster families, or with other guardians.

Say this, not that: 3 easy swaps to account for all family situations

• Instead of “ask your parents,” say “ask your grown-ups.”
• Instead of assuming any child’s family situation, get to know who your students live with. It can go a long way to ask a student “Have you discussed this with your stepdad” (if you know that’s your child’s main guardian) rather than “Have you discussed this with an adult at home.”
• Instead of referring to anyone’s mom or dad, use “guardian.”

#5 Classroom management: Using positive, not punitive language

No child, or adult really, gets motivated by responding to threats. Instead, focus on clear expectations rather than “what’s going to happen if they don’t…”. This applies to procedural signage around the room, as well as to how you talk to children.

Say this, not that: 3 easy swaps to increase motivation and results in your classroom environment

• Instead of “If you don’t XYZ, you will lose recess,” try “How can we tackle this mess so we can go outside more quickly?!”
• Instead of “Quit talking while I’m talking!” try “I expect that you can wait your turn to talk until others have finished.”
• Instead of “Don’t stand on the furniture,” try “Please stay seated.”

These simple positive language swaps make huge differences.

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/positive-language?fbclid=IwAR36JtL8t8vS4FwnYK-V8vttTJJwKZJcXseyjCMmkSyR1E2_TSPCY0g9U-8

Whatever this school year brings, teachers can consistently use these strategies to promote critical life skills.

Good connections between classrooms and families can sustain young students’ success.