Teaching Tip #127

Teacherscribe’s Teaching Tip #127

Here is a very interesting read from one of my favorite bloggers (Life of an Educator) - 10 Pieces of Advice for new Teachers.

Here are the ten pieces of advice -

9.  Say ‘yes’ more often than you say ‘no,’ but don’t be afraid to say no.

I love this one, for I’m all about “defaulting to yes” as I’ve written about before.  When I think of all of the good things that have happened to me in the past 18 years, they are a result of one thing - me saying yes and being forced out of my comfort zone.

Some examples -

The MNHS grant.  I didn’t want extra work.  I didn’t know enough about Minnesota history.  I didn’t want to show how little i knew in front of other teachers from the area.  I didn’t want to have a stranger come in and evaluate my class.

Yet, I had the most amazing learning opportunities and times as part of this.  It will easily be one of the best things I’ll ever be a part of.

Grad school.  I didn’t want to leave LHS after I just earned tenure.  I didn’t fancy spending 12 hours in my office at BSU reading and writing and researching.  It scared the crap out of me to teaching college freshman and to meet with my fellow grad students 2 hours a week to just talk about composition and teaching.

Yet, it saved me as a teacher and allowed me to teach College Comp I and II.

I didn’t want to be a part of LEEP.  It was a waste of time.  All we ever did was plan parties and crap like that.  Every time we tried to tackle a serious issue, we got shot down.

Yet, when Mr. Zutz took over, those of us on LEEP became part of the building leadership team, which was a great experience.

I didn’t want to take on an overload schedule when Mrs. Anton retired.  It was a lot of extra work.  And dammit, I need my prep.

Yet I did it.  And I got to know 25 of last year’s seniors as freshman.  I got to teach several things (like “The Most Dangerous Game”) that I haven’t taught before.

I didn’t want to help chaperone the choir trip or the former Magent Arts trips.  It was a lot of time away and I didn’t know a lot of those students.

Yet, I got to know a whole group of talented students that I never ever had in class.  I also got to see New York and learn so much.  I got to see real Lichtenstein and Dahli paintings in Minneapolis.

The list goes on and on.  So get involved and don’t be afraid to say yes.