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Shine a light…

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One of my favorite colleagues had this great idea. It’s all hers. I asked her if I could post it, but didn’t ask permission to share her name. Let’s just call her “Abazening Person” for now. The idea was to ask the staff (after two weeks’ of testing, more days of testing, and yeah…we’re tired) about their silly and serious advice for new teachers and/or teachers new to our school.

But you know why she is one of my favorite people? The person who can listen, hold their own, be gentle, strong, and wise is rare. I hope I have reciprocated the love and friendship because I don’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I do have I hold dear.

She asked the staff to write on slips of paper she provided, organized, etc., one silly and one serious piece of advice. What a great activity for the staff, and something to try with students, too! This is the list she compiled from the hand-written notes:

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

If you have anything to add for our 2017-2018 New to MC/New to Teaching “Words of Wisdom” as the year finishes up, please let me know. J

  • New to MC:
  • Jump in with both feet. There is no “halfway” at MC.
  • You have to be mentally tough to work here. Do something for yourself on the weekends.
  • Grab a $0.25 cup of coffee in the Work Room to start your day! Start a fresh pot and its free. 😉
  • Buy & wear a fit-bit.
  • Be the change you want to see…and LEAD that change.
  • Learn to juggle. You will make all the right friends.
  • Spread LOVE <3
  • Get to know the teachers. Building relationships is a big deal here.
  • P* gives the best hugs.*
  • A turkey dinner is served Thanksgiving week. Consider eating with kids in the lunchroom.
  • Don’t park under the lampposts unless you want a plethora of bird droppings!
  • Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh with the kids!
  • First lunch is the BEST! 😉
  • Read the daily/weekly bulletins!
  • Avoid parking near the portables, unless you LIKE walking through large puddles on a rainy day.
  • Feel free to collect “floor pencils”. Even if they have bite marks, your kids will need them. J
  • Admin. feeds us well; if it’s a meeting or celebratory day, there is food…somewhere!
  • The staff bathroom in the C Building near the art room has a lock that works selectively. Use with caution. 😉
  • Leave the windows closed. The HVAC works better.
  • Participate in staff activities as often as possible. Parties, dancing, contests, movies; bonding time is never wasted time.
  • The parking lot floods. Bring boots!
  • Be nice to Mr. Gordon Dorsey(head custodian). He can be a huge help!
  • Be prepared for schedule changes. Make extra packets for new students.
  • Search for coffee around the building. It’s there…you just gotta find it!
  • If you see something that needs to be done, just do it.
  • The alarm will go off if you enter C Building before 6am…but you won’t hear it or know it until they come looking for you.
  • Find a teaching partner if you want to start/run a club.
  • First come, first served in the side parking lot along the field and C building.
  • La Huerta is awesome!
  • Never piss off the office staff. 😉
  • Spiders or flys in the classroom may derail your lesson for up to 15 minutes.
  • When cleaning out lockers, kids will trash books. Be on the lookout!
  • Enjoy the company of staff; great group!
  • Keep letting your light shine and you will glow for others to see.
  • New to Teaching:
  • Growth mindset is a must in this building.
  • Students – “What you put into your education determines your success in learning.”
  • Senior staff is very supportive. Talk to them for assistance and advice.
  • Always get their names right…or work hard on it. They care and it matters.
  • Be flexible with student students, schedules, etc.
  • Take the time in September to really get to know your students. The payoff for the rest of the year is immeasurable!
  • But the Mama Stortini’s special gift card in September.
  • Stand by the door. Don’t allow students to stand by the door before the bell rings. They love to slip out.
  • The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways.
  • Rather than focus on the problem, try to be part of the solution.
  • Document everything.
  • Talk to our Student Success Team about options for discipline. Don’t always go for punishment. Discipline is about teaching.
  • Remember that our students are someone’s baby. Honor that bond and don’t judge.
  • Get ready to hear the “F” word. 😉
  • Get a second opinion…or three. Different perspectives help you to come up with your own, authentic “way”.
  • Don’t be shy about saying “no food or drinks” in the classroom.
  • Make sure students know you care about them. You can get them to do almost anything if they believe that you believe.
  • There are a lot of ELL(English Language Learners). Strategies to help them will be necessary to know.
  • Call home. Then try again. Our parents care…they just aren’t easy to reach all the time.
  • Do not be a “friend”. Be an adult with clear expectations. It’s what they need!
  • Learning can be good fun if you make it.
  • Teach students not to laugh at disrespectful/disruptive behavior. This will be super helpful.
  • Don’t be afraid of technology. It makes things easier.
  • Work on setting your classroom systems into place at the start of the year. Do it well and you will reap the rewards
  • Don’t take students’ negative attitudes personally. Stay calm!
  • Rule your classroom with an iron fist.
  • Actually TALK to your students, one to one. It goes a long way.
  • Make sure students know they are not allowed to have their laptops out without permission.
  • Don’t listen to or ask for advice from the crazy ones. 😉
  • It can be easy to become involved with everything so remember to schedule time for yourself.
  • Say everything like you mean it!
  • Don’t take the negative things kids say personally. It never really is personal.
  • Be a storyteller. Our kids like to know your life.
  • Collaborate and be open-minded in your PLC. It is all in the best interest of our students.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff.
You may not be able to guess the ones I contributed, and it doesn’t matter: what matters is we all said and felt a big collective hug toward each other and our students. She opens her heart and home and welcomes one and all, and if we all learned how to be a little more open, everything would just be…abazing. 🙂
*One of our admin, and it’s true.