Please don't waste my time

Originally, this was going to be a letter to administrators, but, after thinking about it, teachers are just as guilty.  Please....

• don't hold an hour long meeting to explain something that could have been accomplished in an email.  My time is just as valuable as yours.
• don't use up time explaining a new initiative that I am not going to a part of.  If something is only happening in K-3, then pull those teachers aside and talk to them specifically.
• remember that I am an educated individual who does not need to have information from a PowerPoint read to me.  Especially when you handed out copies of the PowerPoint for me to read.
• practice what you preach.  If you want me to use technology and differentiated instruction in the classroom, don't lecture to me about it.  Demonstrate it to me so I know what is expected of me later.
• plan appropriately.  If you make an agenda, try to stick to it.  Otherwise, why did you even bother in the first place?
• protect our planet.  If you are going to hand out 50 copies of a 3 page document, at least double side it. If you didn't put it through the photocopier, that means you printed it from the computer so not only did you kill more trees, but you used more expensive ink.  When budgets are constantly being cut, these little things add up.

Having been on both sides of the educational table (teacher and administrator) I know so many of us are guilty of this with colleagues and, worse, with students.  We need to be mindful that we give the respect as professionals that we expect be given to us.  Walk the Talk.

picture courtesy of successories.com

That's the way we've always done it

I hope you cringe at this phrase as much as I do.  The problem is, I think I am starting to become that person.  I have procedures, activities, labs, assignments that I love to do and believe they are meaningful for my students.  However, as the last year of teaching has taught me, sometimes you need to just change, to reinvent what you are doing.  

So, I have decided to make massive changes this year starting with my classroom rules.  For the past 5 years my rules have been:

1.  Be Respectful

2.  Be On Time

3.  Be Prepared

4.  Be Safe

While this is a pretty concise list, I realized that I circumvent most of them.  I allow my students to be slightly late for class because if I send them back to their previous teacher for a pass they are going to miss valuable parts of instruction.  I also keep my room stocked with pens, pencils, paper, etc. just in case they happen to forget their supplies.  After all, they are kids and there is no way I should punish them for forgetting a simple writing utensil.  The biggest problem is that these rules are no longer meaningful to me.  I rarely refer to them and they just collect dust on my bulletin board.

I wanted to make a list that was better aligned to my new goals and philosophy of education; a list that was less about procedural rules and more about being a better person.  Below is my tentative list:

1.  Be Respectful

2.  Take Initiative

3.  Be a Critical Thinker

4.  Dare to Fail

When I look at this list I don't see rules that incur punishments when disobeyed.  These are more about common sense and making sure you are the best person you can be.

Thoughts?