According to Beth Lewis, people enter the teaching profession because they want to make a positive difference in society. Even teachers with pure intentions can accidentally complicate their mission if they are not careful. However, new teachers and even the occasional pre-veteran teacher, will go to great lengths to seriously avoid common pitfalls that can make their job harder than it is inherently. Help yourself to avoid the traps of the mistakes of the teachers below in living the teaching profession in general.
- Making their students as friends most. Experienced teachers often fall into the trap of wanting their students to be like them above all else. However, if you do this, you will undermine your ability to control the class, which in turn is too strong a compromise for the child’s education. Instead, focus on students, respect productivity, admire, and appreciate for their high appreciation. After realizing that students will prefer you to be fair in dealing with their difficulties, you will be on the right track.
- It becomes too easy to tolerate discipline. This error is a natural result. For a variety of reasons, teachers often start the new adjunct year with a slack discipline plan or worse, no plan at all! Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t let them see you smile until the end of the year?” It may be extreme, but the sentiment is true: enforce discipline, so that going forward everything will be easy and meaningful.
- Not setting up proper work organization from the start. Until you have completed the full school year, you cannot understand how much paper is piling up in the classroom. Even after the first week of school, you will look at the pile in amazement! And, all these papers must be handled with and by oneself. You can avoid some of the headache-inducing work and instructions by setting up a work organization system that makes sense from day one and most importantly uses it every day! Organize all work, including computer files and all archives. Be disciplined and sort all papers immediately. Remember, a tidy desk contributes to a focused mind.
- Minimizing communication blockages and parental involvement. At first, it can be daunting dealing with a student’s parents. You may be tempted to “fly under the radar” with them to avoid confrontation and questions. But with this approach, you will be wasting resources that Parents related to classrooms can help make your job easier, including supporting children’s behavior improvement programs while at home. Communicate clearly to the students’ parents from the start and you will have a symphony of “work allies” to keep the whole school work flowing more smoothly throughout the year.
- Get involved in the trap of campus politics that disrupts equal opportunities for new teachers and veterans. As in all workplaces, the school campus can be riddled with fighting, insults, betrayal, and resentment. It’s a slippery slope if you agree to listen to gossip, because before it you will take sides and push yourself among the warring factions. The collapse of school campus politics can lead to brutal action. It is better to continue your interactions in a friendly and neutral manner, while focusing your attention on the work with your students. Avoid all the political costs and your teaching career will grow!
- Isolate yourself from the school community. In addition to the preceding warning, you want to avoid campus politics, but not leave yourself isolated and alone in your classroom. Attend social events, have lunch in the staff room, say hello in the hall, help peers whenever possible, and reach out to teachers around you never knowing when you will need support from your teaching team and if you have been a hermit for months -Months, it will be even more challenging for you to get what is needed at that time.
- Working so hard that you lose time off. It is understandable why teaching has the highest turnover rate of any profession. Most people cannot rest for long. And, if you keep burning the candle at both ends, the next guru might stop you! Work smart, be effective, and take care of your responsibilities, but come home at a reasonable hour. Enjoy time with your family and set aside time to relax and “rejuvenate” yourself. This is the hardest piece of advice to follow: don’t let classroom problems affect your emotional well-being and your ability to enjoy life away from school. Make a real effort to be happy. Your students need fun teachers every day!
- Don’t want to ask for help. Teachers can be arrogant. Our job requires extraordinary skill, so we are always trying to come across as superheroes who can handle problems that come our way. But teachers can’t. Don’t be afraid to admit mistakes and ask peers or administrators for help. Look around the school and you will see centuries of teaching experience represented by fellow teachers. Sexier than not, there appears a professional who is generous with his demands on time and advice. Ask for help and you may find that you are not as alone as you thought.
- Being too optimistic and too easy to give up. This is one of the pitfalls that new teachers have to be extra careful about. New teachers often join professional organizations because they are idealistic, optimistic, and ready to change the world! This is great because your students (and veteran teachers) need fresh energy and innovative ideas. But, don’t dream of building idealism on ability. That way, you will only find yourself frustrated and disappointed. Acknowledge that there will be a difficult day where you want to give up. There will be times when your best efforts are not enough. Know that the hard times will pass, and it is a small price to pay for the happiness they teach.
- Being too hard on yourself. Teaching is difficult enough without additional challenges, mental tests, mistakes, and imperfections. Nothing is perfect. Even the most experienced teacher can make terrible decisions. Forgive your dui for misbehaving that day, erase the blackboard, and gather your mental strength for as long as is necessary. Don’t make yourself your worst enemy, too hard on yourself. Practice the same compassion you show your students by changing the understanding of yourself
