It’s about what you choose to do or not do each day that paves your way as a teacher. Your habits play a role in how successful you are in your career and if you get the results you desire from your students.
The good news is that there are always ways to improve and do better. All you have to be is willing to make some changes in the areas that will help you enhance your performance and thrive in your role. The following list contains habits of highly effective teachers that you should adopt and take into consideration as you approach the next school year.
Create A Welcoming Environment
Begin by creating a welcoming environment for your students to learn and digest new information. Take your time decorating your classroom and ensuring it makes people feel comfortable and motivated to gain knowledge and evolve. Think about how you want to arrange your desks and don’t be afraid to mix up who sits by who once in a while. Also, invest in and gather all the supplies and equipment you’ll need to do your job well. It may also be useful to assign roles and responsibilities so that as a group you’re taking care of your classroom and keeping it a safe and inviting place to be. Also, have a plan in place for welcoming new students so that everyone feels like part of the classroom.
Be Organized
Another habit of highly effective teachers to consider adopting is to be more organized. Know where everything is that you need to teach and keep the supplies and tools handy that you use the most. Maintain a tidy and clutter-free classroom and make sure your paperwork is in order. The more organized you are, the easier it’ll be to do your teaching job and manage your classroom and students. Review the lesson plans in advance so you understand the material in detail and can answer questions from your students. While it’s good to be organized and follow a plan, it’s also wise to be flexible and go with the flow sometimes as a teacher.
Have Engaging Lesson Plans & Material
Always be prepared daily if you want to be a more effective teacher. Have engaging lesson plans and material that grab the attention of your students immediately. It’s especially important that you get creative when it comes to subject matters like math and science, which can sometimes be challenging to teach or boring at times. Instead, get creative and find resources to help you. For example, instead of just explaining a topic, gather videos and lesson plans in science that cover the properties of matter for kids in a fun and interesting way. As always, be willing to adjust your teaching style and approach based on your student’s performance and feedback.
Proactively Manage & Reduce Stress
Teaching can be a stressful and demanding job. What you can’t do is let the stress and strain of each day build up and get the best of you. Highly effective teachers proactively manage and reduce their stress in healthy ways to ensure they are at their best daily. Be diligent about recognizing when you’re feeling overwhelmed and then addressing it instead of letting it carry over in your classroom. It may help to ask questions or open up to other teachers or maybe you can go for a walk outside during the lunch hour. All that matters is that you are committed to reducing your stress so you can enjoy your role and your students.
Set & Communicate Expectations & Standards
You must have expectations, rules, and standards as a teacher and in your classroom if you want to be effective. The top teachers aren’t afraid to put their foot down and create a classroom where there are behavior and performance expectations. Write these down and then make sure you communicate them to your students on day one. Have consequences in place for when they go ignored and then follow through with your disciplinary actions. Believe in your students and that they can succeed and you’re likely to see their performance improve over time.
Be A Good Listener
You may be used to doing all the talking as a teacher. However, sometimes it’s best to be a good listener. Highly effective teachers actively listen to their students and colleagues and don’t assume they know it all. You can learn a lot yourself and do better at your job when you take input and advice from others who are willing to give you feedback. Listening is also a way to show your students you care about what they have to say and it gives them a voice. It’s about being able to give empathy and take in information without getting defensive or taking it personally. Instead, use feedback as a chance to improve and do better in the future, which will only benefit you and your students.
Build & Nurture Relationships
One habit of highly effective teachers that you should adopt is to make an effort to build relationships with others. This can include your colleagues, students, parents, and any other educators in other districts. Avoid focusing only on the grades and tasks that need to get done. Instead, get to know your students individually and areas they struggle with and the areas where they perform their best. When you spend time making and nurturing connections with those around you, you’ll become a more effective and personable teacher.
Encourage Collaboration & Communication
Be a more effective teacher and leader by encouraging collaboration in your classroom. Find ways to get your students talking and working together on assignments and projects. Break down silos and walls and make sure everyone feels heard and you create an environment where the sharing of ideas and best practices is supported. You’re likely to find that everyone succeeds in this case and that together you can achieve more and that your students’ grades get better when you collaborate.
Involve the Parents
If you want to be a better teacher and accomplish your goals then you shouldn’t be afraid to involve the parents in the conversation. Your students will perform well and you’ll feel more supported when the parents are looped into their child’s education and what’s going on in your classroom. Parent-teacher conferences are a good opportunity to do this but also find other ways such as surveys, meetings, phone calls, and emails to stay in touch. Of course, if there are behavioral or performance problems with any of your students you should address these sooner rather than later. This may be a good opportunity to suggest a mentor or tutor or to have more regular check-ins to stay on top of the matter.
Take Care of Your Health
All effective teachers practice self-care and take actions that help them to boost their mood and performance. Get in the habit of taking good care of yourself and your health as a teacher. Teaching can be a hectic and challenging job at times so don’t be surprised if you feel tired or worn down throughout the school year. What’s most important is that you attend to your needs and are kind to yourself so you can put your best foot forward each day. This includes eating healthily, working out, getting enough sleep, and staying home when you’re sick. You’ll miss fewer school days and will feel more energized when you commit to living a healthy lifestyle at work and at home.
Keep A Positive Attitude
Even when you’re having a bad day you can’t let your students see or know this to be true. Instead, you need to be a superhero and turn your attitude and energy around for the better. Put a smile on your face and stay positive in the face of adversity. Otherwise, you risk your students taking on your stress and anxiety and creating an unhealthy classroom environment where your students may start to struggle. Remain optimistic and push through so that you can be an effective teacher and not let one bad day drag down your mood and teaching abilities. Be fun and energetic whenever you can which will make learning and the day more enjoyable for everyone. Keep in mind that positive reinforcement is usually the best approach instead of always saying no or scolding your students.
Conclusion
Learning and teaching can be a pleasurable experience for everyone involved when you set the right tone as the teacher. These are some habits of highly effective teachers that you should adopt and consider implementing so you can thrive in your role. Not only will you achieve more but your students will be happier and more engaged and more motivated to succeed. Be creative and think outside the box whenever the energy in the classroom gets stale. Go the extra mile and notice how your efforts pay off and that your job and classroom improve over time. The first step in growing and changing is recognizing that you want to and then it’s necessary to put in practice the actions that will help you move forward in a positive direction and improve.