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Fifty Lessons You May Have Learned This Year

School may be over- or almost over- for you. Every year is a journey. Each school year is unique and the lessons you learn from your students, your colleagues and about yourself change who you are as an educator. As featured writer and veteran teacher, Julia G. Thompson, reminds us, take the time to reflect on the year before planning ahead.

Fifty Lessons You May Have Learned This Year by Julia G. Thompson

1. If you’ll just listen to your students before taking action, you will avoid having to backtrack on many decisions that you had convinced yourself were sound ones.

2. Reinforcing good behavior is much more fun than punishing bad behaviors.

3. Parents are serious when they tell you that they would rather hear about a problem when it is small and solvable instead of a major headache. Don’t hesitate to call home. Do it early. Do it often.

4. It is crucial that you teach students how to do their work. They can’t learn study skills without guidance.

5. Asking students to tell you what they have learned from a lesson is more likely to elicit enduring knowledge than if you tell them what you think they should have learned.

6. Passing out materials can take forever and be a huge hassle until you figure out how to do it efficiently.

7. If a child misbehaves, sometimes all you have to do is move that student to another seat.

8. You have to give a rubric when actually making an assignment for it to be effective in guiding students as they make choices about their work.

9. It is always wise to think before you speak and to think again before you act.

10. Every now and then you should reexamine your classroom rules and procedures. Are they still working for you and your students?

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