You Can Have a Fresh Start

Did you have a rough school year?

Maybe you felt like your class was out of control.  Maybe your students didn’t see the success you were hoping they would. Maybe you were overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that left you stressed and exhausted.

Maybe you’re wondering if you are meant to be a teacher after all.

I can tell you that you’re not alone. And I’ve got some great news for you – Next year can be a completely fresh start.

Teaching Can Be Tough.

My first year teaching was rough. I remember standing in front of my particularly rowdy class with a sick feeling in my stomach because I knew I didn’t hace control. And there may or may not have been a morning where I was crying in a back hallway in frustration and near-despair.

Maybe you’ve had a year like this. Maybe it’s because it was your first year of teaching. The first year is so challenging because there’s such a steep learning curve and any mistakes we make during our first week on the job have consequences for the rest of the year!

Or maybe this wasn’t your first year, but it was a rough one. A particularly challenging class, new curriculum, conflict with administration, or personal issues may have created some tough situations.

Either way – there is hope.

Next Year is a Fresh Start.

One of the best things about teaching is that each year is a fresh start, and in that new year you can reinvent your entire classroom culture.

During my first year of teaching, I knew I needed to change a lot of things, and I was trying to. But changing mid-year is really tough. Once your students are used to being in control, reigning them back in is certainly an uphill battle. So over the summer I reread The First Days of School and planned my strategy. I would start the school year right. I would establish control on day one, and I would not give it up. This year would be different.

And it was! Yes, I still made mistakes, and, no, it wasn’t perfect. But the difference sure felt like night and day. When I established my expectations on day one and stuck with them, I prevented so many problems. My classes were in control, and I started to finally enjoy teaching.

How to Have a Great Year Next Year

When school starts next fall, it will be a fresh start. And you can change pretty much anything you want.

Well, okay, maybe you can’t change who your boss is or what curriculum you teach. But there is a whole lot that is under your control that you do have the power to change.

You can change your procedures, your expectations, your rules, your discipline techniques, and the culture of your classroom. You can change your teaching style, your classroom setup, or the order in which you teach. You can change your work flow, the boundaries you set, and how you deal with stress. You can figure out what didn’t work last year and come up with a plan to change it this coming year.

And since it’s a new year, your students will be open to change. If you start something new on day one and stick with it, they will adjust relatively easily.

What Needs to Change?

So do you know what needs to change in your classroom? Chances are you have some good ideas already. But I would also highly recommend that you seek help from others so that you have the strongest plan of action when the first bell rings next August.