Teachers' Round up
Tips for preparing for the end of the school year
It’s a few weeks before the end of a very busy term. What does this mean for teachers? It means looking forward to the new term to ensure you are prepared and start right. It’s a chance to prepare for a new beginning. Because at this stage in school you are extremely busy planning different activities that wind up the school year, as well as preparations for assessments, I will get straight to the point.
Learning log
Did you set up a learning log at the beginning of the year with notes about the things you learned? If not plan to set up one in new school year. Thomas Edison may not have learned how to make a light bulb in one sweep, but he learned about a thousand ways HOW NOT TO make a life bulb. No knowledge is wasted, but we have not learned well when we make the same mistakes twice. So take a quiet moment to list out your mistakes this school year, the assumptions made and of course your success. This should start the preparation for the new school year as a basis for reflection and new learning. School Teams can learn online together, during the holiday. Click here.
Create 2 lesson plans ahead of next term
if you started the school year well, by now, you have no lesson plans to write, all having been written up by an approach that helps you start school with two weeks of plans already made. If so, any spare time should be used to write up lesson plans for Weeks 1 and 2 of next term. It’s a waste of time doing this during the holiday or during teacher’s week. By the end of teacher’s week you should be writing a plan for week 3. Someone might say ‘what if my students don’t get the lesson and I have to repeat the topic?’ Hmm, planning is done by anticipating different scenarios and student needs and teaching is flexible to accommodate needs that may not have been factored in the plan. If you cannot plan successful lessons ahead of school resumption, then you really need some support on planning. The best teachers work a few weeks ahead. I would suggest that you submit lesson plans for Weeks 1 and 2 to your supervisor before school closes for the year.
Do not take work home
Do not take any school work home, no one is paying you for it. Carry out all work IN SCHOOL. even if you are a home room teacher, there are times in school when you are free - before students arrive, break time/lunch time, when students are taking other subjects or a few minutes after closing hours. If you have the habit of taking work home, you are intruding on your family or personal time and you are working an unpaid job during those times. Decide NOW to stop taking work home. work SMART not necessarily harder. All teachers work hard but some work harder, while others work SMART. I discuss this in a past blog.
If your school uses exams, try to arrange for students to close school a few hours earlier than usual to allow them get home on time, do some self-study or simply rest. This extra time gained by teachers will allow you mark exam scripts (assuming they are paper exams). Do not take exam scripts home to mark them - you will only be working unnecessarily harder without any compensation. Colleagues who work smart are more in control and possibly more excellent teachers. Learn from them.
Update all school records, timely
The practice of updating all school records on time is a goal of smart teachers who do not procrastinate and are more organised. Assuming you are falling behind in updating attendance registers, weekly diaries and possibly lesson plans, you need to dedicate time to do so in order not to swamp yourself. If you are doing this last minute, not only are you going to be swamped, you stand the risk of joining the list of teachers who may not be good enough for the next school year.
A teacher buddy
Do you have a teacher who helps to check your assessment questions or paper, student reports, or lesson plans for mistakes and who you do same for? If you don’t, it’s not too late to find one. To be ‘on top of your game’, you must minimise mistakes or poor presentation of your work. You can do this by having a buddy who checks for mistakes or gives you feedback on these and other parts of your work. How do you want to be perceived in school next term? Find a teacher buddy.
Look ahead, think, plan in teams
Invite a small team of teachers to work with you as you begin to plan for the next school year. I know teachers love to work alone, but to be professional, you must collaborate with others. A small team of three or four teachers planning ahead will set the pace for a successful school year. This team can support each other and provide feedback. What’s the point of waiting for your supervisor to tell you your mistakes when you can correct them through timely feedback from a team of friendly teachers. Give your team a name and identify the standards that every member must observe. In need of a name? How about the A Team?
Professional development
During the holiday, the only professional thing you should be doing is developing yourself by self study or by taking a course. Research education websites, find a free course or search youtube to see how other teachers are working smart with tools or tried and tested methods of doing things. Or ask your school to buy an online course you can do to develop yourself. Click this link to see options
Earn extra cash
As a teacher, I earned extra cash by starting a side business that also enhanced my work in school. I was using my experience and knowledge to make a difference while working as a teacher. By following an ethical code, I ensured that there was no conflict between my side job, done in my own time (not school time) and at my own pace. This holiday, we are beginning the education consultant programme that teaches you how to earn extra money while still in teaching. Join the discussion or ask questions about this programme here.
Training in the New School Year
In September and October 2022, we will be offering the following professional programmes, online:
September 2022 - SMART Planning for Upscale Teachers
October 2022 - Strategic Planning for School Leaders
Both training will deal with planning at teacher or strategic level. They both aim for school improvement. If you would like to have face-to-face session for your school, kindly contact me on WhatsApp. Click here.
Great insight ! ✌️