Educating Esmé (19 page)

22. Hone in on homework.
Be judicious about the kind of homework you assign so that children are not ultimately assessed on family support over which they have no control. Many children live with adults who are functionally
illiterate or innumerate, and this is true across socioeconomic strata. Children may live in crowded apartments where it is difficult to find a quiet space. They may have parents who are working two jobs or parents who are negligent or self-involved; in either case a child might be left with impressive responsibilities for household chores or sibling caretaking. Many children have been identified as students with special needs and have IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) on file, which suggest modified approaches to learning that must be accommodated by law. With these kinds of factors in mind, the only homework you should be assigning is independent reading (books on tape are available for students with special needs), completion of work that was explained and started at school (this should always be practice of a concept taught at school; new concepts should
never
be introduced in the context of homework), and projects for which you are certain they have the necessary supplies.

23. Strive to increase your engaged time.
Engaged time is the time a child spends on-task, working toward objectives you have set. If you were to time your day, or even a single lesson, you might be chagrined to discover the shockingly large chunk that gets lost to transitioning from subject to subject or room to room, taking out materials, taking roll or collecting work, organizing groups, addressing minor
discipline problems and conflicts, handling unanticipated interruptions from other adults, and simply veering off track with a little pleasant conversational detour from the lesson plan. If you were to lose even a half hour of engaged time from a five-hour school day (not including lunch and recess), in a week, you would have lost almost a half day of school. That's two days a month, or sixteen days of school a year. That's a two-week vacation going on while you're at work! Hours engaged in your classroom will positively correlate to the ultimate academic success of the children you serve, in both testing and practice, so tighten your time line with a few simple tips:

• Have meaningful review or practice work posted when the children enter the room, or use the time for independent reading.

• Children should be doing their own work while you take attendance and lunch count.

• Post your schedule, and hold to it as best you can.

• Start each lesson with an “anticipatory set,” that is, a lively activity or explanation that allows the students to “change gears” and lets their brains know, “Oh, we are working on
this
now.”

• Make transitions snappier by establishing procedures so kids know what they are expected to do
(line up, take out materials, pass papers forward, leave homework in the mailbox) and how they are supposed to do it. Use consistent sensory-based signals (clapping, lights, kazoo!) to let children know when it's time to move on or begin a new activity.

• Children should know how to leave to use the washroom without interrupting the class to ask your permission (some students let teachers know when they have to go by raising two fingers or some other quiet signal).

• Children should know what work to do or what activities are available to them if they finish assignments early.

• Compile assignments for absent students so you don't have to hunt for the work upon their return.

• Deliver and pick up students punctually from activities that take place outside of your classroom.

• Intersperse the day with periods of movement, interaction with nature and each other, and as much fresh air as possible so the children can be more attentive when it's time to sit still.

• Boredom = management problems, and management problems = a time drain. Keep children
engaged by easing up on worksheets. Instead, give them projects that tap into a variety of brain modalities (or “multiple intelligences,” as described by Dr. Howard Gardner: logic smart, body smart, music smart, nature smart, people smart, picture smart, self smart, and word smart), or allow them to synthesize different skills at once. Time flies when kids have a hands-on project . . . and most of it is time on task!

• Have a set time and strategy (like a conflict resolution model) for dealing with issues that arise as a classroom community, and do not entertain every little complaint before then.

• Ignore, ignore, ignore. Do not interrupt your own instruction to stop someone from kicking a chair leg or passing notes or staring out into space. Use your physical proximity to cue the child to make a different choice, or talk to the child after class.

24. Stop beating yourself up.
As a teacher, you may do a hundred good and decent and helpful things a day, but one mistake will keep you up all night. It's easy to feel monstrous; you are in a position of great power, but you are also a human being who may be tired, hormonal, or struggling with complicated personal situations. You will occasionally
lose your cool, slip with the wrong word, or a word spoken maybe just a little too loudly or unkindly. Maybe your instructional style will fail to scintillate. Maybe you'll forget something important, maybe you'll put your foot in your mouth with a colleague. As you probably say to the kids: Tomorrow is a new day. A chance to say, “I'm sorry,” a chance to do better. In most cases, the classroom is a place of fast healing; children are forgiving and resilient and grow two inches for every genuine bit of encouragement you impart. Most likely, you haven't done half the damage you imagine. Even if you did, be fortified by knowing that on other days you are giving the children enough skills that someday they should be able to afford a good psychiatrist.

Speaking of which: The demands of the profession are behemoth and as a result teachers are prone to depression, exhaustion, marital problems, and stress. A well-known quote by educational consultant Neila Connors warns, “If you don't feed the teachers, they eat the students.” Teaching is the sort of job that you could easily do 24/7 and still not feel caught up, so at some point you will have to make a conscious decision to put reasonable limits on the hours you spend on work. Prepare in advance: buy nonrefundable tickets to a show or sports event, or sign up for a class. Gift wrap bath beads, chocolates, a new CD or DVD or
book, a gift certificate for a massage or manicure, the phone number of a nonteaching friend you wish you could talk to more often, to unwrap “in case of emergency.” Keep photos of family, pets, and loved ones around to remind you of your priorities. Try to support your intimate relationships by making a special date that you keep religiously with a spouse or best friend every four to six weeks. Let your wider circle of friends know that you may be a bit remote for a while, but assure them (and yourself) that it's par for the course for being a first-year teacher. Try hard to do something for yourself, even if only for a few minutes every day, that is not directly related to teaching: sing a song, meditate or work out, craft, cook, garden, watch the news. If you maintain an outside life and keep in touch with the popular culture, you'll have so much more to offer inside the school.

If you find yourself crying, yelling, or having violent outbursts with any regularity, or you start to abuse substances in order to deal with your job, seek out a professional counselor; also find a discreet veteran in the profession to advise you, because a therapist won't necessarily be acquainted with the pragmatic logistical measures that can make such a huge difference in your day-to-day sense of sanity. Find solace in the fact that while other years may be difficult, there is really nothing quite like the first year, and everything
you learn the hard way now you can do an easier way later. Meanwhile, recharge your “mojo” with positive and affirming self-talk, such as:

Teaching is such important, worthwhile work.
I want to be a teacher.
I have so much to share.
I have patience, knowledge, and kindness inside of me.
I make a difference in the lives of the children. The children make a difference in my life.
It's okay to ask for help.
It's okay to make mistakes.
If I am tired, I will find the time to rest.
If I take time for myself, I will be a better teacher.

25. Keep a diary.
The first year in a classroom of your own is an epic adventure. According to Ellen Moir of the New Teacher Center, there are five phases of first-year teaching: anticipation, survival, disillusionment, rejuvenation, and reflection. Jotting down your experiences even once in a while will help you to recognize your place in this trajectory, and it's great therapy to boot. Journaling will help you to feel less alone, to revel privately in your achievements, large and small; and it will allow you to see the difference you might have made without even realizing it. Journaling will allow you to think about the people you work with, for, and against and help you examine your role in these
relationships—and consider what you really want from others, from yourself, and from your life. Most of all, a diary will help you to remember. Take a photo of your inner self, for you will not always be the teacher you are now. Like the children, you are going to grow and change. And who knows? Maybe someone else will read your diary and embark on an adventure of his or her own.

There are actually two shopping lists you need for the first day of school. One of them goes home with the children and may include these basic items:

Pencils

Pens

Folders with pockets

Composition notebook

Glue (stick and/or bottle)

Crayons, markers, colored pencils

Ruler

Scissors

Index cards

Ream of copy paper

Ream of notebook paper

Box of Kleenex

Roll of paper towels

Be aware that some households may need the supply list in another language. Avoid insisting on expensive brand names. Make sure to have a set of supplies for children whose guardians do not come through, or have all supplies go into a community collection to be shared as needed. Let
families know that at some point in the school year you will be reissuing a supply list for consumables (things that get used up and need to be replenished, like pencils, pens, art supplies, and paper products).

As for your own supplies, here are some basics for your pantry, desk, classroom environment, and wish list:

Adhesive address labels (with name and room number to mark personal belongings)

Air purifier/humidifier

Airborne or zinc tablets

Aluminum foil