31 Teaching Truths

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10. Routines are powerful.

Routines are like paved paths through a beautiful, well-groomed park (aka your day). They get you from point A to point B in a relatively efficient manner, everyone knows what to expect from them, the sights you see and the stops you make along the way are comfortingly familiar. After you've walked the same path for several weeks in a row, you can close your eyes and walk it in your sleep. Key words: efficient, comfortable.

If you know me, or if you read Truth #3, you know this isn't the end of this story. Stay tuned for Truth #11 tomorrow.

31 Teaching Truths

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9. Take care of yourself.

Easier said than done, right? You could work 24/7 on lessons and grading and professional development and classes for your masters degree and gathering books from the public library and buying classroom supplies with your own money...and you still would never be caught up, let alone ahead of the game. So since you can't ever get caught up (not for more than a day at a time in a good week), remember Truth #4 and let something go so that you can go out to dinner with friends, or watch Antiques Roadshow, or get that exercise routine going, or catch a couple extra hours of sleep.

If you're not a happy, healthy PERSON, how are you going to be a happy, healthy TEACHER?

Poetry Friday

The Rhinoceros

by Ogden Nash

The rhino is a homely beast,
For human eyes he's not a feast.
Farwell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,
I'll stare at something less prepoceros.

Sorry. Today's poem is just an excuse to share this darling baby rhino. I can't look at that picture without smiling.

Michelle has this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Today's Little Ditty.

31 Teaching Truths

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8. Admit when you're wrong.

Let it be no big deal that you added wrong, spelled incorrectly, or forgot someone's name momentarily. Admit your error, apologize (or laugh) and move on.

If it's less trivial -- you misinterpret a situation on the playground based on observation or assumption and when you get all the facts you realize you had it all wrong -- admit it, apologize, and move on. Or, if you realize that you didn't handle a classroom situation as well as you could have (hindsight really is 20-20), call the parent, admit you were wrong, apologize and move on.

If you are breaking the law, get out of your classroom and get help.

31 Teaching Truths

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7. Imagine your students' parents can see and hear you.

They try your patience and fray your nerves, but they are someone else's one and only sugar plum. So take a deep breath, access your last shard of patience, and treat your students with dignity and respect no matter what. Don't stoop to their level. Don't be sarcastic and rude and mean. Remember, every single student in that room is watching how you treat both the overachievers and the underachievers. They are either learning the language of power or the language of compassion -- the choice is yours.

31 Teaching Truths

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6.  There will never be another class like this one.

If you've got a tricky class, this is important to remember. You can do this! You will learn lots and become a better teacher.

If you've got a fabulous class, this is important to remember. Every single day you need to appreciate your students and let them know how thankful you are for them and for their good work.

31 Teaching Truths

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5. Read. And while you're at it, write.

Do you want every student in your class to be a voracious reader? Then you should be one, too. Do you ask your students to take risks as a writer? Then you should take those same risks, too.

Three Must-Reads!!

I read three books this week that I absolutely loved. I think these are must-reads/must-haves!

I heard about Small Things at last week's #titletalk. Penny Kittle recommended it and I ordered it immediately. I am always looking for new wordless picture books and this one is very powerful. It is definitely not one for young readers but seems perfect for middle grade and middle school. The illustrations are incredible and it tackles the subject of anxiety. Lots to talk about.

I always find a few new books when ALA Youth Media Awards are announced. This year, Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green won the Schneider Family Book Award for middle grade. This was a book I had never heard of but am so glad I ordered it immediately. This book has a great main character, it is told in verse and has so many great talking points. And there is a thread about stories/books that I love. This is PERFECT for middle grade and middle school readers.

I lucked out and was able to borrow a copy (thanks Christina!) of the upcoming YA novel, Tradition  by Brendan Kiely. WOW! This book has had a lot of buzz and it lives up to all of it. This hits a lot of important issues and the characters are amazing. I can't wait until more people read this book. Preorder now! (I only read a few YA novels a year, so even if you are not a YA reader, make sure to read this one!)

31 Teaching Truths

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4. Do your best.

Do your best, but don't ever get lulled into believing that your best is the same on every day in every situation. Sometimes my best is a survival best, a "just get through this day" best. Other times, my best is thoughtful and research-based. I love my best the most when it sneaks up out of nowhere and surprises me with an idea so perfect I couldn't have tried to imagine it!

31 Teaching Truths

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3. Follow your students.

There are definitely times when a teacher needs to lead, but some of my most powerful teaching has been when I got out of the way, and when I followed. Or when I really listened to my students.

Early in the year, I started pointing out patterns or math equations in the date. My students see these number patterns everywhere now. And all. the. time. (I have to remind myself that I have created this "monster," so I shouldn't get annoyed.)

We have a place on a bulletin board for Homographs, Homophones and Homonyms. Noticing words has also taken off like wildfire. They know they don't have to ask permission to grab a sticky and put one up, but they still tell me when they find one. At dismissal yesterday, looking out to see if it was still raining, "Ooh! Sprinkle like what the rain does and sprinkle -- the thing on a donut!"

On Friday, we talked about how writers challenge themselves in order to become better writers. I told them about this March challenge I've given myself to warm up for the April Poem-A-Day challenge. The words were no sooner out of my mouth than the student (who earlier had pointed out that INVISIBILITY is important in our new read aloud, Walk Two Moons, just like it had been important in REFUGEE. Um...Wow...) said, "There's 30 days in April and there's 29 of us -- 30 if we count you -- so you should just write a poem a day about US!"

And you know what? I think I will.