Back to School

Being a new teacher is hard.  When, I think back to my first couple years of teaching, I know that it was a huge mix of emotions.  I LOVED being a teacher, but I was also very overwhelmed, and this was WAY BEFORE Pinterest and Instagram.  The pressure of trying to “keep up” and “do everything” is real, even as a veteran teacher.  I asked teachers on my Instagram page to give their best tip for new teachers, and I HAD to share them with you, because they are SO good!

My tip for new teachers is: You cannot do it all!  You are not going to be Pinterest perfect (because NO ONE is.)  Social media is the highlight reel.  Don’t get overwhelmed with how your classroom looks.  The most important thing is to put your focus on building relationships with your students.

“You won’t be able to do it all, and that’s okay!” -Kelsey

“Be yourself and enjoy your first year of teaching!!!” -Trish

“Classroom management, routines and building relationships with students are very important.  Your plate will always be full so learn to prioritize well.  Make sure to take time for you.  Teacher self-care is important.  You can’t pour from an empty cup.  So make sure that you fill yours up often.” -Cayla

“Don’t check school email after 5:00 pm.” -Laurie

“Classroom management is the top priority in having everything else run smoothly.” -Mrs. Mohan

“Ask for help and guidance if/when needed.  We’ve all been the new teacher and will help!  Do not consume yourself with work!  You need to take time for yourself!  Trust me, you can spend hours upon hours in your classroom and still find things to do.  It will be there tomorrow!!” -Elyse

“Don’t take feedback personally.” -Ashley

“Ask for help, join a tribe that is kind and doesn’t gossip but builds each other up!  Teacher friends are necessary!  Have fun!!” -Robin

“Find a mentor!  Someone to ask all the things!!!  Not someone who will just agree with you, but someone who will help you grow!!” -Sarah

“Parents want to help, so let them!” -Angela

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help!  I meet so many teachers who are scared to ask someone else for help.” -Nikki

“Be real with your students.  I’m a sarcastic and goofy person and I use that when necessary because that’s who I am and my students know that.  Also, don’t feel like you need to take work home with you!  Take a break.  The list will be there tomorrow!” -Heather

“Give yourself grace.  You won’t be perfect and you aren’t expected to be.” -Melody

“POSITIVE classroom management.  Look for students doing what you want first and praise them.  That usually ends the unwanted behavior.” -Sandy

“Classroom management is vital!” -Mel

“Don’t compare yourself/your pace with your colleagues.  You need strong management and solid procedures.  Make sure that is in place and everything else will come.  Never be afraid to ask for help!” -Jen

“Take your time to teach routines and expectations.  This will help during the rest of the year.” -Sophie

“Don’t compare yourself, your room decor, your organization, etc to others, especially veteran teachers.  Focus on 1-2 areas of growth a year.” -Shelley

“Learn constantly.  My first year (and even now), I was always watching other teachers.  How they addressed problems, words they used, body language, what they ignored, what they addressed asap.  Always be learning!” -Nichole

“Trust yourself and know that it is ok to ASK. FOR. HELP. WHEN. YOU. NEED. IT.” -Laura

“Be good to yourself and remember you are new and learning, it’s a process and be a sponge.  Trial and error.  Don’t compare yourself to others and find what you like and don’t like.  You are the only one that knows what will work for you as a teacher.  No one else.” -Ann

“Shadow another teacher!  Above you, below you, same grade.  Ask for coverage and see how they do it!  You don’t have to copy them, but watch.” -Chrissy

“Always put the people first.  Things can wait.” -Izzy

“Find a good friend/mentor and don’t compare.” -Nicole

“Call parents if you are having a problem/issue with their child!  They want to know and help and it’s worse if they’re blindsided with a call from admin or the next year’s teacher!  It’s scary but gets easier!” -Shannon

“Being the last person at school doesn’t make you the best teacher.  Watch and observe other teachers as much as possible.  I learned soooo much doing this when I started.” -Lorena

“Try to remember that the “difficult” student is your opportunity to succeed as a teacher.  Be the difference in a child’s life!” -Samantha

“Develop strong expectations and hold students accountable.” -Lyndsey

“Establish a way to track communication with parents and find a mentor teacher that you connect with…all good things take time.” -Katie

“Focus on one thing and get good at it.  Then add from there.  No one expects anyone to have it all together.” -Vanessa

“Find a good teacher mentor and soak it all in.” -Hilary

“Ask alllll the questions-to other teachers, admin, support staff!  Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful!” -Suzanna

“Relationships first.” -Caity

“They do not give awards for the last person to leave school.  Don’t burn yourself out.  The papers on your desk will still be there in the morning and it’s totally ok!  You can’t fill from an empty cup.  Take care of your mental health.” -Meg

“Do not focus on the content on the internet-focus on the content that your students NEED.” -Jessica

“Take time for yourself.  It is your job, not your life.” -Melissa

“You don’t have to buy all the things right away!  You’ll go broke doing that.” -Ms. Hahn

What would be your tip for a new teacher?

 

 

In the next month or so, parents will be thinking about and prepping kids to start heading back to school.  While we may not know exactly what school will look like next year, we can still do some things to begin preparing for it.

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Here are ten things to think about as you prepare for your child to return to school.

1. Make sure that your children can tie their shoes or purchase velcro shoes.  This is always a great skill to have before starting school, but especially now.  Shoelaces are disgusting, and teachers do not want to touch them if at all possible.  We can almost feel the germs spreading into our bodies as we tie wet shoelaces. Lol!
2. Purchase extra school supplies during Back to School sales.  Again, this is another great tip for the beginning of every school year, but it will be even more important this year.  Since, we will not be able to have community supplies, students will need to have extra supplies available to them when theirs run out or get lost.  I always have students that need to begin borrowing my crayons and pencils by the second week of school.  This is an area that really worries me about this coming year.  My students have always just borrowed supplies if needed.
3. Review proper hand washing and hygiene skills.  Really teach your students how to properly wash their hands.  Even though this is something teachers will talk about a lot at school, when they are in the bathroom alone, they need to know how important it is to still wash correctly.  Also, review how to sneeze and cough without spreading germs.  As well as, reminding them to keep their fingers out of their mouths and noses.
4. Think about how you will handle packing school lunches.  If you always pack your child’s lunch, remember to think about packing items that are easy to open.  Even though cafeteria assistants, or teachers if they have to eat in their classrooms, will most likely be wearing gloves, the less times someone needs to touch your child’s food, the better.  Something else to think about is purchasing an easy to clean lunchbox.  This is an item that will be going back and forth from school to home.  Something that can be wiped off easily will probably be best.  I am purchasing one of these Bento boxes for my own son entering kindergarten.
5. Label all school supplies.  In the past, teachers may have used community supplies for certain things, but it seems like the general guidelines that have been coming out recommend no sharing of school supplies.  For this reason, label everything.  It will save the teachers so much time on that first day of school.  Don’t just label the package of pencils or the package of markers.  Actually label each individual item.  If you want to get real fancy, this label maker is super fun and convenient.
6. Start getting your kids on a schedule.  As a mother of three, I am SO guilty of falling out of our schedule during this quarantine.  We have stayed up too late, eaten whenever we wanted to, and slept in way too often.  It will be an adjustment for sure when school starts.
7. Grab extra hand sanitizer and wipes if you see them in stock now.  You will probably want some for home to wipe down lunch boxes, folders, backpacks, and whatever else may be going back and forth between home and school.  It would also be a great idea to send in some extras to school, because teachers will definitely be using these things on a regular basis.
8. Make sure your child can zip and button any clothing that they may be wearing.  This goes along with the shoelaces.  The more that your child can do on his or her own, the easier it is for everyone.
9. Have open communication with the teacher.  Each school and teacher will have particular guidelines depending on what they are and are not comfortable with when thinking about the spread of Covid-19.  This goes along with each individual parent as well.  Keep an open line of communication with the teacher through all of this.
10. Be patient and flexible.  We truly have no idea what this next school year may bring.  Who would have thought that this past school year would have ended the way it did?  School districts are trying their best to think of all scenarios and how to make it work.  Even the best plans may need to be thrown out the window depending on the situation we are faced with.  Please be patient and flexible when plans change and know that your children’s best interests are always in mind.

What else would you add to this list?

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Who doesn’t love shoes?  Well, let me tell you…people with feet that hurt after being on them all day.  That’s who doesn’t love shoes.  Now, that isn’t to say that I don’t love comfortable shoes, but I have definitely become picky over the years of which shoes work for me.  As I’ve gotten *ahem* older, I am more aware of how my feet just cannot handle being in unsupportive, cheap shoes all day while teaching.

I was guilty for many years of just buying inexpensive and cute shoes and wearing them all season until my feet would be screaming at me to buy a new pair.  I have found that if I actually invest in some better quality shoes, they last longer, and I don’t dread wearing them all day.  I wish that I was someone that could just put on any pair of shoes and have my feet be fine, but that is definitely not me.  I can’t even walk around my house barefoot.  I have to wear a pair of hard soled slippers.  My feet just don’t like me very much 😉

With that being said…I also want to still buy stylish shoes.  Maybe someday, I’ll be fine wearing big clunky orthopedic shoes, but today is not that day.  I am always on the hunt for cute shoes that I can actually wear all day, or a least a large part of the day, and be pain free.

Here are my favorite cute and comfy shoes that I wear while teaching.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of these links, they throw a couple of pennies my way.  This helps to support the blog.  None of these shoe companies are sponsoring me in any way.  I just truly loves these shoes 🙂

Sorel Wedges

A co-worker friend recommended Sorel wedges, and let me tell you, I am so thankful for her.  These shoes are my absolute favorite!  They are very cute and supportive.  My feet do not ache at the end of the day.  I have these Sorel After Hours Sandals in Camel pictured above and also the black Sorel Joanie Sandal (pictured below) that I love just as much!

I’m pretty sure that the Ella Slingback sandals from Sorel will be my next purchase to wear this summer.

Vionic Sandals

Another company that makes cute and supportive sandals is Vionic.  I ordered these Vionic Kirra Backstrap sandals, and they are a very comfortable flat sandal.  The sole of the shoe really supports your foot and are great to wear all day.

I loved them so much that I also ordered the Vionic Tide II Toe Post Sandal in Brown Leopard.  These are a little harder to “dress up,” but they are perfect for a less casual outfit. Trust me with this brand.  Your feet will thank you!

Toms

These sandals used to be my go-to shoes prior to finding Sorel.  I do still love these Toms Majora Cutout sandals though.  I have the desert taupe suede and the black leather ones.  (The black leather ones are the more comfortable of the two.)  I definitely still wear these shoes on a regular basis.

Toms wedge booties are some of my favorite “winter” shoes that I wear frequently, as well as the Leila Bootie that I have in black leather.

Sketchers

Everyone loves Sketchers, right?  There are SO many to choose from, too.  These are obviously a much more casual shoe than the others on the list, but they are perfect for casual Fridays.  I love the slip on Sketchers.  They are like clouds for my feet.

Converse

Another casual shoes option are Converse.  The soles are definitely flat and don’t seem too supportive, but for some reason, they do not hurt my feet.

Olukai Sandals

I’m actually not even sure where I was when I first walked into a store that sold Olukai shoes, but I remember putting them on my feet after a long day and immediately falling in love.  I have the Kulapai Kai sandals and they have held up perfectly for about 3 years now.  They barely even look worn, and they are my go to black flip flop in the summer.

I also love the look of these Olukai Upena Gladiator Sandals.

Tieks

While I will say that I do like my one pair that I own, I’m still just not a big enough fan of them to cough up the money for another pair of these flats.  (I actually didn’t even pay full price for my first pair.  I bought them off of someone that didn’t want theirs anymore.)  Maybe eventually I’ll get another pair, but it would have to be in a color that I would wear all of the time.  These things are expensive.

Have you tried any of these?  Do you have your own favorite teaching shoes that should be added to this list?  Share with me in the comments.

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