10 Ways to Deal with a Hard Year
I am having a difficult year. It’s hard for me to admit that, because I don’t want to be “that teacher” who complains about the kids and who blames the administration and who acts as if the universe owes him a unicorn and a mountain of peppermint fudge. I worry that in admitting just how hard it is, it will come across as blaming the students.
However, for a variety of reasons, it has been hard. I yelled at my class a few times this week. I got impatient with them often. Part of it has to do with my weaknesses and part of it has to do with the make-up of the group. Part of it has to do with the system and the restraints I have to deal with. My students would thrive if I had the permission to teach differently (as it is, I’m already breaking rules and raising eyebrows) I love my students and I don’t blame them.
But it’s been challenging. Add to this, I’m failing at the paperwork side of the job. I’m struggling to create six different lessons a day and to provide meaningful feedback on student work.
It’s been a hard year.
I’m not looking for advice or sympathy or any of that. I’m just putting it out there. It’s been hard. Really hard. Harder than my previous eight years of teaching. I will make through the year, but I will do so with a limp. I have had a few hard years before and here are ten things I’ve found to be true:
However, for a variety of reasons, it has been hard. I yelled at my class a few times this week. I got impatient with them often. Part of it has to do with my weaknesses and part of it has to do with the make-up of the group. Part of it has to do with the system and the restraints I have to deal with. My students would thrive if I had the permission to teach differently (as it is, I’m already breaking rules and raising eyebrows) I love my students and I don’t blame them.
But it’s been challenging. Add to this, I’m failing at the paperwork side of the job. I’m struggling to create six different lessons a day and to provide meaningful feedback on student work.
It’s been a hard year.
I’m not looking for advice or sympathy or any of that. I’m just putting it out there. It’s been hard. Really hard. Harder than my previous eight years of teaching. I will make through the year, but I will do so with a limp. I have had a few hard years before and here are ten things I’ve found to be true:
- Don’t let shame define you: Hard years often have a way of humbling good teachers. In a hard year, a teacher will probably snap at someone or use sarcasm or yell at a class. Add to this a lack of outward results and it can feel humiliating. Often, other teachers will offer advice rather than affirmation. It helps to remember that they are coming from the right place. They want to be useful. They want to help. In