It’s the little things. Ever heard that phrase? I really believe it because I have found it to be true. As teachers, we have a million things to juggle in a day. Here’s a brief list:
- Set up classroom
- Put common lesson plan on the board
- Answer emails
- Call parents
- Meet with students before and/or after school for tutoring, club sponsorship, make-up work, etc…
- Greet students at the door
- Teach or facilitate the lesson
- Grade papers
- Counsel an upset or angry student
- Create lesson plans
- Collaborate with PLCs (Professional Learning Communities)
- Take attendance
- Attend Faculty meeting
Although this is not a complete list of a daily routine, we get the picture. There is a lot to do in a day. So, for me, the little things matter. Those little things can add up to making a BIG difference in a teacher’s day, routine, or school year. I don’t mean this as a dig, but I do think that there are a lot of leaders or administrators that forget the chaos of a teacher’s day. It just happens, and it could be because they are stressed out too. These little things could make everyone’s jobs a little easier or, at the very least, more efficient. Here is my list of little things that can be so easy to do:
COMMUNICATION
We are in the age of technology. Emails come in mass quantities. I get it. Sometimes it is too much to handle. But, I imagine a world we can prioritize communication in any form. Teachers put a lot of time and effort into planning their calendar and lesson plans. Sometimes, things happen and there is a standardized test or school event that must get done. However, a lot of the times, we are not informed in a reasonable fashion about changes, important dates, or expectations. This can cause anxiety for a teacher because we have planned and probably already shifted lessons to meet the needs and deadlines of our classes. I have seen teachers go into complete panic mode because they had finally scheduled a summative assessment (Socratic seminar or test) but now have to change it because of last minute communication. It sounds silly, but teachers have a lot to fit in within a certain amount of time.
Solutions? I have seen principals send an email on a weekly basis with important news. This can be helpful because a teacher (and parents for that matter) can read all of the important information and upcoming dates in one big email. Another solution is to have a central calendar for the school. Not only does the principal and administrators mark important events and dates on the central calendar, but the teachers and coaches can as well. I have mainly seen this as a digital calendar, but I would think that having a big calendar (dry erase perhaps) at the front of the school would make it easy for everyone that enters the building to see what is going on that month. We could even be like this new generation of students and just take a picture of it with our phones, as we enter the building. Lastly, I would say that having a strong leadership strategy can help with communication. If the principal meets or communicates with his or her administrators and heads of departments, they can make sure the small announcements get communicated within their groups.
SOAP
You heard me. I said, “SOAP!”. It is hard to get good soap at a public school. And even if there is soap in a dispenser, it is weak. I swear that I have gone to use the soap in many schools and found that I get a few suds in the palm of my hand. This may seem like a little thing, but it turns into a bigger one. Schools are like petri dishes. There are germs galore, and in order to keep our teachers (and students for that matter) healthy and at school, we need some good antibacterial soap.
Solutions? Get good soap in the faculty bathrooms. 😊 Seriously, we need to put a little more of a budget into the soap quality. I don’t think it would cost that much more and the pay off is that the school has healthy teachers. The school saves on the cost for subs to come in for the sick teachers. Win-win. If you can’t get the soap budget increased, take charge. See if your colleagues will contribute to a soap supply. You can find good store brand antibacterial soap at the store for less than a $1. I have been buying it on my own for my department for the last couple of years, and you would think the bathroom has turned into a fancy spa. Here is the latest shout out to me from my school in the Friday emails:
“Shout out to whoever put the nice smelling soap in the women’s bathroom on E hallway. I feel so fancy when I use it!”
It costs 89 cents to make a teacher feel fancy. Click to Staple Easy button.
CELEBRATIONS
I will probably dedicate a whole blog about celebrations at work. During the school, we spend more time at work with our colleagues within the week than we do with our families and personal friends. Why not celebrate the personal and professional things in life? A job does not have to always be about work, work, work.
Solutions? It is so easy to recognize when someone has done something extraordinary. You can mention it to them in passing. You can send a quick email with a funny or cute meme.
We can say “Happy Birthday” or even sit down and eat cake together. I have a teacher who is next door to me, and I kid you not, we have high-fived before because we were so proud of a well-executed lesson. Those kinds of celebrations add up to a positive mindset at work. It keeps us going.
I have so many more little things that I could add to my list, but I would rather hear some from you. Please take a minute to share what is the little thing that you care about that could make your job or day a little bit easier or efficient. Even better, you can add a solution or example of how it can be handled or how you have seen little things in action. Take time to celebrate you!
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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