Thoughts I would like to share about teaching. All based on my almost forty wonderful years as a classroom teacher.

A is for ….

A is for lot of things like every letter is… but the first I would like to mention is

Attitude – Keep a good attitude, despite whatever is going on in your personal life or all around you. Your attitudes set the tone for everything that will happen during the course of a class period. A good attitude is infectious and something your students pick up on. Remember above all that what is happening in your classroom is not about you its about your students and a ‘Can Do’ and ‘ I am happy that I can be your teacher’ attitude will turn a good day into great day.

B is for …….

B is for behavior, yours and theirs.

Ultimately the only person’s behavior you can truly control is yours, and that’s the way it should be in a healthy learning situation. Will you be confronted with unacceptable behaviors? Yes. That is why it is call teaching. Meanwhile it is paramount that you are always in control of your behavior even if that means counting to ten more than once, or even twice.

When it comes to student behavior, it has been my experience that student behavior is like flowers, what gets watered is what grows.

C is for …….

C is for communication.

C could as easily stand for curriculum or consistency, both important factors in teaching. However it has been my experience that communication is paramount in effective teaching. “You can’t teach them until you reach them,” one of my many mentors explained to me more than once. And you can reach them without good communication skills, skills which you may have to develop on your own and continue to improve on through out your career. My memories of teacher training don’t include public speaking yet public speaking skills are essential to teaching. I have been a public speaker since my first day in the classroom. If you want to be effective this is a must.

There are also interpersonal communication skills you need to be mindful of as a teacher. Be a good listener, measure your replies, choose the right words, and be intentional. Parent-teacher contacts make a difference and are especially effective when they are pro-active and positive.

I deeply appreciate any support you give my writing by reading, sharing, and purchasing my books. My struggle to write and publish is real and I need all the help I can get. Thanks, Eddie Reed

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7