New Years Resolutions for Teachers

Everyone makes them, including teachers. New Years resolutions are part of teachers lives just like everyone else. They have room to improve and get better with the new year. Here is a look at some of the top resolutions for teachers and how to go about achieving them.

Grade papers in a timely manner. All teachers struggle with this. You give a test one day and the students want to know how they did the next day. It's easy to give yourself extra time when you have so much going on. Make grading papers timely a priority and create a habit of doing so.

Improve Classroom management. Every teacher has room to become a better classroom manager. It's an ongoing process that doesn't stop until you retire. Look for areas in your management techniques that you can improve this year. In order to do this you have to be honest with yourself and possibly even seek the advice of a fellow colleague.

Have more engaging lessons for students. Sometimes you have great lessons and sometimes you don't. Every teacher can look at themselves and say I have opportunities to have more engaging lessons. Work with those around you, use the Internet and find other resources to find more engaging lessons that will keep your students involved in the learning.

Treat all students fairly. Teachers are human. Whether they realize it or not, they often have their favorites. They don't intentionally treat students unfairly but realistically it happens. This year seek to treat every student fairly. This includes disciplining those students that might be your favorites.

Be more consistent in discipline. What goes for one student should go for all. Take yourself and your feelings out of the equation. I like the motto of "a cup is a cup." In other words misbehavior is misbehavior, regardless of who is responsible for it. Learn to be more consistent in the disciplining of your students.

Have planning done ahead of time. It's not always easy to do. No teacher wants to spend their entire weekend working on lessons. In order to avoid this in the new year though, you will need to plan ahead. Start working on next weeks lessons early in the week. Do a little each night and you will find yourself being successful in your attempt.

Find more time for family and friends on the weekends. Having more time on the weekends for the family is always a goal of teachers. To make this a reality you need to get your planning and grading done ahead of time. Having time for your family is important and something you need to keep yourself sane.

Speak to each student every day. I think this is important. Students want to feel like they are important to you. Speaking to them every day can do just that. Make an effort to say something to each student (positive) every day. Something as simple as a compliment could go a long way.

Collaborate more with colleagues. It's easy to get in a mode of thinking that says you don't need anyone's help. The reality is though, the more you collaborate the better teacher you will be. Make an effort in the new year to do just that.

Grow more as a professional. The bottom line is teachers want to continue to grow. Learn more about the teaching profession, grow as professional and get better at what you are doing. In the end this is what matters the most.