Team Cambridge
1. Balance the act: I will work hard and live smart
It is easier said than done, but we all need to switch off from time to time. To the best of your ability, try and keep school work at school, and enjoy your time at home. Keeping yourself happy is important and so is taking out time to de-stress. Only take papers or lesson planning home on designated days.
2. Give individual time to students: I will help EVERY student feel the joy of learning EVERY day
Connecting with students in an informal way with just a few one-on-ones will make them feel closer to you. Your connection with individual students will help you retain their attention while you execute your lesson plans. You can try and integrate a rotating classroom job in which your students help you do something. This way each student can remain involved and create a rapport with you.
3. Spice up the classroom routine: I will learn to embrace new technology
Technology is everywhere, and even the most laid-back students get excited and relate to technology. Try one new technological tool or instructional technique each month to keep things fresh and challenging for you and your students.
4. Reach out and come together: I will collaborate more with colleagues in my school and in other schools around the world
Your colleagues in school and around the globe have a wealth of information and perspective you can use. You can use the Cambridge Teacher Community – Teachers of Tomorrow (TOT) to connect and interact with teachers across South Asia. Utilize the skills of other teachers in your school to make your lessons stronger. You can reach out to different subject teachers like the PE teacher, the art teacher, or even the music teacher. When students see the staff working together, the lessons gain more importance and become memorable.
5. Draw a Clean Slate: I will give every student a fresh chance, regardless of past events
To keep you going and preparing for the last semester of school, putting the past behind you and looking forward may be the best strategy. Try and see your students in a different light. Most likely, they have grown in many ways since the start of the school year. Try and build on their successes, and see where they’ve failed, while trying to develop new strategies.
6. Keep positive: I won’t let small issues bog me down
It may be the New Year, but that doesn’t mean the same old problems won’t persist. When you resist change, it makes it harder to stay positive. Encourage others when you can and offer a helping hand to someone who may be going through a rough patch. Don’t let anyone’s negative attitude drag you down with them. Remove yourself from a bad situation and focus on what you can do in a positive manner.
7. Set a timetable: I will have better time management skills
This New Year, focus on your personal time management skills. Identify the gaps in your scheduling, learn to prioritize your tasks and take advantage of technology to really maximize your time. Tech tools are known to keep students engaged in learning longer and can deliver the lesson plan more efficiently. Hence, if you really want to maximize your students’ learning time, use these tools in your lessons.
8. Renew your vow: I will remember my passion for teaching
In everyday life, it’s easy to lose track of what initially motivated you to teach, especially when you’ve been doing it for a long time. Sometimes a fresh new start which is brought in at the turn of the year can help you remember your passion for teaching. This New Year, take some time to write down a few reasons why you became a teacher in the first place. Remembering your drive and passion for teaching will help you keep going with the same fervour as when you started.
9. Set your sights on the goal: I will create a Personal Development Plan (PDP)
The New Year is the best time to take charge of your career and set out your professional goals. Charting out a PDP and CPD may assist with reaching both short and long-term career goals. You can even share it with your headteacher for a better understanding of your goals, your strengths and even your development needs. If you are trying to create such a plan, do make sure to outline your strengths, areas for further development, potential opportunities and don’t forget any threats that may affect any of the plans that you make.
10. Believe in yourself: I have been and will continue to give my 100% every time
It is time to start ignoring that constant nagging at the back of your mind that makes you doubt your abilities. You need to stop worrying and second-guessing yourself. Take time for yourself, so that when the new session starts you are back with even more zeal to top your abilities and be an even better teacher than you were the year before.
What are your New Year’s resolutions for the year 2019 as a teacher? Share with us in the comments section.
