It’s fair to say that we have all made mistakes in our life. While we hate to make mistakes they help to make us better when we choose to learn from them. In this episode we are sharing two BIG mistakes that we have made when heading back to school. 

While we share our two mistakes we want you to keep one thing in mind: KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. Teaching can often feel like a competition instead of a collaboration and while this is not done intentionally, it can manifest in so much that we do for our classroom and for our students. 

OUR TWO BIGGEST BACK-TO-SCHOOL MISTAKES

Mistake 1: Following trends we see on social media. AKA: Keeping up with the Jones’

Social media can be a place where innovation rises and new ideas spark excitement and motivation. As we have personally learned, social media can also be a place where new connections are made. However, social media can also cause us to feel pressure and distract us from our true purpose as a teacher. 

When feeling stressed because of what you are seeing on social media do these things instead:

• Stay off social media
• Remind yourself that it is easier to add on than to take away
• Best teaching practices aren’t always cute
• Your teaching ability is not determined by keeping up with the Jones’
• Teaching is not always about the materials but about the relationships you form

Mistake 2: Putting too much on our plates

Even when we are already feeling as though we have too much going on we still have a tendency to bring on more tasks. This is mainly because we don’t want to look as though we cannot do “all the things”. This can be from volunteering for activities, trying new things you see on social media or wanting to grow in multiple areas at once. This can lead to burnout and can even add pressures to your loved ones or your students. 

When feeling as though you are taking too much on do these things instead:

• Collaborate with other teachers as much as possible (synergy… 1 + 1 = 3)
• Choose one area to focus on (technology, parent communication, student wellbeing)
• Start with less and add more
• Limit how much you change in one year/at one time
• Practice self care

CONCLUSION

This year seems to add so much pressure on us with all the changes and adjustments that we are having to make as a teacher. It can be overwhelming and burn you out if you allow it to continue for too long. Remember to take a break away from work and try some of the strategies we mentioned to help ground you to what is really important. 

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