2015 Teaching Goals

This post is part of the Reach To Teach Teach Abroad Blog Carnival. The host for January is me here at mELTing Activities, so be sure to check out this link: http://eslcarissa.blogspot.com/2015/01/teachers-resolutions-2015.html  to see everyone's great resolutions! If you’d like to contribute to February's Blog Carnival, please get in touch with dean@reachtoteachrecruiting.com to get in the loop!

This was me in my Mexico office with my Mexican coffee

2014 was a wild ride. I finished up my three years teaching at a University and High School in Mexico and have moved back to San Diego where I got a great job at a private school near the Mexican border. I teach a diverse group of students including students from Brazil, China, Mexico, and Lithuania.

In addition, I work with the entire student body after school where I supervise the tutoring center. I get to help students with math, science, Spanish, English, and pretty much anything they need help doing.

While I love my job, I feel like I am doing about a million things at once (although I think that's normal).

Following are my resolutions. Some are pretty boring, but I hope by writing them down, I'll be more likely to accomplish them.

1. Have More Patience
• I feel like I use all of my patience up by the end of the week. I am going to try to have more patience with my students. I think that I will be able to accomplish this if I sleep more, start exercising again, and have really well planned lessons.  
2. Include More Fun

   

   I am spirited! Me on a school spirit day.

• I used to do tons of fun and games with my classes, but this year I feel like there just isn't enough time to do everything I need. Plus, I think I am having, "new teacher syndrome," where these classes are pushing me to see how far they can go. As a result, their behavior doesn't merit having fun and games. However, I think that if I make more of an effort to find ways to make class more fun, their behavior may improve as well. 
3. Support Extra Curricular Activities
•  I love supporting my school, yet, as stated above, I already work after school. That means while other teachers get out at 3:00, I am at school until 4:30pm. Because of these lengthy hours, I often find myself going straight home and not watching students sports events. I really feel that teachers who make an effort to go to these, are seen my the students, and that it is appreciated. I hope to attend at least one event every other week. 
4. Eat SOMETHING that school
• I have a thirty minute lunch. I usually use it as prep time for my next class. The problem is by the time I get home (again, usually after 5pm) I am starving! This cannot be healthy. I vow to eat something every day. Even if it isn't lunch. Maybe a granola bar, or an orange Anything to keep my body fueled. 
5. Be sure to have ME time
• I think I am becoming a workahaolic! I don't want to be addicted to my job, and I don't want to burn out my first year back in San Diego. Instead, I vow to take at least... thirty minutes a day... for me. Just me. I may take a walk, watch a TV show, or grab coffee with a friend. In these thirty minutes, I don't need to think about work or lesson plan. I LOVE my job, but burning out as a teacher is a serious issue that I hope to avoid. 

So there we are, my five resolutions to make me a better teacher.

If anyone has any tips or tricks on how I can accomplish the previous, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Maybe you have an awesome time management tool, a great and easy snack for lunch time, or fun games that students love and are behaved while you do it. Please share in the comments.

Remember, if you have created any resolutions you too can join the blog carnival. Just post them in your blog and get the link to me before the 5th. I'll compile a list and post the blog carnival January 7th!