Having just finished a professional impact paper for my grad class, I began to think about how I can best help those who are in my profession. Teaching is really just a continual learning process. When people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them that I teach high school English. Not only do I teach teenagers, but I teach them a subject that they cannot get out of taking. I don’t teach the fun classes where you get to paint or build anything. I teach old, dead, mostly white men’s words to classrooms full of students who would, often times, rather be anywhere else but in English class. I am often met with a follow up question about how I can stand all of the attitudes that teenagers often exhibit. I reply that teaching is an adventure; not always a good one, but an adventure all the same.

My final project for Grad school was to create something original that could benefit others in my field. I could write a journal article, create a website, a professional training session with a multimedia presentation, or create a blog. The last option is the one that I chose. I had always wished to write a blog, but I never did it. This pushed me to stick myself out there and see if what I had to say was of value to anyone else. Not only is this project for me to talk about things that I have learned, but it is supposed to maybe help others understand and further their teaching as well.

Teachers are very good at borrowing knowledge from just about anywhere. The world is full of lessons, both good and bad. As we are in the very busy/crazy time of the year for teaching, I am going to try to give some useful tips for survival the last few weeks before Christmas. Am I the all knowing powerful Wizard of Limestone? No, but I am a seasoned teacher who still makes mistakes and who can share some of what I have learned to others.

Well…. here goes. When you feel like the clock is ticking so loudly that everyone can hear the desperation in your thoughts, it is time to sit down and have a chat with your inner evil elves. So you have a paper to finish, a speech to give, and novels to finish and you have two weeks to get it all done. In order for this to be even remotely possible, it takes a teacher with clear instructions, a clear path to completion, and an enthusiastic mindset. Most things can be accomplished with planning and a bit of elbow grease.

First thing to remember is that YOU are the one who assigned all of this work. Was this dictated to you by the school curriculum? Yes. Did you make the plan about due dates? Yes. Are you responsible for the lack of time left in the year? Not, but you are responsible for utilizing what time you do have efficiently.

Time to roll up those sleeves and get to work. First and foremost, what is essential? Can anything be modified? If the answer is yes, then start planning.

When looking at a big task, it is a good idea to break it into chunks. Divide the paper into sections and work on those each day. Creating smaller deadlines makes it feel much more achievable. When the paper is finished, it is time to do the speech. In order to diversify the lesson for people with anxiety, The students can have someone video them giving their speech and turn the video in to me. “Mischief managed.”(Rowling, JK)

What about the novels that need finished? Once the paper and speech are complete, there is a full week to finish the 2 or 3 remaining chapters for each class. The tests over the books will be the final for the semester. Look you have completed the “Impossible.” Is the fun over? Nope, now you get to grade all of the assignments before you can begin to enjoy the Christmas break. The good news is that you have a little time to get that done.

This is not some kind of mind blowing advice you might say. True, it is not, but sometimes some good old fashioned planning and execution is all it takes. We do have tools that can make grading more streamlined. There are rubrics and AI technology that helps go through writing in a more timely manner. While these do exist, I am not sure how I feel about a computer doing my job for me. It may take a while for me to jump on board the Brisk bus, but It does speed things up.

If you find yourself drowning in self created stress, give yourself some grace. Take a minute and breathe. Think things through, make a plan, and work toward the end goal. No one can expect more from you than your best, so remind yourself to be kind to yourself and push through.

Until next time,

Cat