The Blog

New blogs monthly covering topics related to education, teacher mental health, and anything in between.

If you are interested in becoming a guest writer, please email your pitch to maketeachingjoyful@gmail.com

Calling Families in the First Few Weeks of School

September 9, 2023

Written by Joy Jancewicz

Founder of Make Teaching Joyful

School is now in session for most of us, so this month I wanted to write a blog about something I think is possibly the most important item to add to your to do list: calling families. At the start of the year, take the time to speak to each family about their child individually. Don't wait a few months for conferences, and don't rely on brief interactions that happen at open house while surrounded by others. I want families to know that I that I am available to them, and that I am invested in their child.

For many early career teachers (and honestly, for some veteran teachers as well), I know phone calls home can be stressful. Personally, it was the one thing I was most nervous for when I got hired. I truly believe this is because we don't have practice--I never made a single call home during student teaching, but looking back I wish I had. With experience comes comfort. We as educators should be actively communicating more with families, and slowly but surely it will stop being nerve-wracking. Contact early on in the year is a great way to break the ice.

I started the practice of calling families at the start of school three years ago when I first entered my own classroom, and have continued it ever since. I have found that families are often surprised and thankful to hear from me. This year, I had one mother who profusely expressed how glad she was that I had called, and it proved without a doubt that calling home is a worthwhile practice.

I highly recommend to every teacher that they take the time to call each family to check in. If you're not sure where to start, continue reading for how I typically conduct these phone calls.

After confirming who I'm speaking to, I say "I'm Miss Jancewicz, I'm calling to formally introduce myself as your child's teacher and to see how the school year is going so far on your end." After this heads-up for why I'm calling, I always find a positive to point out about the child. I then give the family time to share any thoughts that they have. At the end of the call, I make sure to remind them to reach out to me if there's anything I can ever do to further support their child. Usually, our conversations only last a few minutes, but the positives are invaluable and can last all year.

Is Your Self-Care Self-Protective?

July 18, 2023

Written by Rachel Buck, LMSW-cc/M.Ed

School Social Worker


Self-care is the newest buzzword in education. It’s a long overdue conversation, no doubt– but it is currently used as a way to encourage teachers to go get a mani/pedi or get tickets for the hockey game rather than addressing the need for teacher self-care, ignoring the elephant in the room of what is expected of the average educator in modern, public school America. (It should be noted that those working in private schools have even more expectations for less financial benefit.) Coming off of the pandemic, most of those expectations have come out of the shadows: the children you teach are more important than the children you personally raise; you can choose to come in early, stay late, or work at home (or all of the above); if it gets cut from the budget, buy it yourself because most importantly, it is for the children. I’ve had actual people ask me to my face why I won’t volunteer to work for free; when I ask when they last took an overtime shift for free, they walk away exasperated– but no less expectant of dictating my time.


As a way to protect your mental health and therefore your ability to continue working in this career that you love, I challenge you to focus on deeper self-care work, developing a practice that will protect you year round.


How do you do that? The simple answer is by creating boundaries that you will hold, no matter who is asking you to cross the line. Ok, well, that’s not so simple, but it is the thing that will change your life as an educator.


Brene Brown, Ph.D, LMSW, is a shame researcher who explained this in her book Rising Strong in a way that cemented it in my practice. She talks about having BIG boundaries (and I am definitely paraphrasing here): Boundaries protect your Integrity and allow for your Generosity. When you value your worth–your time, your beliefs, your life–you show others what you will accept in how you will be treated. And when you’ve established and held those boundaries for yourself, what you choose to give becomes so much more valuable.


When I was first hired as the alternative ed teacher, my kids were in kindergarten and 2nd grade, and I watched our best friend’s kindergartener and 3rd grader after school. I had to meet the bus every day, which meant I then had a choice: take the kids home, or head back to my classroom where there was more work than I could hope to finish. I decided that I would work my tail off whenever I was at work, and that when I left for the day, I would switch into my wife/mumma/friend/nanny hats. This turns out to be what kept me working in alternative ed (and now social work) for close to 20 years. By establishing my hard line (work at work, home at home) I not only saved my quality of life, but I also taught others to value me as an employee who made the choice to work at this job. Any of you who know me know that this job is massively important to me– but I stumbled into a scenario where I could honor both my ‘work’ and my ‘life’ as special.


Leo Leonni first taught me this concept when I was in elementary school. Instead of gathering food for winter, Frederick gathers the colors. His family criticizes him for being lazy, until, in the quiet of winter, Frederick entertains them all by telling them stories. Yes, this book reinforced the need for creativity and the arts (another soapbox for another day) but it also taught me that it’s ok to rest, especially when you need to. It’s ok to appreciate today’s rain because when the sun comes out again it will feel amazing. It is ok to decline the ask of serving on the committee because you don’t have the capacity to do so.


This is all to say that while I know summer is ripe for the self-care of beach days, leisurely lunches, and binge watching the newest release, I also encourage you to consider what are those hard stops in your professional life that you know will make it easier to live in your integrity, and be generous when you choose to do so.


References:

Brown, B. (2015). Rising Strong. Vermilion.

Lionni, L. (1967). Frederick. New York: Pantheon.


When the School Year Ends

June 14, 2023

There are a few things that educators should be doing when the school year ends. These things are to help rejuvenate our tired souls while also keeping us prepared and worry-free.

On the last day of school, I make sure my classroom is ready for summer. I don't want to have to worry about coming back to fix things up so that it can be cleaned. Instead, I pick away at it over time and make sure it is done by the time students leave on the last day.

Once my classroom is clean, and I can leave, I stay gone for a while. It's incredibly important to be able to reset after a long year, I make sure to give myself some distance at the beginning of summer. I use this time to take care of myself and do things I can't normally do during the school year. 

Another important step to follow at the end of the year is distancing yourself from the stress of work. After I've taken my initial reset time, I start to ease myself back into work. However, I don't worry too much about what's to come the following school year until August hits. I'll start to prep some items and get my classroom ready, but hold off on the serious deep-thinking in order to take the time to enjoy my summer.

What tips do you have for how to handle the end of the school year and summer? Share them with us through our email, and we'd love to share them out on our Instagram! maketeachingjoyful@gmail.com

Blog #17 takeaway: Prioritize yourself at the end of the year and through summer by preparing ahead of time and giving yourself some distance from work.

Supporting Early Career Teachers

May 24, 2023

This week's blog is all about ways that veteran teachers, administration, and anyone in between can best support those who are new to the field. As a second year teacher, I can speak directly from experience on what can help early career teachers to someday grow into amazing educators!

Being a new educator can be overwhelming. We often say it takes a village to raise a child, but remember that it also takes a village to support early career teachers to grow and to stay in the field.

Blog #16 takeaway: Try to support early career teachers in your school in any way that you can.

The Wonders of Positive Reinforcement

May 17, 2023

Think about how good it feels when a coworker, a stranger, even a family member tells you that you're doing great at something. Children feel that way too, especially when it comes from a positive adult in their life (hint: that's often a teacher)!

When I use positive reinforcement in my classroom, I see students glow with pride. I feel that it's really important to instill confidence in students in order for them to succeed in school. Sure, we can still use gold star stickers to encourage students, but there's a whole world of positive reinforcement--why limit ourselves? I have a couple of favorite strategies to share with you this week, and if you have some of your own head on over to our Instagram to share with us!

I love writing positive sticky notes to put onto students' desks! This makes students feel special because they're getting something handwritten, just for them. A great time for this can be during an assessment or difficult activity when you see someone having a hard time. I'll never forget using this when a student was struggling on a math test. She looked to practically be in tears, despite knowing the content and processes on every formative assessment we'd taken up to that point. Instead of drawing a ton of attention to her by going over and having a conversation, I wrote a simple positive affirmation on a sticky note. I could tell by her smile that I'd done the trick, and later that afternoon I could see it in her grade, too!

I also love to send positive notes home for students' families. This can be done as a phone call as well, but in my experience, students like having something tangible to carry home and even hang up later. I write directly to families in these letters, telling them great things that I admire about their child in my classroom. I typically keep a list of who receives letters so that I can try to send them to different families each time, and it helps to set a goal of how many to send per week to try to hold myself accountable. I have also seen teachers offer letters or phone calls home as a reward that students can select, but I prefer for it to be more spontaneous. I want them to be surprised and overjoyed when they receive one!

Lastly, I'll admit it--I have a positivity mirror! You've probably seen them all over social media, just like I have, but I knew I needed to make one. Not only is this a great way to encourage students to give themselves positive reinforcement on their own, it's also a tool we use for behavior regulation if students feel sad or insecure. I allow my students to use this mirror any time of our day as it's not really a distraction for others because it's a silent activity; students read the affirmations in their head and come back when they're ready. It took a while to get used to this feature, but now they use it when they need to!

I highly encourage every teacher to evaluate their positive reinforcement strategies, and update if necessary. Using strategies like what I listed above can not only build students' confidence, but promote solid teacher-student relationships as well--which are key to a functioning classroom.

Blog #15 takeaway: Positive reinforcement is always worth it and can impact students in wonderful ways.

End of the Year Ideas for the Classroom

May 10, 2023

As the end of the year approaches, there are usually a mixture of emotions in my classroom. We're all feeling excited for summer, but I'm also feeling sad that my time with this group of students is about to wrap up and eager to make the most of what we have left. This week, I want to share a few of my end of the year activities that I look forward to doing in my classroom.

Scrapbooks: This tradition actually came from my co-worker, and I loved it so much I had to start it also! Every year, students will decorate a page that I put into a scrapbook of the year. They can use photos, stickers, and any other decorations I can find. This is really great to look back at in the future, and it helps that students love to do it! 

Extra Recess Minutes: Like most schools, we do state testing at the end of the year. This idea also did not originate with me, but it's brilliant. To motivate students to try their best on their testing, since it is a necessary evil and not optional, I will offer extra recess time for the entire class as a reward, which we use throughout the last few weeks. Each point that students increase their scores from the winter test will earn the class one extra minute of recess. Not only does this encourage students, but it's also a great way to get in some outdoor time with everything else going on at the end of the year.

Celebration of Learning: This celebration is a great opportunity to invite families into the classroom to see the work students have done throughout the year. I like to create a slideshow with photos from the year to share along with a speech, and last year I also awarded class superlatives and gave out end of the year gifts. It was one of my top 5 favorite days of the year! Not only did my students love this, but families seemed to really enjoy being a part of the classroom.

Head on over to our Instagram and leave a comment to share your own favorite end of the year activities!

Blog #14 takeaway: Make the most of the end of the year by curating activities and experiences that both you and students will enjoy.

Being Trauma-Informed in the Classroom

May 3, 2023

As teachers, it is incredibly important that we consider all aspects of our students and their pasts in order to be the best resources for them. If you are not already familiar with ACEs, click here to read up on them. To explain briefly, there are many things that children can experience that will negatively impact them, and it is entirely possible that we may not know all that a child has been through. This makes it vital that we use trauma-informed practices in the classroom.

Admittedly, this was not a topic that I was super familiar with immediately following my college graduation. It took time in the classroom, and some personal research, to wrap my head around this information. If you are in the same boat that I was, this blog post is for you.

One really big shift that I have made is how I handle discipline. This is of course not an end-all be-all, especially because every child is different, but I have found that using restorative practices best benefit the majority of my students. The most common way that I do this is through Respect Circles, where we can directly discuss the problem and how to improve for next time. This opens up a forum where students feel comfortable to think and reflect deeply on themselves. I use this practice often in my classroom, and my students are able to really self-reflect and come up with plans to correct their own behavior.

Another change that I have made is being conscious about the words I use. If there are students refusing to follow directions, I make sure not to say "When an adult tells you to do something, you need to do it." This statement can have a really big impact on students; in reality, they likely shouldn't listen to every adult they come into contact with. There are other ways to incorporate trauma-informed language into your classroom. The most important thing to do is to think before you speak--think, how can this be interpreted by my students? How might this affect prior experiences my students have had? How might this impact experiences that students could have in the future?

And of course, relationship-building is incredibly important when considering trauma in the classroom. Many students need a safe space, as well as a trusted adult. Being consistent every day and listening to what students have to say can create an environment where everyone feels respected and safe. If we expect students to come to school and learn, we first need to make sure that their environmental needs are being met (see again: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs).

I encourage every teacher to look even further into trauma-informed practices to bring into classrooms. We may not always know everything our students have gone through, but that doesn't mean we can't still meet their needs.

Blog #13 takeaway: Trying to incorporate trauma-informed practices into your classroom will greatly benefit students.

Game-Changing Teacher Meal Preps: Breakfast

April 26, 2023

It may seem like today's blog is pretty off-topic from what I usually cover. However, as you probably know, I am a huge advocate for teacher mental health. I have found that using meal prep recipes has greatly improved my own mental health during the work week because they take some of the load off me for when I get home. As another plus, I have found that many of these work great on a budget.

Today, I want to share my favorite breakfast meal prep ideas. I am notorious for eating my breakfasts on the go since I prefer to sleep in a little bit extra (again, something that improves my mental health). These breakfasts are great to eat on the go, or even sitting at home with a cup of coffee. I tend to make these on Sundays to use throughout the week, and all of them can be frozen to last even longer if you want to cook in bulk. However, something I recently learned (after many breakfasts with too-melted cheese and still-cold eggs) is to put the food in the fridge the night before you plan to reheat. This gives it a chance to thaw, and then it will heat more evenly.

☆ Breakfast Burritos: Scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa together in a tortilla. Sometimes I'll even throw in home fries for a little extra flavor, but you can add anything you want, including meat or veggies. I prefer to make these with the small tortillas as those typically best suit my morning appetite. 

☆ Egg and Cheese Sandwiches: I cook an egg over-medium and top it with my favorite cheese, then toast an English muffin and put it all together. I find this works best when I let every individual piece cool before combining. The biggest reason is I know the cheese is going to melt when I heat it for breakfast, so I don't want to pre-melt it. Again, you can add any meat or veggies you want to this; I sometimes cut up spinach and sprinkle it over my egg while it cooks, so it sticks to the egg and adds some extra nutrients!

☆ Muffins: Lately I've had a huge muffin obsession, particularly blueberry chocolate chip muffins. These are great because recipes are already written to make around a dozen, which easily feeds my two-person household for a week. I try to keep these out and fresh as long as possible, but again you can freeze muffins to keep them for longer. I've been trying various recipes to find one I like best, since some are sweeter or more airy than others, so that part is up to you.

☆ Overnight Oats: While not really an on-the-go option unless you aren't the driver, overnight oats are a favorite for me. It's pretty quick to throw some ingredients together in a Mason jar to grab in the morning, then I'll typically eat them at my desk before students arrive. I'm attaching a link to one of my favorite recipes, but there are so many options out there for different flavor combinations!

If you have other great breakfast meal prep ideas, please share with us! 

Teachers, remember, your mental health is important. If you think that prepping your breakfasts ahead of time would be beneficial for you, why not try it?

Blog #12 takeaway: Meal prepping breakfasts can help take some strain off of you during the week.

Spending Money on Your Classroom

April 19, 2023

I had a professor in my undergraduate career whose biggest advice to us was to never spend our personal money on our classrooms. That was the one and only time that I have ever heard someone say this. It has become so normalized that as teachers, we inevitably spend our own money for our classrooms or students. But my professor urged us not to--and she made a good point. The more we pay for, the less our districts or the government will pay for in the long run. Oh, that teacher bought her own supply of pencils? Cool, next year we won't provide a pencil budget since she can handle it herself. And so it will spiral.

I'm not going to sit here at my keyboard and tell you that I never purchase things for my classroom because that would be a lie. However, I am very conscious about what I do buy and why for the exact reason in the paragraph above. If you want to be part of a positive change in the education system, then I urge you to think about the following things before you buy something for school:

Those are the rules that I live by. They don't quite adhere to what my professor advised me, but I feel that I've made a reasonable compromise. The truth is, most teachers aren't given much to work with. If I don't buy books for my classroom, I might be able to get 1-2 per year from my budgeted money, which isn't enough when I'm trying to encourage students to read more. Some day, we may be able to achieve systematic changes to the education system where teachers are able to have all of the necessary materials to teach students. However, if we continue to almost single-handedly fund our classrooms, that day might be even farther away.

Blog #11 takeaway: Be conscious about the money you spend on your classroom. 

Classroom Management Strategies for the Early Career Teachers

April 12, 2023

I think I speak for many teachers' experiences when I say that classroom management was not taught in university. We touched upon it, especially during field work, but imagine how beneficial an entire class on that topic would have been! With that in mind, this week's blog is targeted to other early career teachers; I want to share my tips in hopes that others will share theirs.

The biggest piece of solid classroom management is consistency. In almost every circumstance, if something is not allowed one day, it should not be allowed the next. I say "almost" because I have definitely let some things slide during reward days, but for the most part I try to be consistent from day to day. If you feel that this is something you might struggle with, my advice is to sit down before the start of the year (or even before a big reset, like a school break) and jot down your expectations. Have the rules in mind before ever being put into a situation where students are misbehaving. If you know what you expect beforehand, you will have a much easier time keeping firm in the moment. One small example of this is that I knew I would not be letting students sharpen their own pencils because of personal experience with broken sharpeners. I have not once let a student use my electric sharpener, but if I had not known this beforehand I don't think I would have stuck to it.

I'd also love to share a few strategies that have been working for my classroom. Some I have come up with on my own, based on my own knowledge, but others were shared from veteran teachers or I've come across at some point in my career. The ideas that are not my own will have an asterisk* next to them.

Class vs. Teacher* This is a really great strategy for competitive classes. Each section of the day, either the class or the teacher earns a point. Mainly, the goal is for students to show expected behavior throughout the day. The way that I use this is by having the class choose a reward each week. On Friday, if they win, they will get that reward. If I win, or if it's a tie, they do not get anything. Check out this Instagram post for a few of my favorite rewards to offer!

Timer Time I love to offer Fun Friday, which is a fairly common practice. However, what I have started to do, is start a timer on my watch when the majority of the class is wasting time; for example, when they are chatting during a lesson. Then, I subtract this time from their allotted Fun Friday time. Students following expectations at that time will get put on a list and not owe that time. I also try to offer opportunities for students to earn back time. In the end, usually most students owe differing amounts of time. I find that this is a really good way to hold students accountable for their actions.

Volume Scale* This is one of my favorite, and most used, strategies that came from other teachers. I have a volume scale posted where I can move the pointer to whichever volume I expect at that time. Again, it really only works when used with consistency, but it works really well when students know to reference the visual.

Hand Signals* Having hand signals in place for the bathroom, water, and even our Feelings Bin has made life so much simpler. Instead of having an interruption from a student to use the bathroom, which then creates a domino effect, they can hold up a hand signal and it's like the lesson never stopped. If you think it can have a hand signal, give it a hand signal!

These are my top four strategies that I have had in place all year, that students respond really well to. I hope that by sharing them I will be helping other early career teachers to set themselves up for success. Classroom management certainly has a learning curve, and not every strategy works on every year's students--you might have to change it up year to year, but don't forget to be consistent within each year. The more experience we gather, and the more we help each other out, the more we will succeed.

Blog #10 takeaway: It is important to use your classroom management strategies consistently, as well as adapt to meet the needs of your current class.

Teaching and Using Emotional Zones

April 5, 2023

Have you ever stopped to think about how humans naturally feel emotions, but at a young age we can't naturally tell what they are? Some of us adults may be too far removed from childhood to remember what it's like to feel off but not be able to explain how or why, and yet this is a reality for children. As educators, it is important to teach students about recognizing their emotions and how to cope with them.

In my classroom, one of the first topics we cover at the start of the year is the emotional zones. Put simply, green zone is feeling content and ready to work; red zone is angry or frustrated; yellow zone is anxious or wiggly; blue zone is sad. Once we've established what each zone is, and what it feels like, we talk about strategies to get back into that green zone. On the same board that I have visuals for each zone, there is also a list of things that students can do to try to regulate their emotions. I make sure to include a range of ideas, from things they can do independently without asking to things that require an adult. Here are just a few that work best in my classroom:

I would say that having a Feelings Bin is one of the best features of my classroom, because not only does it help with emotional regulation, but it also encourages student independence. I have a basket in a separate space in my classroom; it's filled with fidgets, a notebook, coloring book, and coloring supplies. All my students have to do is hold up the class symbol for Feelings Bin (this year it looks like they're holding an imaginary stress ball), and when they get the thumbs-up from me they can use the bin for 3 minutes. It is their responsibility to set up the sand timer and leave the bin when it runs out. Given this kind of independence, there may be children who want to take advantage. However, if the expectations are clear, you might be surprised how responsible students can be. I made sure to set the expectation that students who are dishonest about the Feelings Bin may lose that privilege, and I have had almost zero issues.

The Feelings Bin doesn't always work, which is why I also encourage the use of other strategies. It's definitely the first one that students ask for, but they are usually receptive when I suggest trying a different method first. I have been so impressed with how well my students can recognize how they are feeling. They will tell me, "I'm in the blue zone" or "I'm not in the green zone." It takes a lot of practice and teacher guidance, but these are important steps towards students becoming emotionally functional members of society one day. I truly believe that all teachers should be using these zones and teaching emotional regulation strategies in their classrooms.

Blog #9 takeaway: Children have to be taught about the emotions they feel and how to deal with them in healthy ways.

Prioritizing Ourselves--and the Stigma that Follows 

March 29, 2023

You cannot care for your students if you don't first prioritize your own wellness. For example, if I don't get enough sleep the night before a field trip, I know that when I'm supposed to be supervising students on the bus I'll be struggling to keep my eyes open. If there were to be an unsafe situation, I would not be as prepared as I should be. I personally know that I need to prioritize getting adequate sleep before a field trip because otherwise I will not be at my best. This logic applies to so much in the lives of educators. Below, I am going to list some ways to prioritize yourself daily, along with the rationale so that you can try to internally combat the stigma we all feel. Not only are we our harshest critics, but we are often scrutinized by those around us. We need to find a way to beat the guilt that we often feel when we put ourselves first. This is an incredibly important piece to combatting the burnout that teachers struggle with.

Don't get caught up worrying that you'll look like a bad teacher if you do any of these things. In my opinion, the best teachers know when to prioritize themselves so that they can continue to be a rock for their students. Try to remember that you're no good to anyone if you aren't taking care of your own needs. Referencing back to an older blog, upon which this one builds, here's a reminder that even on airplanes they ask you to put YOUR oxygen mask on first before helping those around you. PUT YOUR OXYGEN MASKS ON, TEACHERS!

Blog #8 takeaway: Take care of yourself first and foremost so that you can then take care of your students to the best of your ability.

Involving Students in Daily Class Procedures

March 14, 2023

If you're burnt out trying to keep up with every single procedure in your classroom--this one's for you. Students are capable of being a cog in the machine that is their classroom. You might even be surprised what they can do with just a little bit of modeling. Here are some of my favorites that are tried and true methods in my classroom and are pretty simple to start with.

Morning Meeting: The day I realized I would have extra time to take attendance and set up materials if I let my students run morning meeting was the best day of my life. Well, no, that's an exaggeration, but it was seriously a game changer. I was always scrambling to keep students engaged in their morning work long enough for me to finish all of the necessary tasks I had, which then caused morning meeting to start late and therefore I had less content time. It was truly a scheduling struggle. However, one day, on a whim, I asked a student to run the meeting. We had been in school just under 100 days at this point, so they pretty much knew what had to be done. It was not the smoothest morning meeting, but why does perfection really matter in this case? After this, I spent about a week explicitly teaching students how to run morning meeting. I ran the meeting with an assistant and would often let them take over with just a few prompts. Students picked up on it all very quickly, and now I have an extra five to ten minutes every morning because there is one less task I have to worry about.

Pencil Sharpening: This one may be a bit controversial if your pencil sharpener is your prized possession--I know mine is. However, this is a great class job that you can add to your list. It obviously requires a fair amount of demonstrating to students how to use the sharpener in a safe way, but also in a way that will not totally wreck it. You should definitely go over the pencil sharpener dos and don'ts (do: gently put the pencil in, don't: put anything other than a pencil in). I've noticed that students often thrive on having responsibilities and will therefore not want to do anything to mess that up, such as breaking the sharpener. 

Organizing the Library: I got really tired of putting books away in the library, especially on days where students decided to go through three books each. I decided that I needed to make being librarian a class job where that student is in charge of returning any library books to the proper places. This also may require a solid and explicit labeling system, depending on your students' capabilities. My third graders can easily put a Junie B. Jones book back in the Junie B. Jones bin, so now I don't have to worry about it. Another plus to this is that it can get students familiar with the library so that they can easily find things when borrowing. Once again, this requires quite a bit of pre-teaching, but in my opinion it ends up saving time in the long run.

Blog #7 takeaway: Teachers don't have to carry all of the weight of running the classroom; students are capable of taking care of some of the procedures within their classroom.

Fidelity vs. Professional Judgment

March 8, 2023

When we talk about buzzwords in education, I guarantee at least one person will bring up "fidelity." This word, realistically, can mean different things to different people. Google's English Dictionary defines it as, "faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support." In education, fidelity expectations can be even more rigorous than this definition makes it sound.

Teachers are often told that they are required to follow a curriculum with fidelity. This means that they have to use the curriculum as-is, following all steps and components. In some districts, this also means that administrators don't want you using supplementary materials alongside the curriculum. For some curriculums, this means reading from a script all day every day. I don't know about you, but that goes against everything I was taught at university, as well as everything I believe about educating students.

I think curriculums are very useful, even ones that have something of a script. However, the problem lies with this term fidelity. If a teacher is expected to read to students from a manual for the entirety of a lesson, where does their professional judgment come into play? Quite frankly, it doesn't--no, let me rephrase, it can't. 

Educators have gone through college, some even graduate and doctorate courses, and they have real-world field experience. And yet, they are increasingly expected to do what someone at some curriculum company says to do all day? I don't see how that is productive in getting students to learn. We should be able to have time to stop and reteach something that isn't sticking with students; we should be able to be able to pull supplementary materials when we KNOW the curriculum isn't teaching the content in a relatable or useful way. Forcing teachers to use a curriculum with "fidelity" is not the way to improve student knowledge.

The way to improve student knowledge is by giving the teachers the tools they need to teach--curriculum, access to materials, etc--and then letting them teach it in a way that is best for students. Some classes may excel with a curriculum taught word for word, while others likely will not. Teachers have to be able to use their judgment to decide what their students, whom they know best, need in order to succeed.

We need to take this word fidelity and give it some revamping. We need to tell teachers: "Use this program with fidelity, but don't feel pressured to do it word for word." We need to make teachers feel like they're allowed to make decisions in their own classrooms based on what they know is best.

Blog #6 takeaway: We can't keep telling educators to do things with fidelity; there needs to be flexibility for teachers to use their own professional judgment.

The Power of Apologizing

March 1, 2023

When I became a teacher, I made it a goal of mine to apologize to my students when I make a mistake. This may be one of the best decisions I have made as an educator.

Some educators are under the impression that students should not see any sort of weakness from their teachers. It's kind of like the old saying where you shouldn't smile until Christmas. Smiling--and showing weakness--don't have to mean the dissolution of good classroom management.

I apologize to my class when I lose my patience. I apologize when I forget something. I apologize when I make a mistake. The effects of these actions are reflected in the behaviors I see from students. Just the other day, I had a student displaying disrespectful and irresponsible behaviors in the morning. In the afternoon, when reflecting on the day, this student took a moment to apologize to me. "Miss J, I'm sorry for how I was acting earlier." When I tell you I felt so proud, that might be an understatement. For this student to acknowledge their mistakes, and own up to it, was a big step in the right direction. I had been modeling this behavior all year, and my students have learned from it.

This method doesn't only apply to apologizing; teachers should be modeling the social skills they expect students to display. Whether you realize it or not, students are constantly looking to you to see how you react to things. If you demonstrate being flexible in tough situations, students can learn from you. If you display conflict resolution skills, students will observe your behavior. You do it, they're watching.

And again, just because you apologize does not mean that your class will see you as weak and take advantage. If you have consistent, strong classroom management skills, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, showing that you are a real person who also makes mistakes can increase the positive relationships you have with students.

Blog #5 takeaway: Apologize to your students--display the social skills you expect them to have, and watch them follow suit.

Respect Circles as a Behavior Tool

February 15, 2023

This year, my classroom has really been struggling with behaviors. In particular, I noticed that there is a severe deficit in the social skills that my students need compared to what they have. I was wracking my brain--how can I combat this? Then, as behaviors continued, I began to ask myself: is there a way I can address this while promoting a growth mindset? Thus began the Respect Circle.

Respect Circles are based in knowledge of collaborative seminars and growth practices. My goal was to create an environment--even just a temporary one--where students can be honest, self-reflective, and, maybe most importantly, heard. This year, I personally have used Respect Circles countless times. Let me start off with a comprehensive, but not limiting, list of what you can use them for:

The purpose of a Respect Circle is really what you make of it, and it all depends on the questions you ask. As the teacher, you act as the facilitator of an open and honest discussion surrounding topic(s) that make sense to your class. For example, this year I have used Respect Circles following days with disruptive behavior. We talk about how that day made students feel, how they can personally be better next time, and even how a classroom should make them feel. Again, the exact questions are up to you depending on the situation. However, each and every Respect Circle needs its own set of expectations laid out at the start. Providing structure is key to making sure this process works.

If you're worried that students will not take this seriously, just try it out once and you may be surprised. I have found that my students love Respect Circles and ask for them often; they sometimes even suggest we do one when we've had a difficult day. Also, I find that students are more willing to be honest and open to listening during this practice. You might even be shocked by how many students can admit their own faults and then make connections on how to improve. Over time, thinking critically and resolving conflict through this created space will transfer over into how students respond to issues in their daily lives. It's like the saying goes--practice makes you better (because perfect is impossible).

If you feel that Respect Circles might be right for your classroom, check out our Teachers Pay Teachers page where our Respect Circle resource is now only $1.00 just for this week. This resource includes more information about how to set up your very own Respect Circle, as well as sets of questions to start you off.

Blog #4 takeaway: You can use Respect Circles for many purposes in your classroom, all of which benefit the social emotional wellbeing of your students.

Teachers, Take Care of Yourselves

February 8, 2023

I think as teachers, we often put ourselves second; second behind our students, our families, you name it. But recently, I've discovered that we need to do better.

I had a minor health scare this past Friday. Nothing too bad in the long run, thankfully, but boy did it give me perspective. I was sitting in my classroom as I began to feel tight-chested and light-headed. I started to think to myself: what if I fainted right now? I would be no good to my students if that happened, that's for sure.

It was then that I had an epiphany: I need to take care of myself, ASAP. If I continued on with my day, feeling like 60% of myself, I would not be giving my students what they need and deserve. Teaching my lessons that morning didn't feel meaningful, instead it felt like I was trying to climb a mountain with the wind against me. Thankfully, I have a wonderful office staff at my school who found me coverage and got me taken care of.

Now, my first piece of advice to you, is to reach out to colleagues if you need help. That's what I did, and it was exactly what I needed. Instead of suffering through, which potentially could have had negative effects for both me and my students, I sought help. Believe me when I say--that was hard for me. Especially considering I'm only in year 2 at my school, and I was straight up embarrassed. And yet, I overcame--as teachers, that's what we do isn't it? We overcome.

My additional advice is to TAKE THAT SICK DAY! What would have happened if I had called out that morning, instead of convincing myself that my unusual fatigue was nothing? Maybe my situation would not have gotten to the point of seriousness that it did. Maybe I would have been able to take the time to heal myself so that on Monday I could have returned to my students fresh and renewed. Instead, I pushed myself far past my limit and suffered the consequences. How many of you can say that you have done the same? We must recognize that we know our bodies, we know our limits, which means we know when we need to take a sick day; we just need to be better about actually doing it.

Teachers, educators, I'm begging you: take care of yourself first. You're not benefitting anybody when you go into school feeling so sick. In fact, I would argue, you may be doing your students a disservice. They deserve us at our best, when we can provide knowledge for them as well as a safe environment. If we are not taken care of, we cannot expect to be able to take care of others.

I'll leave you with an airplane reference, for those of you who have traveled: ever wonder why flight attendants instruct us to put oxygen masks on ourselves before helping others? Well, I have a feeling that we'd be no help to others if we have passed out because we can't breathe. Think of me as your flight attendant--I'm telling you to put your mask on first.

Blog #3 takeaway: Reach out to others if you need help, and take sick days when you know you need them. If you want to be there for your students, you have to make sure you're taking care of yourself first.

Teacher Burnout

February 1, 2023

By this point, I think most of us have heard the term burnout. In case you're not familiar, when we talk about burnout, we're talking about how educators expend so much mental and physical energy on their jobs that they don't have much left for themselves. I know many of us have experienced this feeling; often, it comes in cycles that seem to never end.

In order to truly put an end to teacher burnout, there need to be many changes in the educational system. For one, the expectations placed upon educators are crushing. The tasks that we are expected to perform cannot possibly fit inside of our working hours. So many of us are often left working, copying, planning well past our contracted hours have ended. Rather than getting home to our families or our chores (or even just ourselves), we are left to finish the work we could not do while we were teaching during the work day. Fix this issue, we can begin to combat the burnout we feel.

We need to prioritize; administrators need to thoroughly evaluate what they're asking teachers to do. What needs to get done so that we can do our jobs of preparing students to be citizens? Which tasks don't align with that end goal? Which tasks are hurting teaching mental health more than they are helping student achievement?

As teachers, we can start by advocating for changes. It can be difficult to speak our minds for fear of consequences, but is the alternative where things remain as they are really any better? It is unsustainable to continue on in a profession where burnout rates are so high--the correlation between this and the teacher shortage is evident. If we want others to stay, and if we want to stay, we have to advocate. In fact, that's a big part of why I decided to start Make Teaching Joyful. Rather than leaving when things get difficult, I want to make a difference for myself and others.

All of that being said, there are ways we can combat our own burnout before systemic changes are able to be brought to fruition. This week, I thought I'd share some of the things I do to fight burnout. Here are my top 5:

If you have other ways that you combat your own burnout, go comment them on our Instagram. 

Blog #2 takeaway: We need to put an end to teacher burnout. In the short term, take care of yourself; in the long term, let's make a difference.

Social Emotional Needs in a Post-Covid World

January 25, 2023

For my first blog, I want to start off talking about something I'm really passionate about--social emotional learning. We are in a post-pandemic world (I'm referring to it as post-pandemic in the sense that we are not deep in the hold of quarantines anymore). We can debate all day the academic "gaps" left by Covid-19, but what many of us are really seeing are social-emotional gaps.

Young students, who have really only experienced a couple normal years of school, are at a loss right now. There is such a lack of skills needed to navigate social relationships. A big one that I see often is that students don't know how to resolve conflict in a healthy, respectful manner. Instead, there's a lot of yelling harsh words and residual anger. 

From what I can see, in my own context, social-emotional skills are at the forefront of student needs. Academics are important--they are arguably the largest reason we send kids to school--but students cannot be expected to excel academically while not being able to function in a classroom community. I can even take this statement and connect it back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs--if students are not having their lower level needs met, they will not be able to continue up the pyramid. (Check out the awesome graphic below.)

How can a student with no sense of belonging, no sense of connection to classmates, rise up and become the best that they can be, both academically and otherwise? We all want students to reach self-actualization, and yet many of us are not providing them with the tools they need first. It's difficult in a curriculum-focused world to feel that you as a teacher are able to do this, and I can 100% say that I'm there with you. But we need to find a way.

We need to explicitly teach the skills students are lacking just like we explicitly teach academics. Start off small, with ten minutes of your morning meeting devoted to this. Each week my class focuses on a Habit of Mind and does an activity or discussion about it every day. This slowly helps students to build up those habits and practice them. If you aren't seeing changes, devote more time, find more resources that cater to what your students need. I have found a few on Teachers Pay Teachers (for free!) that include multiple skills and activities. Right now, I'm working on developing my own curriculum that caters to the needs I am seeing this year, which eventually I may put onto the Make Teaching Joyful TPT.

In my classroom, before I felt that I could take the time to adequately address the social-emotional concerns, there was a lot of time eaten up by arguing and tattling and anything in between. I would try to address it as best as I could, but I was really feeling restrained by time if I wanted to get through the curriculum. But now, in thinking about Maslow and my students, I'm taking the time to teach skills in-depth. The goal is that these lessons will help students master their emotional regulation and actions, which will then in turn allow us to make it through lessons without stopping to break up a conflict.

Blog #1 takeaway: students can't learn if they don't feel safe and respected, and if they don't know how to act in an age appropriate way on their emotions. Take the time now to fill these gaps, because it will save you time in the future.