For me, the fall of 2017 held some of the most difficult times of my teaching career. I had more complaints than there are people in an entire cityāand a big city, like New York. But Iām done with that. No more complaining. And I mean it. I believe that the key to staying positive as a teacher is to look at the bright side of some of the more common problems we face every day. Let me explain.
1. Annoying, Frustrating Parents
Letās just get this out of the way: There are some intense parents out there who do outlandish things. There are also parents who never show up to parent-teacher conferences. You know that, at times, complaining about these parents in the teacher break room can be as good as a free therapy session. But you donāt always have to gripe. You can focus on these battles, or you can save yourself some stress.
Silver Lining: Remember all the exceptional parents in your community. The ones who push their children to do better. The parents who support teachers in and out of the classroom. The ones who give great gifts or little notes of appreciation! These are the parents we tend to forget about, and they usually outnumber the annoying ones, who are three times louder.
2. Annoying, Frustrating Students
They donāt turn in their homework, they show up without a pencil, and they always have something to say that doesnāt really add to class discussion. Sometimes, it is all too easy to complain about students and their behaviors. I have even found myself using the dreaded phrase āback in my day,ā but no more for me! Itās time to focus on the good ones.
Silver Lining: We canāt forget the good moments. Like hearing a student read on their own for the first time. The struggling student who finally makes an A. The student who is the first in their family to get accepted into college. Our students do amazing things all the time. Donāt let the frustrating ones distract you from those wonderful moments.
3. Endless Faculty Meetings
I need help on this one! I really want to give up complaining about faculty meetings. But let it be known: Iād rather be anywhere else on Earth than a faculty meeting.
Silver Lining: Your administrators care about developing you as a teacher. You can share ideas, successes, and failures with your coworkers. You can make inside jokes with your teacher BFF. Sometimes thereās food. Yes to faculty meetings with food! The bottom line is, when teachers donāt grow, neither do students. Letās be more positive about faculty meetings.
4. The Paycheck
When I entered teaching, I knew that I could have made more money doing something else. But I made my mind up to never complain about my salary. While I didnāt full-on whine last year, I did engage in sarcastic banter about teacher pay.
Silver Lining: We can all agree that teachers should earn more. But hereās what I try to focus on: we get paid to do what we love. More importantly, we get paid to help change the future of the world!
5. Other Teachers
Great teacher friends are wonderful, but we all know those āothersā who are always complaining, self-centered, and rude. It seems like this is the teacher who always comes to your room during your planning period to discuss something you donāt care about. I know Iām not alone there!
Silver Lining:Ā Teammates and family members do not always get along. But at the end of the day, we all have the same goal. Plus, those few that really āget youā can be lifelong friends. When we tear down other teachers, we just contribute to the overall negativity surrounding teaching in our society. We are doing the same work and fighting the same fight! Letās be in this for each other and our students.
What are your tips for staying positive as a teacher? Weād love to hear you ideas and comments on this article in our WeAreTeachers Chat group on Facebook. WeAreTeachers Chat is a place to post questions, share a laugh, and connect with some of the amazing members of our WeAreTeachers community.
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