Lessons Learned

I entered this year a little nervous about classroom management, but not too nervous because I had years of experience from being a camp counselor. What I didn’t realize was how tough the switch from camp counselor to teacher would be. You see in the summer, all I had to do was hang out with kids and make sure they didn’t die or kill each other. I could joke around with them and be their friend. Yes, I had to keep my students alive this year and make sure they didn’t kill each other, but I was not at school to hang out with them. I was there to teach them, which totally changed the dynamic of my relationship with them. This was a tough switch for me that led to some bumps in the road with classroom management. I knew I wasn’t there to be their friend. And, I knew I wasn’t supposed to care if they liked me or not. But…(shh don’t tell anyone)…I really wanted them to like me. So, I didn’t crack down on students at the beginning of the year like I should have. I took care of “major” issues, but smaller things like talking and joking around I didn’t. Eventually, we got a handle on these things, but it took some work.

Here’s what I learned:

They’re going to like you.

Some of them won’t like you no matter what you do.

You won’t like some of them.

Making an example of someone (aka following through with threats) shows you mean business.

They want rules to follow.

Some of them are still going to be bad no matter what you do.

Middle schoolers get over things in 5 minutes. So, even if you make them mad, they’ll love you again in 5 minutes.

So, next year I’ll be entering my classroom as a teacher. Not as a teacher trying to be a camp counselor.

I’m still learning this last lesson. I’m a people pleaser and a rule follower. I am a hard worker and have always been a good student. Teachers and bosses have always liked me and praised my hard work. I’m used to receiving praise for my work. I didn’t realize how much I had come to rely on this praise for my sense of approval until this year. I was not the shining star of Carrington and I had to learn that my approval and self-worth does not come from other people; it comes from God. My purpose is to bring glory to Him in all that I do whether or not people are singing my praises. I’m not here to please other people or even to be praised by them. 

It has been so humbling to learn this because I have missed and craved that praise from my administration this school year on many occasions. Yes, I have a lot of room for improvement, but overall I feel like I did a good job this school year. So, I had to learn to find my satisfaction from the Lord and learn to only be concerned about pleasing Him and not other people. I also had to learn that not getting praised by my administration didn’t mean I wasn’t doing a good job. That was probably the hardest part of all because I had gotten so used to being told on a regular basis how good I was. I know that sounds arrogant, but I say it to say that in all of the craziness of this year, the most valuable lesson I learned was humility. And, like I said, I’m still learning. I still have days when I really wish one of my principals would say to me individually that I’m doing a good job with my students. I think I will probably always have those days, but I’m learning to not depend on those praises for approval.

“For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

“Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Render service with a good attitude as to the Lord and not to men…” Ephesians 6:6