Julia G. Thompson

September 27, 2009

Welcome to Issue Twenty-Six!

Special Note: You can follow Julia Thompson's advice for teachers at TeacherAdvice@Twitter.com. Twitter is a very quick and easy way to grab a bit of professional advice on the run.

You can also listen to her explain her beliefs about teaching, how she began writing about education, and the challenges and rewards of a career in education for all teachers. Click on this link: http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-397876.html to listen in!

Some teachers have described their professional lives as lonely. They describe what it is like to go into their classroom full of young people and then not talk to another adult until lunch or the end of the day. While it is true that we spend our days in the company of children, it is more important than ever that we interact in a positive way with other educators.

With this in mind, below you will find five excerpts from The First-Year Teacher’s Checklist. Each excerpt deals with a specific aspect of learning to work well with other educators.

In “Professional Courtesy” you will find useful reminders about the importance of professional behavior as you interact with others.

In “Successful On-the-Job Communication Skills” you can read some tips about how to communicate professionally with other educators as well as with the parents or guardians of your students.

“Dealing with Difficult Colleagues” offers advice about how to interact successfully with all of the personnel at your school (…and how to not be difficult yourself!)

You’ll learn how to extend your learning network by joining an Internet teacher forum. Four of the most popular ones are listed in “Join Other Educators in Online Learning Communities.”

Finally, with flu season already upon us, “Work in Partnership with Substitute Teachers” offers some practical tips for working well with the teachers who take your classes when you have to be absent.

Professional Courtesy

Courtesy is the act of making the people around you feel comfortable. To accomplish this, you should learn as much as possible about the culture of your school and then adapt yourself to fit in. Follow these guidelines to make sure that all of your interactions with coworkers are as courteous as possible:

• Follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
• Pay attention to your personal grooming. Bad breath and unprofessional dress are both particularly noticeable in a school setting.
• Say “please” and “thank you.”
• Pay attention when others are talking. Listen carefully to make sure you understand the discussion.
• If you are not feeling well, do you best not to infect others: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay home if you can.
• Respect others’ personal space and be careful not to borrow without permission.
• Be quick to publically celebrate the success of others, and, if you must criticize, do so privately.
• Pay attention in meetings. Don’t multitask, leave early, or carry on a side conversation. Remember to turn off your cell phone.
• Be sensitive to others’ feelings when discussing controversial topics such as politics, religion or cultural issues.
• Keep the noise level in your classroom low enough that other classrooms are not affected.
• Introduce yourself when you meet someone new.
• Be nice to everyone you meet.

Successful On-the-Job Communication Skills

Successful communication means much more than just talking things over with peers. It’s exchanging information in such a way that it can be easily understood. The guidelines below will help you develop these important skills:

General Guidelines
• It is respectful to address your coworkers by their title and last name in front of students.
• When you have to speak in front of a group, plan what you have to say so that you feel confident.
• Be sensitive to others’ time restrictions. If you see that someone is busy, don’t interrupt.
• Learn to pronounce and spell names correctly.

Written Communications and Emails
• Don’t use your school’s fax machine, supplies, or letterhead stationery for personal business.
• Don’t use jargon when simpler language would be more appropriate.
• Before sending out a group mailing, check with a supervisor.
• The emails you send using school computers are subject to review by other school employees. Send emails at school for professional reasons only.
• Be aware that an email can be forwarded to many other people with just a few clicks. Don’t email complaints or gossip.
• Respect the confidentiality of student information. Be careful how you identify students in emails.
• Readers will pay attention to your emails if they are concise, formatted well, and carefully edited.
• Consider whether the message could better be conveyed with a quick phone call or face-to-face conversation before you write an email.

Dealing with Difficult Colleagues

Because so much of a teacher’s energy is devoted to cultivating professional relationships, it is no surprise that many teachers report conflicts with colleagues as a major cause of work-related stress. Use the suggestions below to deal with difficult coworkers and avoid the stress that can accompany conflicts with your colleagues. (Be careful that you don’t become one of the difficult colleagues that so many of us dread!)

• Be clear about your professional beliefs and responsibilities. This will lend you confidence and make it harder for others to intimidate you.
• Avoid negative people because negative attitudes spread quickly. Associate with upbeat people who are focused on learning to be outstanding teachers instead.
• School can be extremely stressful at times. Don’t be surprised to see normally serene coworkers lose their cool under pressure.
• If you find yourself in a conflict, try these suggestions to resolve it:
o Instead of just reacting, respond by taking a problem-solving approach to try to work out a resolution.
o Think about how you may have contributed the problem instead of blaming the other person.
o Refuse to act in kind if the other person has been rude or uncooperative.
o Make sure that you are not overreacting or misreading the situation.
o Talk privately, but candidly, with the other person. Ask, “What can we do to change this?”
o Resist the urge to hash over the conflict with colleagues. Limit its negative impact by involving as few people as possible.

Join Other Educators in Online Learning Communities

In addition to helpful local teachers, you can connect with thousands of other educators by joining an online learning community where you can share new ideas, lesson plans, support, and inspiration twenty-four hours a day. You will find a brief description of some of the more popular learning communities in the list below.

• TheApple (www.theapple.com) Diverse groups, discussions, and forums make this site one of the most popular on the Internet. You can join groups, participate in discussions, read and respond to blogs, and much more.
• Teachers Network (teachersnetwork.org) Their “New Teachers Helpline,” staffed by experienced New York City teachers, guarantees a response to posted questions within 72 hours.
• Teacher Focus (www.teacherfocus.com) Meet colleagues, chat,
ask questions of experts, and browse thousands of articles posted by users.
• Teacher Lingo (teacherlingo.com) This blogging community connects readers with over 1,000 bloggers at “Teacher Blogs.”

Work in Partnership with Substitute Teachers

Although you may be one of the lucky ones who does not contract the dreaded flu this year, you should still prepare now just in case you do have to miss school. Below you will find suggestions to make it easier for a substitute teacher to maintain an orderly and productive classroom environment while you have to be absent.

Forming a successful partnership with substitute teachers creates a win-win situation for everyone involved; your sub will know what to do and your students will not lose valuable instruction time. To make this partnership work, put together a well-organized binder containing the following items:

• A phone number where you can be reached
• Class rolls with a pronunciation guide for student names
• A map of the school with exits and fire extinguishers marked
• Medical information for students with chronic illnesses such as asthma
• Your daily class and duty schedule
• A photo seating chart. Take a photo of each student and attach it to a small self-sticking note. Put these in each grid of your chart and slip the entire chart into a page protector.
• Class rules and consequences
• Classroom procedures for daily routines such as lunch, restroom requests, fire drills and other emergencies
• A list of several activities that students can do if they finish early
• Copies of all necessary forms such as lunch or attendance counts
• Names and room numbers of helpful teachers
• Lesson plans that are specifically written for the sub and not just copied from your plan book:
o Plan independent written work that will be collected and graded.
o Photocopy, label, and organize all handouts. Don’t leave busy work.
o Avoid computer use, videos, media center visits, and activities involving scissors or other sharp tools.