| Teaching is largely a process of ups and downs. Many | | | | come up. Some factors we can't control; others we |
| seasoned teachers will tell you that. Teachers spend a | | | | can minimize. In many cases, learning about our |
| lot of time trying to figure out what didn't work which is | | | | students and building a relationship of trust and respect |
| an important part of teacher improvement especially | | | | is key for overcoming unpredictable and unwanted |
| after bad lessons! But, in order to improve one's | | | | scenarios. |
| teaching, teachers need to start to identify areas of | | | | 4. Remember what went good in the lesson and there |
| classroom management and lesson planning, which are | | | | will be some good parts. Many new teachers quickly |
| particularly challenging. | | | | forget this and instead, look only at what went wrong. |
| As you have probably been told, there will be many | | | | One way to counteract this feeling is to spend enough |
| teaching situations and moments when you will need | | | | time getting to know your students since a good |
| to exercise flexibility. Sometimes we want the perfect | | | | teacher figures in his/her relationship with the students |
| lesson only we find that it fell to pieces in front of an | | | | in terms of how they are as students. Building a |
| inspector or students.We work so hard at planning | | | | trusting and supportive relationship is key for |
| each part or sections. | | | | succeeding with any new class. |
| There are several things teachers can learn from | | | | 5. Create objectivity and distance. This means avoid |
| these experiences especially in terms of how to | | | | reacting from the moment or from a heightened |
| manage our time and emotions more efficiently. For | | | | emotional reaction. Distance and objectivity are |
| starters, here are a few tips: | | | | especially important for understanding what went |
| 1. Don't fight or question what happened. Just accept it | | | | wrong and what areas of instruction and relationship |
| for what it was and move on. | | | | building need improvement. |
| 2. Don't let these happenings interfere with your | | | | It can be challenging to accept an unpredictable |
| self-beliefs or better yet, make you feel you didn't do | | | | situation but applying your knowledge and what works |
| enough. Even the most prepared teacher or writer will | | | | for the next time is what counts!Teachers need to ask |
| experience certain setbacks. Accept them as part of | | | | themselves almost all of the time "What went wrong?" |
| the job. In some situations, you'll need to count your | | | | and "What didn't?" are especially important for |
| losses and move on. That's part of learning. | | | | understanding what they need to do to motivate |
| 3. Learn from these setbacks. What was something | | | | students to learn. |
| you could have done more efficiently or was this | | | | There's no one right way to become a better teacher, |
| setback inevitable? Many times we need to adapt | | | | but there are many ways which you should try. |
| ourselves to work with different situations as they | | | | |