From the Heart of a Teacher...

So I'm assuming your newfeeds are filled with back to school pictures and statuses like mine.  As a teacher (I'm not teaching now, but I'll always label myself as a teacher...and proudly so!), I also have many many teacher friends whose statuses are equally full of back to school thoughts.  Every August since I quit teaching to wait on Millie Janalee, I am brought back to the back to school feelings that most teachers have the days and weeks leading up to it.

And, since I'm on this side of teaching, at least for this season of life...I thought I'd give you a little peek into the heart of a teacher...or the heart of most teachers I know.

• You know that look of excitement and glee you see on many of the teachers' faces?  That's real.  Teachers, although thoroughly thrilled when school is out for the summer, have worked all summer on the upcoming school year.  Even if their ideas and projects only form in their heads, school is on the brain.  They excitedly find new materials, games, centers, and room decor.  Teachers think about how their students would love this and how they would enjoy that.  The closer they get to the first day of school, the more excited they become.  Don't get me wrong...teachers could always use more summer.  But, since the calendar doesn't change, they are excited about new faces, new materials, and a fresh start.
  

          Be excited with them!

• What you may not see behind those smiling faces is the stomach full of butterflies.  The nerves as they begin a new year with new students, new parents, and maybe new administration or new curriculum.  Teachers get nervous about whether the parents will be happy their child is in their class.  They are nervous about how they will handle the "troubled students".  They are nervous about how they will tame a wild bunch.  They are nervous about filling their first few days as the administration checks in from time to time.  Will they be doing satisfactory lessons while still getting to know names like Pre'cgycal (yes, that is a real name of a student I had).
  
  Help ease their nerves.  Give a smile and share how happy you are to join with them as a new year starts.  Offer your help and show your willingness to work together.
  

• The nerves brings me to another issue that happens SO OFTEN!  Try not to believe everything you have heard about your child's new teacher.  Try to remember that you have only heard one side, and you probably don't know all the facts.  Believe me.  Teachers have heard some pretty bad horror stories about your kids too.  And I'm assuming you do not want them prejudging them based on rumors or stories.  If your friend told you that "Annie said Mrs. SoandSo screams at the kids and never smiles"...she may have lost it one day (or more) and raised her voice.  Have you ever raised your voice at your kids?  Try teaching 25 or more all day.  It's hard enough being a teacher these days without all the parents judging them every time they struggled to reign the kids in while adhering to the strict curriculum schedule and test results imposed by administration...or state level administration.  **And I do realize there are teachers out there that shouldn't be.  Just don't assume yours is one.
  
  Keep an open mind, and pray for a pleasant year.  Encourage your child's teacher and your child.
  
  
• Teachers spend time away from their families outside of regular work hours to take care of yours.  Open House, Parent's Night, etc. are usually at night...after a full day's work.  The teachers spent the afternoons leading up to that doing extra cleaning, filing, organizing, and maybe even decorating.  They are tired, but they are happy to share the night with parents.

          Show up when you can.

• Most times, especially in the upper grades, the room is filled with one adult and 25 students.  This means that the class will all be together under his/her supervision at all times.  Occasionally, more than a handful of students decide to rebel, act out, or fail to turn in homework.  Remember...there is only one teacher.
  
  There will be times that the whole class will suffer for the wrongs of a few.  That's life. 
  
 
• I know you think your kids are gone all day long.  Plenty of time to learn it all and finish it all.  Let me help you with this.  Your child is at school 7 hours or so.  In that time, there are class bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, recess, music, art, PE, and library.  The kids are taken out for gifted or special education services.  There are assemblies sometimes or other special events.  In addition to all that, there is math, language, reading, spelling, social studies, and science. (And, let's be honest.  Science and social studies aren't always reached.  Much less handwriting!  What is that?)  Add interventions to that.  Don't know what interventions are?  You don't want to know.  It'll stress you out.  There are field trips and test days.  After all that, there is a need (in my opinion) to take practice work home to keep their minds fresh and help parents see what they're learning.  When your child spends an hour learning piano, the teacher still expects him/her to practice at home, right?
  
  Don't complain about homework.  Especially in front of your children.  Check it and be done.  You should see the lesson plans teachers have to write these days.  I think all teachers deserve a doctoral degree after all the dissertation-sized lesson plans we have written.

• Teachers grow weary.  Just like your students.  I've seen parents stick sweet notes of encouragement in lunchboxes with a cute drawing or a funny surprise stuck inside backpacks.  Students love finding these little "pick-me-ups" during the day.  Maybe you can stick one in there for the teacher too?  Or write out a prayer for your child's teacher and send it back with the permission slip for the upcoming field trip.
  
  A note of encouragement goes a long way!  And prayers go further.

So, your kids are headed back to school?  They didn't get the "prized teacher"?  You wanna know what teachers do all summer? (By the way...don't ever ask a teacher this question. Ha!)

Teachers are headed back too.  With great responsibility.  The responsibility to teach the future leaders, mamas, daddies, doctors, teachers, or artists.  Hold off on your criticism for a while at least.  Show your excitement.  Encourage your children to do the same.

From the heart of this teacher, excited and nervous teachers await your children and you.  Be kind.