Teachers are always setting professional goals. The start of the school year, when the previous year is still fresh in your mind, is a great time to make some “new year’s resolutions” to improve your teaching practice. As a UFT Teacher Center coach, I’ve set resolutions for myself and seen others benefit from the practice as well. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Building a rock-solid classroom culture. Make a resolution to foster a welcoming and inclusive classroom culture by finding ways to better connect with your students. Sometimes this can be as simple as knowing everyone’s birthday and planning celebrations.
I have had colleagues work with students to include student photos and posters in the classroom decor. Others create a unique signal to start and end classes that provides students with a clear indication of both.
You might make a resolution to improve your relationship and communication with families, such as by reaching out to families weekly with good news and positive check-ins. One year, I resolved to use student surveys to gauge student choice and interest in what we were doing in our classroom.
Improving instructional practice. Resolutions to hone your teaching practice might include attending more professional workshops and testing out new methods and techniques. Or you might put into practice feedback you’ve received, whether it’s to talk less and have students do more, switch up assessments, or let students drive the instruction for more student-centered classes. Some teachers make resolutions about how they will react to student behavior — such as by responding with kindness and trying not to lose their cool with the kids. One of my colleagues set a goal to “resist using sarcasm.”
Reaching out to colleagues. If you’re feeling trapped in your room, finding ways to reduce isolation is key. Some teachers resolve to visit their colleagues once a month to observe different types of practice. Others invite veteran teachers to visit them and offer feedback. My resolution for this fall is to plan lessons further in advance with my co-teachers. We decide ahead of time who will lead each class and what teaching strategies we want to use.
Remembering self-care. Some teachers at my school started a walking club; others have resolved to take a full lunch period for lunch — no work allowed — or to make time to socialize with peers, or to eat more healthfully and reduce caffeine and fast food. Another popular resolution is to improve time management and leave work at work.
In the second half of the school year, you can set new goals for yourself.
Just like real New Year’s resolutions, new school year resolutions can be easy to make but hard to carry out. Whatever you resolve to do, be intentional about the steps you need to take to reach your goal. Making resolutions with colleagues, or writing them out, can also help.
Shawn Fisch is a 10th-grade social studies teacher and a UFT Teacher Center site coach at Long Island City HS in Queens.