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If you\u2019re a teacher, you start the school year with a list full of things you want to accomplish with your students. If you\u2019re a parent, that list may have started the day your child was born. Whatever it is you want to accomplish, now\u2019s the perfect time to refocus, re-energize, and get started. These resolutions for teachers and parents will help ensure that you, your students and children grow and excel in the new year.<\/p>\n
Whether you see them at home or spend all day with them in the classroom, children can try your patience. It\u2019s easy to focus on the frustrations they cause rather than the joy they can bring. Make it a point to focus on the positive rather than the negatives. You can do this by:<\/p>\n
How well do your really know your students? What about your children? Have you taken time to just sit and chat with them lately? It\u2019s easy to get caught up in everything that\u2019s going on and forget that children simply want to spend time letting you get to know them. This doesn\u2019t mean simply asking them to share their favorite color or their favorite foods, it means taking a vested interest in them, their friends, and the activities they enjoy.<\/p>\n
Both at home and in the classroom, give children time to express their feelings. Let them know they\u2019re free to come to you to share their ups and downs. If they don\u2019t come to you, go to them and encourage them to share. Make yourself a part of their daily activities too. If they\u2019re going out with their friends, ask them questions about their friends and what they did. If they\u2019re playing on a smartphone or tablet, spend some time playing along with them or monitoring their use. Not only will you make them feel important, you\u2019ll also quickly know when something is not right.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s filling your schedule this year? If you\u2019re a parent, your days may be filled with juggling meetings, sporting events, and making time for your children to see their friends. If a teacher, you may fill your time with grading papers, writing engaging lesson plans, attending meetings, and then fitting in trips to the gym and family time once you get home. Despite your full schedule, it\u2019s hard to say no to the requests that pour in. However, if you\u2019re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, chances are your children or students are feeling stressed and overwhelmed too.<\/p>\n
Remember, you children don\u2019t have to participate in every extra-curricular activity and you don\u2019t have to attend every single meeting. In the classroom, you don\u2019t have to try every new idea you hear or assign tons of homework that you\u2019ll later have to grade. Instead, focus on a few key things and do them to the best of your ability. Not only will you feel less overwhelmed, you\u2019ll help set a positive example for your children and your students.<\/p>\n
You live in a world that loves to make teachers and parents feel guilty for not doing enough. Viral videos and blog posts highlight teachers and parents making a difference in the lives of children all over the world. Facebook offers a place for teachers and parents to highlight every craft project, every good decision, and every milestone. Pinterest features thousands of pins to make you feel like you have to do it all. However, it doesn\u2019t make you less of a teacher or less of a parent.<\/p>\n
Resolve not to feel guilty. You may not use every lesson idea or recipe you pin. Your Facebook posts may focus more on failures more than successes, and you may not make headlines for your achievements with your students and your kids. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re not doing a good job. Instead of feeling guilty, focus on doing the best you can with the time, energy, and resources you have. You don\u2019t have to do it all.<\/p>\n
As teachers and parents, sometimes you spend so much time listening to your children and your students that you forget to listen to yourself. Instead of tuning out your body and your mind, you need to take time to listen to yourself so that you can ensure you stay healthy and fulfilled enough to interact with children on a daily basis. Maybe your body is telling you that you\u2019ve been staying up too late grading papers or that you have been eating too many meals on the go. Maybe your gut is telling you not to take that promotion at work or that you need to take a vacation. Teach yourself to listen to and follow these cues. After all, if you don\u2019t listen to yourself it\u2019s hard for anything else to fall into place.<\/p>\n
What other resolutions are you planning to stick with in the new year? Share them here and maybe inspire some others too!<\/p>\n