AppleSlices: May 2015

There are thousands of teacher secrets out there. Let's be honest, with Pinterest, Teachers Blogs, Instagram, etc... it feels like we've seen them all. But implementing them all is a whole different beast.

When teaching gives you lemons, how do you react? How do you cope? As we all know, teaching does get stressful. Teaching does get hard. And most of all, teaching does get frustrating. Parents, data organization, observations, discipline, conferences, report cards, scheduling changes, school mandates, and on and on. The things they never teach you in school.

My first reaction is to cry. That's just how I cope. Preferably in a corner where nobody can see me. But then my second reaction {and absolutely the most appropriate of the two} is to grab my mentor teaching texts. Such as Wondrous Words by Katie Wood Ray. Or Still Learning to Read by Franki Siberson.

These are my lifelines. My friends. My confidants. They remind me of what's important, what matters, and help me clear up or fix any problems. When I'm stressed, I look to these guys to help me focus on what's important. Or when a new school mandate frustrates me, I look to these guys to figure out how I'm going to make it work in my classroom. I find solace in these books. Their flagged pages, broken and unglued spines, highlighted quotes, notes in the margins, and folded down corners remind me of how far I've come as a teacher. And how much further I have to go. They help put me in my place. And that is worth every penny I spend on them.

Typically, any problem I have can be solved by looking through these books. Sometimes it takes time to find the right one, but it makes a difference. Go to the Pros, and make it work for you.

After reaching for the Pros, I always always always keep as much of a routine in my classroom as I possibly can. ALWAYS. As Michael Linson mentions in this great article, routines remove the guesswork from the day. A class that knows what to expect next will have fewer questions, fewer explanations necessary, and way higher productivity. I believe that sticking to a routine (even in those nutty, insane, May days) help my students exponentially. EXPONENTIALLY!

So now that I've shared some of my classroom secrets, what are your's? How do routines help you? Who are your favorite "GO TO" Pros? Be sure to enter the giveaway below and follow the links for more secrets to teaching!!