HES
1/26/2015 08:51:54 pm
The area that affects me the most is negative coworkers. There is always a danger to just stand there and agree with these teachers. It is a delicate situation because if I chose not to associate and listen I can come off as unfriendly. I don't have any good comebacks like the teacher in the above article. I don't need that type of negativity in my life or in my day. It makes me feel empathy for how miserable that teacher must be but I can't play into all her drama.
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EVES
2/2/2015 05:13:08 am
When reading over the Professionalism attitudes and behaviors I found it funny that each of us could probably think of a person who fits each category. I feel like a lot of teachers play the blame game and want to blame the grade below them, but we each need to step up and do the best we can for our students. An area I feel like I need to work on not only at school but at home as well is setting a goal and taking small steps to reach it, instead of jumping right into change and failing to accomplish my goals.
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SOES
2/2/2015 11:15:46 pm
The Blame Game can get you every time. I often feel that Preschool gets the blame for the K kids that struggle and then I have tended to pass it on to the parents. Over the years I do feel that I am dealing with this in a better manner. I just try to focus on doing the best I can for each child. Meeting their needs right where they are and helping them grow while in my care! I must admit that it takes a conscious effort to not revert to "The Blame Game".
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SES- LC
2/3/2015 05:12:35 am
The area I feel I am always trying to grow in is Choosing My Reactions. Situations in preschool happen so suddenly and quickly that they can catch you off guard. I always try to be careful of my reactions because I know how much it can affect the situation in a way that can be positive or negative. Children at this age really look to us as teachers for what we say and do. I hope that my reactions are in a positive way that helps them learn how to handle difficult situations.
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SES
2/3/2015 06:00:30 am
Are we really 100% professional? This makes me think of the confidentiality training that we receive each year. We listen to it at the faculty meeting thinking they are not talking to me, but maybe they are at times. I do not discuss student issues with people out in public or with those "non school" people who are not in the need to know category, but sometimes I feel like teachers (me included) vent to fellow teachers because they understand better than our spouses. They know what it is like. They can sympathize with us more.
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DPES
2/3/2015 09:33:42 pm
I am very careful when discussing children with kindergarten teachers. I only try to give them the most important information that they need. I feel that you may set the child up for failure by sharing too much. The kindergarten teachers need to meet the children and learn them their selves so that we don't form the kindergarten teachers thoughts of the child for them. Same goes for when I have a student transferring to a different school.
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CO -- CW
2/3/2015 10:37:53 pm
One of the areas I feel that I need to work on is Focusing on What I Can Change. I feel that many times that I sometimes focus a lot of energy on things that I can't change (my middle child Mary-Kathrine who loves to recite the 7 Habits calls this my circle of control). Although there are several areas of regulation I would like to devote time to correcting, many of these are beyond my circle of control and takes valuable time away from other areas that I can impact.
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WLES
2/4/2015 05:05:42 am
There are a lot of unhappy people who love to judge others. I try to not listen when they are complaining but like Tina said, I don't want to come across as uncaring, but there is a fine line we walk each day. You never know what someone else's life is like, so who are we to judge what they do, especially the parents of some of our preschoolers.Many have situations with poverty or mental illness that explain their actions. I try to live christian values each day even when no one is looking, especially when no one is looking.
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CHES
2/4/2015 09:54:00 am
The area I am always reflecting on and thinking about after school is Choosing my Reactions. I pray and always hope for more patience with the children and with my emotions. Some days I have more patience than others. In preschool things can happen so fast that we have to be alert and sometimes our emotions act before we do. I know that five years from now I will have more patients but I am always trying to do my best and count in my head. I remind myself of what kind of teacher I wanted to be around when I was very young. I want to always be someone that the children can remember as fun, energetic, and kindhearted.
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TES -MG
2/4/2015 10:07:25 pm
I have struggled with negative coworkers in the past, but do not have that problem anymore. Because of this, I can feel a difference in my attitude toward coming to work and the way I address challenging students in my class. Negativity and drama poison relationships and often spills into the relationships with students. Maintaining professionalism can be very difficult when surrounded with negativity, and staying away from it is always going to make everything in life and work better.
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Janet Land
2/4/2015 10:26:41 pm
There were 2 that really stood out to me:
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Christina Raines
2/5/2015 04:12:12 am
As a teacher, I feel like I could always grow. Part of that comes from reflection and deciding what I can change. Changing things allows you to consider what is working and what is not working. Changing allows you to individualize, personalize, and enhance your classrooms and your lessons. Change is a good things when it is done to become a better teacher. I also like the idea of remembering why you became a teacher. Remembering the relationships I have with students and progress they are making helps me remember how much I love my work. Daily stresses can sometimes cover up all the good things that are going on!
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BES-NK
2/5/2015 04:16:52 am
I love the Cookie Thief poem. It really does hold a lot of truth to it. I feel like for myself with all the new TPGES changes that it has become easy to fall into the "Do Not Fall Prey to Victimization." I love my job and I love preschool, but I found myself saying numerous times this year............"all the new requirements of TPGES are taking a toll on me......I didn't plan to spend all my free time working on a binder..etc." I know and understand that these new methods are only going to benefit my teaching skills, as well as be very beneficial for the students I serve. My goal is to focus more on being successful and open minded with all the new changes to the teacher evaluation system.
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BES - SC
2/5/2015 08:14:39 am
I love teaching preschool but day to day pressures and expectations sometimes takes its toll on me. I think that Reminding Myself Why I Bacame a Teacher is very important. Remembering all the "little reasons" I chose to teach help keep me focused on doing the best Job I can with my preschoolers. They deserve my best each and every day and if I get caught up in negativity from either myself or my co-workers then I am only hurting them. I chose this profession for a reason. It's not always smooth sailing and it can be overwhelming at times but I cannot let that affect me to the point where I fail my students.
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Krista
2/5/2015 10:43:24 am
Okay, so if I am brutally honest, I could work on quite a few of these. I have seen growth in myself over my 15 years of teaching but on days when I don't feel well, or am overwhelmed, etc., I have to watch my reactions, flexibility, and composure (I've always been a good eye roller). It can be easy to get into the victimization spiral. But I don't like to stay in a 'pity party' for long. I have learned to change what I can and if I don't like the way something is, then I look to try to fix it or my own outlook on it.
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WES
2/5/2015 11:09:02 am
Resisting the temptation of more “stuff” stood out to me the most. I guess because I’ve learned over the years as a teacher, it doesn’t really matter what you have it’s how you present it and what you do with it. It’s the environment along with the experiences that one creates using what they have and know that will determine the success of their students.As a teacher who has taught in both private and public schools, I’ve had the opportunity to experience what it is like to teach in a school with lots of resources and money vs. one without. I can say from this experience it wasn’t or isn’t the money that allows me the opportunity to better myself as a teacher, but the passion behind what I do. No matter what career you choose, I believe if you are truly passionate about what you do, you will always strive to become better at what you do and will.
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Donna
2/5/2015 01:12:25 pm
I truly believe in professionalism and you should never give in to anything that jeopardizes how people feel about you because of your professionalism. I just wish what we wear wasn't included. I have ruined several shirts and pants plus shoes trying to look professional while dodging a paint brush, wiping up vomits, and changing those dirty diapers.
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SW - TES
2/5/2015 01:59:48 pm
I agree with so many of these tips in this section. Choose Your Reactions, this is so important in every day life and our work. Our students and our own children are looking to us as models in our words and actions. Be the Best You Can Be, I try to remember this each day in my life personally and professionally. Ask Lots of Questions, I like to ask questions of my students and my peers, this is an crucial step in learning no matter what your age is. I enjoyed reading these tips and seeing how that I agreed with each one in some aspect or another.
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