Good morning,

I’ve just completed 7 days of school prep at my school and school opened last Wednesday. There was a mix of PD workshops and classroom prep time. We had an interesting session on Behaviour for Learning and it struck a note with me and I wanted to share some thoughts.. Here are a few things I’ve picked up over the years from my own experience and from research..

Classroom Management (CM) isn’t something you do once at the beginning of the year or even the beginning of the class and then stop. It is the setting AND maintaining of certain expectations within the classroom throughout the class. It is embedded in every aspect of your teaching. Learning will not happen effectively without it.

CM happens simultaneously with the teaching of a lesson. If you stop doing one, the other will fail. Doesn’t matter how fantastic your lesson is, how beautiful your resources are or how lovely your classroom is…

Take your first few sessions to teach your routines, review them after they are taught and reinforce them after that. Then you MUST make up your mind to be consistent in your expectations and practice of whatever routines you put in place. Yup, you have to do it EVERY day, EVERY time.

You MUST prepare. Whatever systems you are putting in place, it’s likely you have something to make, hang up, create or print. Do that before your class comes in and take a minute to think of the flow of the thing. You certainly cannot think of everything but you can think of some things. Having the first time you interact with your own CM system NOT be in front of the children is KEY. *whispers* They smell fear and lack of preparation…

Don’t be afraid to change it up. Sometimes I’ve been afraid in the past to change my systems, thinking the system wasn’t working because of something I was doing that needed to be fixed. I therefore kept torturing myself (and the children) with the same system. The reality is that it may just have been the wrong system for those children. Change your systems if necessary and reintroduce the new ones to the children- just as clearly and confidently as before. They adapt quickly and your sanity will thank you.

Do not reinvent the wheel. There are many places to find resources now. Many are free, some you pay for. There are enough that you can choose a few and have extra in your arsenal. Some of my favourite resources are Pinterest, Instagram and Teachers Pay Teachers. When you look around, you will realise that teachers from all over the world have the same issues and there are lots of ideas and suggestions and discussions surrounding the same issues you are challenged by. Some make resources and share, others share their experiences, other just offer support. Bottom line is there are communities out there ready to support you. Do not suffer in silence.

Think outside the box and trust yourself. Sometimes YOU are your best resource. What is the issue you’re facing? Can’t find a solution online or with colleagues. Make up something, create something no one’s seen before. Try something outside the box. You know the children AND you know what you’re trying to achieve. Sometimes your imagination and crazy ideas are the best thing since sliced bread.

Possibly the most important thing I’ve learned though is to forgive yourself. If you have a bad day, forget to use your systems or fail to enforce them. Or if the children themselves are just having a horrible day… forgive yourself, reflect, cry, scream, take a drink and shake it off. Tomorrow is a new day.

Classroom Management is very satisfying when you get it right. So take your time and get it right.

Be consistent. Be clear. Be confident.

Be in control.

TJP ❤

This is a biggy, I know.. how do you draw the line between waiting too long and waiting long enough?

These children come to us and we jump into learning in all its wonderful, crazy glory and you want to ensure everyone is with you and stays there.

I know Val, my parallel teacher, and I, in particular, are trying to find balance in the provision of feedback so it serves a purpose and it’s not just words or ticks on a page. 😨🤦🏽‍♀ One thing we know we have to do this year is choose what we correct. It’s impossible to effectively mark all the thousands of sheets AND the books.. We then have to forgive ourselves for not marking everything… You know that teacher guilt creeps up on us like nobody’s business!

🤞🏾Three tips I’m putting into practice this year are:
1. Create a paper flow. Think about how you will collect papers and where they go from the copying phase to collection, correction and return.. Think of the whoooooole process and ensure you have each step accounted for.

2. Have a marking station.This is ideally in your paper flow but you may not have the space for that. Make it mobile. A basket or bag with slips, post it’s, pens, stamps, markers and whatever other marking things you need. (This is likely separate from your regular pencil case).

3. Decide on your best marking time and stick with it. You know that time of day when your groove is easiest to find. Designate that your making time and run with it. Even 15 minutes per day makes a difference. You know how marking time often comes after everything else and somehow you can then mark the whole stack in 20 seconds flat! 👀 No? Just me.. ok. 😜 Yeah. Stop that. Prioritise. Take note of where the children start and the progression you see. Be specific and make notes. Your sanity will thank you…And the careful, noted observations serve us better than panicked, rushed assessments.

#teachingisaworkofheart #teacherlife #teachertribe #teacherinspiration #teacherthoughts #teesteacherthoughtstidbitsandtips #iteach #iteachfirstandsecond

Gearing up for BTS action.. sharing these thoughts with my Curriculum team at school.
Sharing with you too. 😉🤗🥰

Making connections is very important. Connections bring trust and having our students trust that we have their best interests at heart makes the parents trust us in turn. Once trust is broken with a parent or student it’s very difficult to rebuild. Being genuine in all that we do is crucial.

Connections are also important for some because they have no other connection elsewhere. It’s easy to look at our students and take it for granted that they get the love and affection that they need at home. Some do not and it’s near impossible to teach them if they aren’t plugged in.

BTW- Do you know who put these bite sized PD images together? I’ve seen them shared by LOTS of different people.. I love them.. Anyway, if you do please feel free to let me know.

#teachingisaworkofheart #teacherlife #teachertribe #teacherinspiration #professionaldevelopment #iteachfirstandsecond #teachersofig #teachersofinstagram #iteach #teacherthoughts #teesteacherthoughtstidbitsandtips

I’m thinking about a quote from Jean Piaget- one of the theorists still studied today across many specialties…
“Play is the work of childhood”.

What does this mean to me?… Everything!
This is central to what I do and how I ensure we operate in our preschool setting.

Let me backtrack a bit. My mom runs a day care centre and preschool and I coordinate the curriculum with my younger sister who is the head teacher. We have a relaxed setting, no uniforms, desks or chairs. We focus on life skills which they learn in real time aaand there is also a time for academics and formal learning.

Don’t get me wrong. We do not just have the children running wild all day. Much of what they do is work to them. They must consciously engage themselves in activities that have become second nature to us (using the bathroom, bathing and changing) and they focus on playing like it is a “job”.. because it is!

Parents of preschoolers, please do not worry too much about the specifics of what the children are doing academically. There will be evidence enough of that in their discussions and questions..

What we, as primary school teachers need you to really focus on is getting them to be kind and tolerant. Work on independence and self-reliance and confidence. Build them up. Let them know they are loved and amazing in their own right..

When you play with them, allow them to lose. 👀 Express your frustration and exhilaration in front of them so they know how to manage both.

Are you cleaning a shelf or bag? 🤦🏽‍♀How can you involve them? Give them something unpack and repack, give them something to count and sort.

At this stage their learning is not about books and paper and pencils… All of these children need to come out knowing their numbers 1-10, the alphabet and some basic colours, shapes and words… many of them are on the way to doing this already. This is not the hard part…

Focus on pencil grip, cutting, packing, unpacking and repacking a bag and lunch kit, bathing (we still go through this with our Primary school aged campers), washing hands, bathroom etiquette.. these things are more difficult to teach in Primary School.

Do not get caught up in the parents who have children at 2 doing 47 multiplication sums for homework.. 🤨
Do. NOT. Do. It.
Let them do them. You do you.
When they come to us (in Primary School) everybody does everything over and we often can’t tell the difference!

Lots of love
TeeJay ❤

I might have mentioned this before and many of you know anyway: This is a partnership! We can’t do this without you. School does not start and end at whichever Pre or Primary School you go to. You will always have your part to play.

Here are some more tips to help with your prep from Primary School:

1. Do not underestimate the power of a bed time story. It models reading, tone and fluency, gives you a crucial chance to engage in discussion and is also the beginning of building Comprehension skills. Don’t forget the absolutely crucial bonding time naturally built in here.
2. Let them practice writing their names- pay attention to their pencil grip and capital and common letters. Start drilling into them that their names start with capital letters.
3. Practise engaging in sustained quiet activity. Let them sit and read or play a game (not their favourite) for 5-10 minutes.
4. Do you have a whiteboard at home? Write the date on it and let them copy it from the board (ensure that they have to look up to see the board and look back down to write). Write other sight words and have them copy. Copying from the board is a skill all on its own. 😉
5. Have them practise the basics.. a little bit every day- letter sounds, colours, shapes, alphabet, numbers 1-10, days of the week, months of the year. Use worksheets, books, plain paper… HOWEVER, do not stress (out) about this. They will repeat all of this in school.
6. Focus on what’s really important to start school-
   ✔a strong sense of self
   ✔independence
   ✔the ability to use the bathroom properly
   ✔how to unpack and re-pack lunch kits
   ✔how to fall out and make up with friends- conflict resolution
   ✔how to accept defeat
   ✔understanding private parts and appropriate touching
7. One special tip for YOU – Listen and connect. Children have a keen sixth sense and they know when you are being genuine. Listen to the little things they tell you now. Let them know that they are important so that the big complicated things in the future will be easy to share with mommy and daddy because they know that they matter to you. Do not go in the mindset that Primary School is easy – it only seems so to you now that you can look back on it now with your years of experience and knowledge. Everything they go through is a big thing and an important stage in their growth and development. You will also be surprised the kinds of stories they can concoct if they need your time and attention (positive and megative) – don’t push the boundaries of their creativity.
8. Remember to have fun – with and without them!

TeeJay

My name is Tonya and I’m a 35 year old wife and educator from Trinidad and Tobago. I’ve recently found myself saying I’m a wife first, then an educator, which has been an interesting thing for me to note. Priorities shift, we grow, things change I guess. My husband and my future family are the centre of my life and the reason that everything else makes sense. All of my growth and change from now on is for them, for us.

I have been a teacher since I was 4 or 5 years old – conducting assemblies from my grandmother’s bed. Assigning work, correcting work and of course, reprimanding my charges. I was momentarily distracted somewhere along the way when I thought I wanted to pursue Psychology but alas, education was my first love and I quickly found my way back there.

When I finished school at 18 my plan was clear – work for 1 year, go to Teachers’ Training College and be a teachers… That plan changed, the Ministry didn’t call till 4 years later (never answered that call) and 16 years later I’m still at the same school. I’ve had my own class for the last 14 years and I LOVE it. The feeling of getting into my classroom and being with my class, trying new things, laughing with them, uncovering all of their layers and sharing myself with them cannot be matched by anything in the world.

I LOVE to read, LOVE music and love involving myself in other people’s business ie. planning events and volunteering. LOL… My husband says I do too much… and he’s right – but don’t tell him I said that. I’m a fierce protector of my friends and I’m determined that we should all do well and any way that I can help or boost you – I’m going to!

About this blog – To be quite honest, this is the scariest thing I’ve done in a while. I’m putting myself out there. Not sure where it will end up and hoping it does more good than harm. I have a lot on my mind and many things I’d like to learn about and explore so here I am… What is it they say? When God wants you to grow, He makes you uncomfortable… Ok! then. I believe you.

Speaking and sharing intrigue me. Teaching people invigorates me and growing and learning excite me.

Welcome to my blog!

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog, stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

While the blog is officially about education, it’s about so much more. As the name suggests in my thoughts about being a wife and teacher and navigating both roles that I’m passionate about. I won’t be able to get away from sharing thoughts on becoming a mother and a Dr. eventually because those thoughts have started already though those are both future plans. There will be tidbits about all things education – being a teacher, becoming a leader, growing in my various roles and expanding my own horizons. It will include tips that I’ve accumulated over the last 16 years as a teacher at a private, primary school in Trinidad and Tobago. All sorts of random things will dot this blog. This is a complicated journey in a complicated world of unknown and sometimes I just can’t get my brain to stop..

Stay tuned..

TeeJay