New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers

It’s a new year. It may only be halfway through the school year, but January still offers opportunities to make changes and add new ideas to your classroom. New Year’s Resolutions are a time for reflection and a time for planning. Many of us make resolutions for our personal life, but we're going to look at some resolutions for educators.

Below are TeachHub.com’s Top 12 New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers:

1. Stay Positive - You’re in the final stretch, spring break and summer are right around the corner.
2. Spice up your Classroom Routine - Try one new technology or instructional technique each month to keep things new and challenging for you and your students. Check out these great EdTech Resolutions from Edutopia.
3. Build Fitness into your Curriculum - Whether you’re focused on avoiding snacks in the workroom or taking more steps each day, choose something to improve your health - and encourage your students to do the same.
4. Get your Work/Life Balance in Order - Making the decision to keep work and home separate can help you and your students because you’ll be more a happier, more relaxed teacher.
5. Give Individual Time and Attention to Students - This is a tough one, but try to connect with each of your students throughout the week. You can change a life.
6. Get Organized - Work Smarter, Not Harder - You probably started the school year with this goal. If you got behind, don’t let it get you down. Use the new year to get back on track.
7. Don’t Let Admin and School Policies Get you Down - You can’t change a lot of these, so keep your head high, your attitude positive, and do your best for your students.
8. Plan your Move up the Pay Scale - Think about courses and professional development opportunities that you can use to grow as an educator. Use the great courses on Pepper to explore new teaching concepts and techniques.
9. Set Goals and Avoid Auto-Pilot Mode - Aside from the goals you set for your school, what are some personal goals that you have for your students and/or classroom?
10. Get Students Involved/Empowered - This one thing alone could change the face of your classroom. Students who take more ownership of their learning will care more and learn more.
11. Make Better Use of Planning - Use your school time wisely so that you can take less home.
12. Dress to Impress Yourself - How you feel about yourself will reflect your classroom attitude. Take time to make sure you feel good about you.

Whatever your goals are this new year, your Pepper team wants to help you be the best teacher you can and help your students learn and grow academically. Your Pepper Learning Community can be a great resource for implementing new goals and ideas. Utilizing the experience and skills of teachers from around the country can provide unique opportunities for networking and sharing lesson ideas and classroom management tips. Also be sure to check out your Pepper Resource Library for great tools and resources.

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