Six Simple Takeaways from a Teaching Veteran

by Sharon Davison, Kindergarten Teacher

As educators across the country prepare for another great year of learning and engagement, it’s important to ground ourselves and focus on the big picture.  To help us step back, Sharon Davison, a veteran kindergarten teacher from Vermont, shares six takeaways for educators from her 32 years of experience in the classroom.

1. Care. Care a lot. 

You will be able to make a difference for many if you have empathy and perseverance.  Take the extra time to be patient and listen.  Notice how your students react and interact with each other and the culture you create and design.  Be responsive and flexible to making changes that support your students needs.  Collaborate to make a difference for others in the communities you teach. Through your modeling of caring, your students and their families will become engaged.

2. Be passionate. 

Celebrate the learning that is happening inside and outside of your classrooms. Express your excitement through your face to face, online and other opportunities that you create.  Through your passion, your students will get inspired and become passionate about their learning explorations. Remember to dance, laugh and sing.

3. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge your thinking. 

Remember as a teacher you have lots of opportunities to learn and interact. Think about how you and your students might learn alongside each other. Look for others who are doing creative and innovative things. Through others ideas, you develop your own inspiration and find your voice. You have the ability to be brilliant and make a difference.

4. Connect. Connect. Connect!

Develop your Personal Learning Network (PLN)!  This is vital and very important. This is where your thinking is challenged and you will connect in many ways that will turn into future collaborations.  Through your connections you will develop a group of people, who like you, care, want to make a difference and are willing to make changes that improve their teaching practice.  Your PLN is always there.  Count on them and lean on them when you need support, want to celebrate, collaborate and need inspiration. Join online communities that promote and engage what is important to you.

5. Be transparent. 

It is okay to share what you are thinking and why. Through your transparency you will invite others in and share your perspective. Think about asynchronous and synchronous tools that can share the learning you and your students are exploring together.  Information is important for all of us.  Make it meaningful and interactive. Through your explicit modeling of sharing globally, your audience will be broad and you will connect and others will benefit from your ideas as you will be inspired by theirs.

6. Be well. 

Remember that what you do for your own personal wellness is important. Your wellness of mind and body gives you stability, strength, endurance and patience. Exercise and healthy eating keeps your mind and body healthy and active. Be sure to pursue your passions that recharge you and make you feel energized.  Positive energy is contagious and helps everyone be successful. You will have many opportunities to growth, be inspired and have your thinking challenged. Be open to this idea. Through your ability to transform and be transparent, you will have endless opportunities to learn alongside others, who like you, care, care a lot. This post was originally published on kindergartenlife and TeachThought. It has been republished here with permission from the author. 

---

Sharon Davison is a kindergarten teacher and blogger in Vermont. In her 32-year career, she has taught kindergarten through fourth grade. Sharon has the honor of being an America Achieves Fellow and a NEA Global Fellow as part of the NEA Foundation. She loves the energy and excitement that her students bring each day. You can follow Sharon and her students on Twitter: @vermontkids123. 

Published on July 26, 2015