How to make your teacher happy

ESL 05 Make your ESL teacher happy

Paragraph 1: Format!
The first way to write a successful in-class essay is to consider the formatting. The teacher does not want any stress when she reads your essay, so make it look nice! First be sure to write your name and the page number on each page, and also double-space and leave margins on both sides. This way she can make comments and help you. Additionally provide headings such as the one above this paragraph. This guides her eye and shows her you are considering organization. Moreover, make your letters, punctuation and spelling very neat. If the teacher needs to open a bottle of wine to survive reading your essay, that spells T R O U B L E! Thus good, clear formatting and legible writing will greatly improve your chances of writing a strong in-class essay.
Paragraph 2: PLAN!
The second step to successful in-class essay writing is to plan your thoughts and write your essay in the allotted time. First brainstorm your ideas. The teacher usually calls this ‘barfing out’ all your ideas onto scratch paper, but it is a wonderful way to organize your thoughts before you take pen to paper. This will eliminate scratching out and adding in full sentences between the lines. That surely annoys the teacher! Additionally keep an eye on the clock! Calculate your time well. You have 120 minutes to write the essay. A good plan might be to use 15 minutes to ‘throw up’ your ideas, 30 minutes per paragraph – including using your dictionary! – and 15 minutes to check your final work carefully. If you use your time well, you will not panic at the end and your essay will be beautiful!
Paragraph 3: Check!!
The third step to writing a successful in-class essay is to check your work! First Check each paragraph after you write it. Ask yourself the skills you have learned in class: is the topic sentence clear and specific? Are there supporting ideas with clear transitions like “moreover” and “additionally”? Are there details and.

Teachers do more than teach. They foster social responsibility, broaden imaginations, and offer encouragement and support. The way a teacher perceives his or her job can directly impact any influence on students—academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. In previous research, elements such as teaching efficacy, overall stress, and job satisfaction have been looked at as markers of teacher well-being. However, school climate—the environment of the school support, staff interaction, and student behavior and attitude—has not been thoroughly examined relative to teacher well-being. Rebecca J. Collie of the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia thought analyzing how school climate was perceived by teachers, and how it affected efficacy, satisfaction, and stress, was an important and overlooked area of research.

Collie recently led a study in which she surveyed 664 middle and elementary school teachers. She asked them to describe how they perceived their school climates and how it affected their perceptions of their own abilities, satisfaction with their jobs, and stress. She also asked the teachers to report how they felt about social-emotional learning (SEL), a relatively new aspect of teaching that encourages teachers to build social, emotional, and moral foundations into the academic platform. With regard to stress, Collie looked specifically at stress arising from student behavior and workload stress.

The results revealed that SEL was important to teacher efficacy and satisfaction. The teachers that felt most comfortable with delivering SEL components had lower levels of stress and higher levels of self-efficacy and job satisfaction. When Collie looked at school climate, she found that teachers who felt they had motivated and well-behaved students reported less stress and, again, high levels of satisfaction and efficacy. Student behavior problems directly increased stress and decreased efficacy. Increases in stress decreased job satisfaction, and workload stress decreased overall efficacy.

Collie noted that the results from this study, although robust in nature, were not without limitations. In particular, there is no way to determine if the teachers interpreted the questions as they were intended. In addition, the responses could have been biased, as the teachers were not assessed for uniqueness that could have influenced their answers. Despite these factors, Collie believes these findings are significant and can have a big impact on student and teacher outcomes. “The findings clearly indicate that researchers and policy makers need to consider the complexity of relationships among variables when examining or implementing policy related to teacher well-being and motivation,” she said.

Reference:
Collie, Rebecca J., Jennifer D. Shapka, and Nancy E. Perry. School climate and social-emotional learning: Predicting teacher stress, job satisfaction, and teaching efficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology 104.4 (2012): 1189-204. Print.

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If I were a teacher, I believe that the one thing that would make me the happiset of all would be to have more parents who had my back. The love of learning could start in school but I am a firm believer that this has to be encouraged and nurtured at home. There is no way that any teacher, no matter how good you are, can get through to a student without having some kind of firm foundation to build upon, That, I believem starts in the home. Parents have to consistently monitor their kids progress in school and keep the lines of communication open with the teacher. Yes, the teacher wants to help children learn and acquire skills but we can’t put up so many barriers that it makes it impossible for them to do their jobs. I think that if parents were more of a help at home, then there wouldn’t be half as many students and teachers who are kind of left to find their own way, because parental involvement and support would make it so much easier for everyone.

there’s so many factors affecting a teacher at the workplace.so many factors affecting their satisfaction and their ability to contribute fully.its not just money that makes someone happy at work it’s the environment to a large extent.and teachers are no different.

pablo

having seen a couple of teachers leave my school due to the crazy students there made me really sad.they were great teachers but some people just don’t get it,do they.everybody deserves to be treated with respect and empathy, and a teacher’s job is tough,tough as nuts, you’re not helping by making it difficult for the teacher!

Don’t think that there is a teacher out there who would turn down loads of support from wherever they can get it. We are talking from the students to parents and administartion all the way to the community and their families at home. Teaching is a very difficult job, even though very few people other than those on the front lines realize just how hard it can be. We need that constant reassurenace that we are helping our students and that we are reaching them in every way that we possibly can. The only way that this can effectively be a success is to have to support comint at you from every angle. Leave no stone unturned, for the education of our children is too valuable to allow to go to waste.

Magnify your happiness as a teacher with these five easy changes.

There are few things more stressful for teachers than the start of a new school year. Now that you have some time off to relax, you might want to start thinking of tactics to keep your stress level under control for the upcoming year. Luckily, there are a few things we can do to make us feel less stressed. I found that taking time for myself, not comparing myself to others, and lowering my expectations were just a few habits that turned me from a stressed teacher to a happy teacher. Here the techniques I’ve found that keep me happy and stress-free throughout the year.

1. Don’t Compare Yourself to Your Colleagues

This is a difficult but important first step. If you’re friends with a lot of your colleagues, it’s hard not to compare yourself to them when you’re scrolling through your social media feed and you see how perfect their lives seem. I often wondered how some teachers could not only look fabulous and have beautiful families, but also have the time to create the amazing lessons they posted. It seemed hard to believe that they had the time when I was always scrambling to juggle my professional life with my family life.

After reading a study that linked Facebook with depression and low self-esteem, I decided that in order to be a happy teacher, I had to stop comparing myself to my colleagues. I focused on what I did the best, which was being a mom and a creative educator. I also had to remind myself that I was doing my best, which was enough to make me sustain happiness.

2. Take Time for Yourself

As a teacher, I know that many of us have a hard time taking time for ourselves because we’re so busy taking care of others. A lot of our free time is usually spent thinking about or planning what we’re going to do in the classroom, and then our personal lives get neglected. I found that in order to be a happy teacher, I had to make time for myself. I decided to make sure I did something for myself at least once a week. Instead of staying late after school let out, I’d take a yoga class or go for a walk with my neighbors.

3. Lower Your Expectations

I have very high expectations for myself. If a lesson failed, I would get so down on myself. One day, I was talking with a colleague about a lesson that flopped, and she told me that I was thinking about it all wrong. I shouldn’t get down on myself when things don’t go my way. Instead, when a lesson fails, I should think about it as an opportunity to learn from my mistake. We teach our students to learn from their mistakes, so we should take our own advice. After that conversation, I decided to lower my expectations. I let go of the idea that every lesson had to be perfect, and if things didn’t go as planned, then I would learn from them.

4. Fake It until You Make It

You’ve probably heard of the motto “Fake it until you make it.” It means that you should fake feeling happy until you really start to feel happy. Any time that I felt unhappy or in a bad mood, I would remember this motto and try to smile. Soon enough, the more I was pushing myself to feel happy, the happier I started to feel. On days when faking it just didn’t cut it, I would put on some upbeat music to get me in a better mood. Not only did I end up feeling better, but it also made my students happier, too! That was a win-win for me.

5. Dress to Impress

Anytime I was feeling blue, I would make sure to wear my favorite outfit to school. Dressing up always makes me feel better. Teachers have to be on their feet all day long, which usually means comfort over fashion. However, when my hair and makeup is done, and I have my best outfit on, I have confidence in myself, which makes me feel happy. Anytime you want an instant pick-me-up, reach for your favorite outfit and you’ll feel better in no time.

In order to achieve happiness as a teacher, stop comparing yourself to others, take some time for yourself and do the things you love, try not to get down on yourself when a lesson flops, and pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and put on your favorite outfit and smile. Find something small that you can start doing for yourself every week and you’ll soon be a happier teacher.

Following these simple steps can go a long way toward making your parent group more teacher-friendly.

by Patti Ghezzi

Parents and teachers have the same goal: a school that bustles with bright, happy children who are excited about education. But the two groups have different roles, and sometimes working together can be a challenge. You can help make your parent group more teacher-friendly.

Be as welcoming to teachers as you are to parents. When a teacher attends a meeting, go out of your way to say hello. Show teachers how much you appreciate their efforts to be involved with the parent group.

Give teachers who show an interest in your group a chance to have real input. Listen to their suggestions. Incorporate their ideas. Let them know you’re interested in their perspective.

Ask teachers how you can help them out. Your parent group may be able to lighten their load by making photocopies or helping with special projects.

Keep intrusions on class time to a minimum. Avoid asking teachers to do a lot of paperwork or organizational tasks that take away from their teaching time. Make it easy for them to help you.

When it’s time to distribute funds, be fair. Don’t favor the teachers who are the most active in your group. If you give grants, keep the application process simple and clear.

Always check with the principal before scheduling an event to make sure it doesn’t conflict with the academic calendar. Let teachers know about schoolwide programs early on so they can plan for lost classroom time.

Don’t interrogate teachers who miss meetings or events. They may have commitments at their child’s school, a sick parent to care for, or a graduate course to attend.

Include teachers in discussions about big-ticket items your group is considering buying. Parents may want to replace the school’s sign, but teachers may be desperate for classroom supplies.

Remember to publicly thank teachers for their contributions to the parent group.

The best PTO advice, ideas, and inspiration delivered weekly. Don’t miss it!

Last Updated: October 17, 2019 References

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Your teachers work hard to make you a successful student and sometimes it can feel good to recognize their hard work. Though the official World Teacher’s Day celebrating teachers around the globe is on October 5th, you can also choose to make your teacher’s day more special by using positive words and positive actions any day of the week.

Also, ask for permission before decorating the door at all. Ask your principal, not your teacher or that will give the surprise away! You may not be allowed to stay in class after school or paste things on school property; some schools find that offensive even if it was not meant to be. So be sure to ask the principal first. You do not want to get in trouble when you were only trying to express gratitude for a teacher! If you are not given permission, do not worry. And never, never go ahead and do it anyway; that will only cause your authorities (including your teacher!) to not be impressed with you at all. You can make your teacher’s day some other way.

Nothing gives a school purpose and energy like an enthusiastic and motivated staff. However, there are so many things that can wear teachers down and this can put a dampener on any prospect of improvement, let along keeping momentum going. As a leader, there are many sound and simple ways for you to keep teachers motivated, enthusiastic and engaged. Here are a few:

1. Recognise and celebrate passion. Simply put, nobody gets in to teaching for money or fame. Even if they’re tired, unhappy or bitter, every teacher got in to their job because they were passionate about sharing their love of a subject and about helping young people learn and develop in to wonderful adults. Even at the toughest times it is a good idea to ask your staff to recall their career highs and treasured memories, and demonstrate in your actions that you genuinely want them to have more lessons that they love delivering. The best lessons need to have outstanding learning, and should be enjoyable for students and staff. No student ever got enthused by an unhappy teacher. Even at the moments of greatest frustration with a colleague, remember that they got in to this profession for the right reasons.
2. Start with the positive, and enthuse. Make it a rule that you notice the wonderful things that are going on in your school. Ask people to tell you about their best lessons that day, week, or term, and really listen to them. Be receptive and enthuse with your words and body language. Show that you are happy for them. Ask what you could do to help them have more moments like that. (Leaders who do this actually feel better about themselves.)
3. Collaborate. Encourage teachers to work together. Offer training in giving positive, useful, constructive advice. Give them the time, space and resources to jointly plan lessons, observe each other and offer supportive feedback. Encourage everyone to share good ideas on staffroom walls, mailing lists and in online forums.
4. Give time. Scrutinise every new initiative incredibly carefully, and realise that every five minutes spent on paperwork is five minutes less spent on creating quality learning, assessing student work, and meeting students one-to-one. Every initiative has value, but is it really more important than delivering quality teaching and learning? Is there a way of achieving the same outcomes with a much lower impact on time?
5. Be pro-actively receptive. Having an open-door policy is a great start, although many people won’t feel brave enough to come to you unless a problem has got pretty big. Get out and about, engage, listen, offer help. Sit down with middle managers and staff and ask how they are doing.
6. Share the bad times. If there’s something that you know isn’t going to go down too well, make sure you’re seen to be suffering at least as much. About to introduce a new requirement in lessons? Make sure senior leaders have to implement it first, and leave it optional for everyone else for a while. Need to ramp up the performance observations? Invite other staff in to observe and constructively support senior leaders’ teaching before you impose your observations on them.
7. Recognise the key stress times. Ends of terms, report-writing and exam-marking times are really tough, especially for colleagues with lots of classes. Avoid new initiatives and stresses during these times, and if you can be seen to offer to lend a hand with lessons, planning, and duties at these times it will go down a treat!
8. Be flexible. You need to be accommodating when staff ask for time off. If a colleague has an outside interest then be as flexible as you can. A decision to refuse someone a day off for their championship cycle race will only show you don’t care about them as a person, and will plant the seed of the idea that they need to leave in order to grow and develop their interests.
9. Develop their CVs. Offer as many opportunities for growth as you can within the school. If there isn’t an opportunity going, you could offer temporary secondments to middle or senior leaderships roles, or you could try arrange a few placements in other schools where they shadow someone in a role they aspire to. Actively develop opportunities for teachers to work on their CVs, and develop a reputation as a school where the enthusiastic teachers can come and grow.
10. Give credit. Never miss any opportunity to praise staff at your school and give them credit for the success of the school. Praise them to parents, in newsletters, to the media and to students. Praise individuals quietly behind their backs, and praise them to their faces.

What other examples can you give where leaders have created an enthusiastic school?

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One Reply to “10 ways to keep your teachers happy”

A common sense yet insightful list. Empathy and recognition go a long way and enabling staff to grow makes a real difference.

I read that and realise I will want to go back to a school leadership role again at some point in the future.

Even if you’re not Ryan Gosling.

Just a few weeks ago, a good friend of mine left her teaching position after 10 years. In fact, she left the public school system altogether to work at a private school, a wholly different climate for teaching. Despite receiving school-, district-, and state-level accolades, she realized her career had grown stagnant. And teachers like her are leaving public education in droves.

Teachers who want to stay in public education, but also want to grow, tend to have two options. They can either hop from district to district trying to find growth or move out of the classroom into administrative capacities. At the end of every school year, principals must scramble to replace teachers, some of whom are simply irreplaceable. Stopping the great teacher exodus can begin with some of the following actions:

Recognize teachers for jobs well done

Positive reinforcement systems gain traction for students and similar concepts work for teachers. At my school, we have the traditional Teacher of the Month and Teacher of the Year awards; students and fellow teachers nominate deserving individuals and administration and/or counselors make the decision. We also have a weekly award that can be given to any employee in the school for going the extra mile. These recognitions make teachers feel valued.

Going a step further by recognizing accomplishments that other teachers may not understand are wonderful feats. If the national pass rate on a test is 55 percent, a teacher with a 70 percent pass rate deserves to be recognized, especially if that teacher has class after class consistently achieving at that rate. Take the time to celebrate that teacher, explaining to others how exceptional his or her accomplishments are.

Avoid punishing your best teachers for being reliable

Sometimes being a good teacher means showing up. Frequently, the best teachers are also the ones who volunteer for extra curricular activities, stay late to tutor, and work at their desks through lunch. Administrators know they can count on these teachers. So, when duty assignments are given out, these teachers may find themselves with less than desirable duty, just because they will show up. For example, one high school teacher I know had several high difficulty classes with gifted students, a homeroom class, an intensive extracurricular activity, and was assigned year-long after school student parking lot duty.

Other teachers had year-long lunch duty because of the time of their planning periods, essentially reducing the amount of time they had to plan by 30 minutes. In comparison, most teachers were assigned seven weeks of duty total for the whole year, including some who had no homerooms. The good teachers felt punished. Two of them left at the end of the year.

Ask their opinions on school related matters—and listen to them

Teachers know their schools. They know their students and their subject matter. And teachers have opinions on all of these topics. One principal I had sits down at the end of the year with as many teachers as he can fit in. He asks for three things the school is doing well and three things that could be improved. It’s a fantastic concept. But sometimes the suggestions seem to fall on deaf ears. Perhaps they are above his pay grade. Perhaps he disagrees. Whatever the reasoning, when a teacher has taken the time to share an idea or a solution, and nothing seems to come of it, it feels demoralizing. If a teacher’s suggestion cannot be implemented, have the grace to explain why. Make the teacher feel heard, and the ideas will keep coming.

Above all, show your best teachers that you trust them to be the best

The best thing I ever had a principal say to me was that she liked me because she could trust me to do what I needed to do in the classroom. I was able to perform well because I knew that, as long as I wasn’t doing something colossally stupid or illegal, I could take risks that made me a better teacher. My subject matter has me touching on some pretty controversial concepts at times. Our classroom debates can get heated. I frequently play Devil’s advocate. Students sometimes think, despite disclaimers, that I am targeting them because I disagree with their fundamental beliefs, and—in student logic—must not like them. It happens every year. But, my methods get consistent, quantifiable results. So my administrators trust me. They may walk into my room and see barely managed chaos, but, at the same time, they see past it, to the learning.

Micromanagement, lack of recognition, and lack of consideration make the best teachers leave.

How To Impress Your Teachers – Every child would want to become their teacher’s favourite. But this is not always an easy task. If you look at the kids who are the favourites of teachers, you will be surprised to note that many of them may be just average students and not so academically oriented.

So how do they attain this position of becoming the teacher’s favourite? What are their strategies that make them tick with the teacher? Are these questions that you have been asking yourself as you would like your child too to become the teacher’s favourite? If yes, this article provides you with certain tips and strategies that you as a parent can adopt in order to keep your child in the good books of his or her teachers.

Many parents adoptstrategies to impress their teachers with the intention that their child will get better grades even if he or she is not a good student. This however must not be your goal as influencing teachers to attain better grades is not a character that your child must adopt if you are looking at the betterment of his future. Hard work and earnest efforts must be the key to good grades as well as impressing teachers. Read on.

Concentrate In Class

The importance of concentrating in class must be communicated to your childearly on. This is not just a habit to impress teachers, but a habit that will always help him stay a step further ahead than his classmates. A child who concentrates well in class is the joy of a teacher as the teacher feels confident that he/she is teaching them well and in the right method.

It is a mutually beneficial habit as it helps the child too to spend less time in studies at home as he has already understood thoroughly what the teacher has explained in the class. Such a student will keep the teachers concentration on the subject being taught as well. Disturbances in class can affect the efficiency of the teacher as well. Look at the teacher when she talks and keep the eye contact intact when she is teaching.

Clear Doubts

Many children think that teachers do not want many questions to be asked when they teach. So most of them keep their mouth shut even if they haven’t understood a word of what the teacher has taught. This is awrong assumption whatsoever. A good teacher will always encourage the students to ask questions and clear the doubts.

In fact, a student who asks the teacher to give him a second round of lecture because he has not understood the concept will go a long way in impressing the teacher. He has already communicated his interest in the subject and his desire to clear doubts and make an effort. Teachers will always have a keen interest in such students and will always ensure that they understood the subject thoroughly more than the others.

Be Regular in Your Homework

As a parent, it is in your responsibility to make sure that your child does his or her homework every day. A teacher who monitors your child will immediately sense your interest in his studies and will automatically have an impression. A child who follows instructions and does all his home work and assignments correctly will make a good impression on the teacher.

It is not important that your child has to get higher grades to be a teacher’s pet. Teachers definitely understand that all children cannot be of the same intelligence level. It is the interest in learning and a willingness to put their own effort that counts when it comes to impressing teachers.

Good Manners

A teacher will not just asses a child’s academic competence, but their all round behaviour in class. This is why some kids never become the teacher’s favourite in spite of getting the best grades in class. Having good manners will help your child remain a teacher’s favourite as well.

Teach your child the importance of politeness and courtesyand help him behave well with everyone including the peon and the watchman in your school. People especially tend to note your child’s good behaviour towards those who are not as privileged as them and will always remember such gestures as a mark of excellence in their behaviour.

Never Arrive Late For School

A student who is always late for school will immediately be in the bad books of the school as well as his teachers. Being punctual to school is one of the basic habits that has to be instilled in a child. As a parent, your responsibility is to ensure that your child never gets late to school.

More often than not, it is the parents that drop the child late to school and the child himself is not responsible for it. As a parent,ensure that your child is on time, at least 10 minutes before the school starts. When the school bell rings, be ready and up for the Morning Prayer while the teacher arrives in the class. This will leave a good impression on the teacher.

Volunteer For Activities

A child who is active in school, whether it is for extracurricular activities or for other community projects or volunteer work, will always create a lasting impression on the teachers. Teachers will never forget students who are active in school.

A student who has exceptional talents and make an extra effort to help around will always remain in a teacher’s mind that a child who is just academically oriented and does not participate in other activities. Encourage your child to participate in every activity that he can and teach him the importance of helping others and volunteering for good causes. These things will help him gain social responsibility and also impress the teachers.

Gift Your Teacher

Though showering your child’s teacher with gifts is not a respectable habit as it will be misunderstood for being overzealous to get into her good books, a small thoughtful gift once in a while is well appreciated. This could be for her birthday or for teacher’s day when you can let her know how much your child cherishes her lectures and value her guidance. Teachers will surely be impressed by your child’s thoughtfulness and will respect the parent who has instilled such values in the child.

How To Impress Your Teachers – Ways To Make A Good Impression On Your Teacher Teachers

Teaching Strategies to Make Your Class More Fun

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ThoughtCo / Nusha Ashjaee

• M.S., Education, Buffalo State College
• B.S., Education, Buffalo State College

Have you ever been in the middle of teaching a class, glanced at your students, and caught them staring into space? Just when you think you’ve created the perfect lesson plan or engaging activity, you may find that your students are unfocused and out to lunch. Yet it’s essential that you find ways to keep your classes interesting so your students can absorb and retain the information that you present.

For decades, educators have been trying new teaching strategies to keep their students on their toes and get them excited about learning. Although some strategies have failed, others have been found to be quite effective. Explore 10 teacher-tested ways to keep your class interesting so your students will stay engaged all the time.

1. Incorporate Mystery Into Your Lessons

Learning may be the most fun for your students when they don’t know what to expect. Try to incorporate a sense of surprise and mystery into your lessons. When you’re about to unveil a new lesson, give students a new clue each day up until the last day before the start of the lesson. This is a fun way to make your lesson mysterious, and you may find that your students are actually looking forward to finding out what they’ll be learning about next.

2. Don’t Repeat Classroom Material

It’s appropriate and essential to review classroom material, but try not to repeat it verbatim because this can make it less interesting for students. The next time you need to review material, try playing a review game during which you present the information in a way that’s different from the first time you taught the students. The 3-2-1 strategy is a fun way to review and not repeat material. For this activity, students draw a pyramid in their notebooks and write down three things they learned, two things they thought were interesting, and one question they still have.

3. Create Classroom Games

Whether you’re 5 or 25, playing a game can be fun. Games are also a great way to keep lessons interesting. If your students need to remember their spelling words, conduct a spelling bee—a contest in which participants are eliminated when they misspell a word. Or if the students need to practice math, have a math bee, which is similar to a spelling bee, but with math problems or facts instead of spelling words. Games make learning fun, and games in class are a prescription for happy kids.

4. Give Your Students Choices

One strategy that teachers have found to be effective is offering their students the ability to make their own choices when it comes to learning. Choice can be a powerful motivator because it helps to foster student interest and independence. The next time you’re planning an activity, try making a choice board. Print out a tic-tac-toe board and write down nine different tasks for students to complete. The goal is for each student to choose three tasks in a row.

5. Use Technology

Technology is a great way to keep your lessons interesting. Children love electronics, so try incorporating it into your overall teaching strategy. Instead of standing in front of the room and lecturing, try using a Smartboard interactive display. Expand your cooperative learning activity lessons by connecting to a classroom in another city or country via videoconferencing. Use technology in a variety of ways, and you’ll see the interest level in your classroom increase by leaps and bounds.

6. Don’t Take Teaching so Seriously

Being an effective teacher is an important job, but that doesn’t mean that you have to remain serious in class at all times. Try to loosen up a bit and acknowledge that your students may have different interests and learning styles than your own. It’s OK to laugh at yourself at times and to have some fun. You may find that your students are more interested when you’re a little more relaxed.

7. Make Your Lessons Interactive

In a traditional classroom, the teacher stands in front of the room and lectures to the students as the students listen and take notes. Unfortunately, this is not the most effective way to hold students’ interest. Make learning interactive by creating hands-on lessons that involve students every step of the way. Try using the Jigsaw cooperative learning activity in which each student is responsible for his or her own part of a group activity. Or try a hands-on science experiment. When you involve students and make your lessons interactive, your class becomes more interesting.

8. Relate Material to Your Students’ Lives

Try to create a real-world connection to what your students are learning. This will give them a better understanding of why they need to learn what you’re teaching. If they’re constantly asking you why they need to learn something and you’re always answering with “because,” you will soon lose credibility. Instead, try giving them a real answer such as, “You’re learning about money because in the real world, you’ll need to know how to buy food and pay your bills.” By giving a straightforward answer, you’re helping them make a connection between what they’re learning in class and how they’ll use this information in the future.

9. Flip Your Lessons

The flipped classroom has been gaining in popularity since the term “flipped” entered the broader education world in 2012. When it was first presented, the idea that students could learn new information at home and then come to school and use class time for critical thinking activities and reinforcement of concepts was unique. However, many teachers are using this strategy and achieving positive results. Students in a flipped classroom are able to work at their own pace (which is great for differentiated learning) and engage with their peers in a more interactive, meaningful way when they’re in the classroom. Try using the flipped teaching strategy for your next lesson and observe the depth of your students’ engagement.

10. Think Outside the Box

Lesson plans don’t have to include worksheets or lectures during which students sit and take notes time and again. Try thinking outside the box and plan a lesson that’s completely out of the ordinary. Invite a guest speaker, go on a field trip, or take learning outdoors. When you try something new and different, there’s a good chance that your students will respond positively. When planning a lesson, try collaborating with another teacher or taking your students on a virtual field trip. Learning that engages students is the most effective. Your students will find it more interesting to learn when you present the material to them in a variety of creative ways.

Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 5th September, every year across the world. The day is dedicated to teachers and gurus. Students honour the contribution of their teachers and express gratitude for their teachings. Schools organise plays, specially written for teachers. And, if you want to make this day special for your favourite teacher, here are some touching wishes, images, cards, messages, greetings and quotes.

Teachers’ Day Quotes:

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth’. – Dan Rather
A teacher who can arouse a feeling for one single good action, for one single good poem, accomplishes more than he who fills our memory with rows and rows of natural objects, classified with name and form. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. – Brad Henry

“Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” – Josef Albers

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” -William Butler Yeats

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.” – Khalil Gibran

“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Teachers’ Day Wishes and Messages:

You have always been an excellent educator who knew exactly how to illuminate a soul with its own light. Happy teachers’ day to my favorite teacher!

Dear teacher, you have been a great mentor and guide and have shaped my career well. I thank you for your effort and hope you remain a superb mentor for others also. Happy Teachers Day…

Happy teachers day! It has been an honor to get to learn so many things from you; thanks for inspiring me! We need more instructors like you in our schools and universities.

Dear teacher,
Thanks for teaching us
the way we wanted to learn
not making us learn the way
You wanted to teach
Thank You So Much

You are not just a teacher to me, you are also an inspiration.
Lucky to have you as a guide.
Happy Teacher’s Day!

I was lucky to have a teacher as wonderful as you are.
Wishing you a Teachers Day that’s full of joyous moments!

This beautiful card is for my retired teacher whose service in our school is greatly appreciated and who has been one of the stalwarts of our school with her good teaching. Teacher, I thank you with all my heart for your service.

Teachers Day
The way you teach…
The knowledge you share…
The care you take…
The love you shower..
Makes you…
The world’s best teacher…
Happy Teacher’s Day 2020

Gumnami ke andhere me tha
Ek pehchaan bana diya
Duniya ke gum se mujhe
Unhone anjaan bana diya
Unki aisi kripa huyi ke
Guru ji ne mujhe ek achha
Insaan bana diya
Happy Teachers Day

The best teachers always teach first from the heart and later from the book.
Happy Teachers Day!!

Just wanted to let you know that your hard work is extremely appreciated. Thanks for being the best.
Happy Teacher’s Day!!

I feel so blessed to have a teacher like you who not only pushes me towards achieving my goal but also supports me in every step.
Happy Teacher’s Day!

Books, sports, homework and knowledge, you are the pillar of our success and in the classroom, you are the best.

You are the spark, the inspiration, the guide, the candle to my life. I am deeply thankful that you are my teacher.

I am grateful to be your student. Thank you for challenging me to be my best and instilling in me a passion for learning. Happy Teachers Day!

Having a teacher like you is a blessing from above. Thank you for changing my world.

The best teachers don’t give you the answer, they spark within you the desire to find the answer yourself. Happy Teachers Day!

My child’s future is so much brighter because of you. Thank you for being an outstanding teacher. Best wishes for Teachers Day.

Keep calm and study on. Happy Teachers’ Day!

Thank you for being my child’s second parent and a fantastic mentor. Happy Teachers Day!

Wishing you joy and happiness, you are an amazing teacher, and you only deserve the best.

On this day we honor teachers like you, Who give of themselves in all that they do. So thank you my teacher for all that you gave, And I promise to try my best to behave!

Warm wishes to the teacher who is a great example and who taught me so much. Thank you for giving your love and your 110%.

Because of you a bright future is within my grasp. Thank you for inspiring me. Happy Teachers’ Day!

From ABC’s to red, white and blue, from history and mathematics too, all I want to say is a big Thank you!

Teachers’ Day Images, Cards, Greetings and GIFs

Author

Dean, Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University

Disclosure statement

Maureen Robinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Partners

Stellenbosch University provides funding as a partner of The Conversation AFRICA.

The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations

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Across Africa – from South Africa to Botswana, Kenya to Rwanda and many others – January marks the beginning of the academic year for millions of new pupils.

Research has consistently shown that a solid foundation in the early years of schooling is extremely beneficial to a child’s cognitive development. It is also important to consider children’s affective, or emotional, experiences. Motivation and enthusiasm are key components of successful learning, so an important question is what parents and teachers can do to make school a happy place for young learners.

For those children who have been fortunate enough to attend a good pre-school or, in South Africa, a Grade R class, the first days of school are likely to be more familiar and probably less threatening. However, there are ways in which teachers and parents can make any child’s all-important first days memorable and motivating.

People, places and activities all matter

Making school a happy place for learners is a combined outcome of people, places and activities.

The key people are the teachers. A welcoming smile and a caring demeanour will allow the child to feel safe and noticed, and helps develop confidence. By creating a positive and supportive environment for learning, the teacher is actively modelling how they would like children to behave.

Equally important are the parents or caregivers. The key for parents and caregivers is to create a sense of excitement for this milestone of life without inducing stress or anxiety. Preparatory work at home, like reading to the child or encouraging conversation, stimulates curiosity and ignites the imagination – both of which are huge investments for learning.

Attention to place is also crucial. Unfortunately schools often do not look like interesting, exciting and well-organised environments for learning. A school that is neat and clean, where children’s work and school activities are displayed on the walls and where information is easily viewed, creates the impression of being cheerful, orderly, well-managed and focused on learning.

An investigation conducted by South Africa’s Department of Basic Education into “schools that work” showed how schools that focused on the central tasks of teaching, learning and management with a sense of responsibility, purpose and commitment were able to overcome many of their challenges and to create a positive environment for learning.

Mbilwi Secondary School in South Africa’s Limpopo province is not limited by its poor surroundings, and is an example of what the government calls a ‘school that works’.

Classroom layout can also affect how children concentrate and behave. The teacher could think about the use of quiet spots, the arrangement of desks, or working on a mat.

Appropriate and balanced learning activities are important too. Young children do not have a long attention span, so it is important to structure and vary learning activities and to remember that children have different strengths. The more a teacher can get to know the individual child – and understand their background – the more the teacher can assist the child.

Planning is essential. In South Africa, the national CAPS curriculum can be helpful if it is used with thought, understanding and purpose. Daily routines create structure and predictability and help children to learn to manage themselves. But routines must not be stifling: variety and fun are key aspects of enjoyment for anyone. This is where physical play and time outdoors come in.

Don’t get stuck in the classroom

Too much focus on “desk” learning can be threatening and does not help to develop natural learning and all of the senses. Physical play is crucial for children’s motor development, as well as for learning social skills of co-operation and team work.

There should be a balance of indoor and outdoor activities that include cognitive learning as well as physical exertion. Even if playgrounds are not available, children can break sedentary exhaustion through the simple movements of standing up, moving their fingers and toes, shaking their heads and stretching their limbs.

Bored children become fidgety, something which is often mistaken for being inattentive. This sets up a negative cycle of reprimand and frustration.

Schools need everyone’s support

Many schools around the world are faced with barriers to learning that include large classes, a lack of resources and poverty in the home and community.

Within this reality, various organisations in South Africa are working with teachers, parents, caregivers and departments of education to help children reach their full learning potential.

By working as partners on such strategies, parents and teachers can go a long way to making school a happy place that is focused on learning.

Adrian Bethune

Is your classroom a happy place?

Happiness in schools is becoming a serious business as heads and teachers try to tackle both a young people’s mental health crisis and a teaching crisis too.

The evidence is clear that happier children work better, get ill less, have less time off school, get higher grades and are generally more successful. And, if you think focusing on student happiness detracts from ‘serious’ learning, think again. The evidence also shows that schools that work on developing student wellbeing not only have happier pupils but that they do better academically and their behaviour improves too.

10 Steps To A Happy Place

Here are 10 ways to foster happy classrooms to maximise learning and teach your students some life-affirming skills.

1 Tribal classrooms

Humans are an innately tribal and social species. We operate the best and learn the most when we feel safe, secure and connected to others. So, greet your students at the door with a smile and shake their hand. Make everyone feel welcome and that they’re part of your tribe. When there are friendship issues, help to resolve them. A happy classroom is built primarily on positive relationships.

2 Mindfulness

There’s growing evidence that mindfulness interventions can help children reduce their levels of stress, anxiety and depression, whilst increasing their levels of positive emotion, attention and even metacognition. Create moments of stillness in your day when your class pause, take some deep breaths, and then focus on their normal breathing. Each time their mind wanders away from their breathing, guide them to gently bring their attention back to the breath. Every time you bring your attention back to the breath after it has wandered, you strengthen the parts of the brain in charge of attention and emotional regulation.

3 Rewire negativity bias

The human brain has an innate negativity bias. This helped keep us alive on the savannah as our ancestors who could spot dangers quickly and avoid them, survived and passed on their genes, but our more mindful ancestors who stopped to admire a beautiful vista were gobbled up by a lion. But a practice known as ‘Three Good Things’ can help rewire that bias and level the playing field. At the end of each day, get your students to write down three things that went well for them. Ask them to share their good things with a partner. Repeat often to rewire that bias!

4 Stretch

Learning new things is a key facet of a happy life. When we’re engaged and interested in our work, we feel and do better. But if the work is not challenging enough, we get bored, and too challenging and we get overwhelmed. Aim for that elusive Goldilocks sweet-spot of stretching your students to just beyond what they can currently do as that is where neuroplasticity is maximised and the most learning takes place.

5 Flow

When the challenge of a task is just right, when the task has clear goals, and when we’re able to really focus on what it is we’re doing, we are likely to experience ‘flow’ – an optimal state of psychological being. Time rushes by, we lose sense of ourselves and it feels deeply satisfying. Children that experience flow more regularly show deeper learning, greater long-term interest in subjects, and higher levels of wellbeing. Create the atmosphere so your class can lose themselves in their work!

6 Play to their strengths

Character strengths are the core parts of ourselves that shape our personality and motivate us. Studies show that when we use our strengths in novel ways we are significantly happier. Why not get your class to take this youth strengths questionnaire to identify their top ‘signature strengths’ and task them with using them in their school work and at home.

7 Practice kindness

Humans are hardwired to be kind. We get more happiness from buying a gift for others, than we do for ourselves. Kindness is contagious too and it even helps make us healthier. The best way to spread it is to be kind yourself. Teachers who use kind words, are polite, respectful, patient and well-mannered have children who emulate them. You could even encourage your children to carry out random acts of kindness by hosting a ‘Kindness Week’.

8 Be optimistic

Optimists are happier, have better health and are less likely to suffer from depression than their pessimistic counterparts. But how can you help students be optimistic when things aren’t going there way? A key is to let them know that the problem is temporary (it won’t last forever), that it is specific (it affects one area of their life but other areas are going well) and it isn’t personal (don’t blame yourself as other external factors would have been involved). Help them challenge their negative self-chatter and see their situation from a more hopeful perspective.

9 Exercise

Exercise is one of the single biggest things we can do to boost our physical and mental health. Fitter students perform better academically, have better body-image and higher self-esteem. We need to be getting our students out of their chairs and moving more. You could get your class to do ‘The Daily Mile’ where they jog or run a mile every day. Or simply break up lessons with a round of star jumps, burpees, or a few laps of the playground. Short bursts of exercise raises the heart rate and sends more blood and oxygen up to the brain allowing it to think better. Feel good hormones like dopamine and endorphins that exercise releases not only boost happiness levels but they are neurotransmitters too, so they boost brain power!

10 Walk the talk

To create a happier classroom for your children, you must first work on yourself. If you don’t walk the talk, your message will feel inauthentic and your class won’t buy into it. So make sure you look after yourself and practice what you preach. Ultimately, a happy teacher makes a happy classroom. Have a great year fellow teachers!

Adrian Bethune’s new book Wellbeing In The Primary Classroom: A Practical Guide To Teaching Happiness is out now and includes many more practical tips for creating a happy classroom. Keep an eye on Teacher Toolkit social media this week because we’ll be giving away a free copy to one lucky winner!

“ The Happy French Teacher is one of the best French teachers I have had, not only has she improved my French enormously but she has also become a friend. She is so easy to talk to, very understanding, passionate, enthusiastic and is such a lovely person, it is hard not to enjoy learning French!.
She has given me the confidence I desperately needed in speaking (which is always so difficult) and reminded me of why I was learning the language in the first place. She took note of my strengths and weaknesses and we worked on all aspects of the language from grammar to listening.
I cannot recommend Happy French Teacher’s classes enough. Lessons are flexible, fun and my French improved so much in just the few months I spent with her. Thanks to the classes, I can happily say I am currently enjoying my year on exchange in France much more, being able to communicate confidently and correctly.
Thank you so much!! ”

“ On my bucket list, I have that I want to speak French fluently.
I am working on checking that off right now! If you have ever wanted to have private instruction from the comfort of your home via user-friendly Skype—-this is the teacher for you!
She is wonderful and has somehow mastered the art of making the complicated art of learning a language very easy!
Highly recommend. ”

“ THE best teacher I’ve ever had. Enthusiastic, fun, loving, caring. Will teach you everything she knows and will pass her knowledge without hesitating. Take advantage of her love for teaching, everything Happy French Teacher will teach you will be of use in the future. I’d say there is not one teaching service in the world who could compete with Happy French Teacher!

100% Guilt Free Self-Care for Busy People Since 2009

I found my life’s calling when I became a teacher. Finally, I thought, a job I could see doing for the rest of my life.

And pretty much as soon as I found my calling, I lost my f*king marbles.

I’ve always been a super productive, perfectionist, ambitious, go-getter and stepping into a new career wasn’t going to change that fact.

My plan was to be the best teacher ever in the history of the universe.

Even if I had to do ridiculous things to get there.

My first year I worked the first 72 days of school straight. No weekends, no evenings, no friends, no exercise, no fun. I was in it to win it, friends.

Work, work, work. You name it, I did it: lesson and unit planning, curriculum and classroom management trainings after school and on the weekends, seating charts, weekly progress reports, calls home and community building activities.

I limped to the finish line that year with the promise I’d do better the next year. Teaching would get easier with time I told myself.

Turns out my second year, was harder than the first. I had an exceptionally challenging class, and I again told myself teaching would get easier when I had more experience under my belt.

By the end of my third year, I was exhausted from teaching and some personal grief, and if I’m being totally honest, completely unhinged. Mentally and physically exhausted, I knew something had to really change if I was going to stay in this profession.

A couple more years passed pretty much the same way. I was doing the same thing and expecting a different result: working too much, too hard and promising to do better “next year” and each year I just got more and more exhausted.

The worst part? It was affecting my ability to be a good teacher. Resentment was building and I was becoming less flexible and fun, both inside and out of the classroom.

But let’s be honest, not much changed because I didn’t know where to start. Knowing something needs to change and actually making real changes are two very different things.

Time and experience were not going to be the only thing to help me stay healthy, happy and sane in the classroom. That much I figured out.

Midyear, my principal called me into his office to basically stage an intervention. He asked me if i was happy being a teacher.

Keep in mind, this guy thought I kicked ass in the classroom. He knew I excelled at all the teacher work, but he wanted to know if I’d be happier doing something else because he didn’t see a single ounce of joy in my face.

I cried. Totally ugly cried. Because, the answer was no. I wasn’t happy being a teacher. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else for a living because I still felt I was called to be a teacher. But I wasn’t happy doing things the way they were being done.

Something had to change.

It wasn’t pretty.

I was embarrassed because apparently I wasn’t the best teacher in the universe after all.

And then I got real.

If “they” weren’t going to appreciate all the time and effort I was putting into my classroom, then I just wasn’t going to any more. I’d show them…

So instead of spending every free moment of my life working, I started going to yoga class in the afternoon. I started cooking dinner and making sure I had good leftovers for lunch. I started making plans with friends for fun.

That’s when it all clicked.

When I was happier in my life outside the classroom, life in the classroom was happier. My patience grew, my appreciation for my students grew, my resentment disappeared and we ALL did better.

Let me repeat that last part:My students did better at school when I took better care of myself.

Maya Angelou is famous for saying “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Teaching is a marathon and requires some serious training. And not that kind they cover in your credential program.

What’s your secret to being a happy classroom teacher?

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6 thoughts on “ The Secret to Being A Happy Classroom Teacher ”

I’m not a classroom teacher, but yes, I can relate as well. A massage therapist needs to take care of herself too. The weight of that didn’t kick in when I worked at hotel spas, gyms, not even chiropractic offices with acute accident injury victims… And then something switched. It was when I started providing massage to teenagers and young adults who were seeing me as part of a wraparound team program to help them recover from serious emotional problems… and they of course could see right through any act I might put on. Energy knows energy, and working with people with addiction recovery issues and attachment disorders, forced me to start to dig and face my own. Mine wasn’t meth, or anorexia, but it was patterns all the same. The stifled energy that I held locked in me by not exercising, not resting, not connecting inward, not being honest with myself about feeling what I was feeling, not being authentic in many ways– that energy was strong enough to blow the roof off any face I might put on. Being with young people brought out the real person inside me, my conscience as well as my compassion, and it spilled over into my own mirror somehow. My will to live ordinary life in a more soulful way suddenly got real. And it was teachers, of yoga and other mind body healing arts, that got the engines running.

Thanks teenagers, young people, children… for reminding us who we want to be. Who we are. And thanks Tami for making me smile, as usual, with your strong and vibrant truth. Peace!

Reblogged this on oliviaobryon and commented:
I know, I know, two reblogs in a row, but I can’t help it. This post made me laugh and smile. So much truth. The secret to surviving (and enjoying) teaching is taking care of yourself. Pretty sure that transfers to other hard jobs in life too… Like parenting, perhaps?

I LOVE this post. The first line made me laugh out loud. I had to read it to my husband. Then we both laughed together. Most of all, however, I love your message. It is so true– I have experienced the same thing on a smaller scale (I still gave myself weekends my first year…). Teaching is easier, happier, better when I take care of myself. Thank you for the reminder.

I’m not a classroom teacher, but boy can I relate to this post! Making a significant amount of time for self-care exponentially improves my work performance, even though it – paradoxically – often means leaving “the pile” (of not-done work) on my desk at the end of the day!

I love this. Thank you for sharing. I’m currently a reading specialist, but thinking about moving into a classroom job. I can see myself working non-stop. This is a good reminder that it wouldn’t be good for me or my students.

Simple Considerations Can Go a Long Way

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• M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Florida
• B.A., History, University of Florida

Teachers are human beings with their own issues and concerns. They have good days and bad. While most attempt to be positive, this can become difficult on tough days when no one seems to be listening or caring about what they are learning. When a student comes into class with a great attitude and a winning personality, it can make a huge difference. And, remember that a happy teacher is a nicer teacher. Below are some of the best ways to impress your teacher. Implementing just a couple can have an impact. So pick the tips that work for you and try them today.

Pay Attention to Details

If your teacher asks you to bring in a specific book or workbook to class, bring it. Write reminders if you have to, but come prepared. Turn in your assignments on time, and be prepared for tests. Take a few minutes each evening to study what you learned in class. And, don’t be afraid to ask for additional feedback from the teacher once she has graded your test. Doing so shows that you care and are paying attention.

Birthday poems for teacher: Never forget that behind the facade of every annoying, irritating and demanding teacher is a person who is passionate about imparting knowledge. Teachers are everyday men and women who strive to give the youth the power of education. Your teacher’s birthday is a chance to acknowledge this undying commitment that he or she has towards making a life changing contribution in your lives. These short poems are a cute mix of rhymes that are perfect for a teacher’s birthday card – cute, sweet, funny and inspirational. Read them and create your own greeting which can be your little way of saying thank you to your favorite teacher on his or her birthday.

1) Just another ordinary student

If not for you, I would have been

Ignored, forgotten, lost in the crowd

My potential, if you wouldn’t have seen

My student life would be replete

With insignificance and mediocrity

If you didn’t make me realize my worth

Making me the best that I could be

2) It’s not just me

Who loves you dearly

Every student in school

Admires you deeply

I am not the only one

Who thinks of you as a hero

Others idolize you too

Just to let you know

You aren’t just mine

But everyone’s favorite

That is why your birthday

We can’t possibly forget

3) My friends have celebs as idols

But you are the one I idolize

All throughout my school years

You have been my special prize

It is because of a teacher like you

That coming to school is worthwhile

Each day would be so dull and lifeless

If it didn’t begin with your radiant smile

4) Some teachers just preach

But the good ones like you teach

Some teachers just faff

But witty ones like you make us laugh

Some teachers just want to control

You give us the freedom to choose our goals

Some teachers believe only in punishment

But you never compromise on enjoyment

Some teachers are totally forgettable

But awesome ones like you are very special

5) My friends at school

But more than that

The good times at school

But the time spent learning

Much more, I cherish

It is because of you

Dear teacher, that I

Have spread my wings

And soared like a bird in the sky

6) When I think back

On my school days

When I reflect on

My innocent ways

When I reminisce about

My youthful memories

When I recollect my first brush

With the birds and bees

No matter which memory

Of school I recall

What I remember is that

I always had a ball

My school life has been

Like a dream come true

And that has been possible

Only because of a teacher like you

7) All this time

You made us study

Now it’s time for us

To show you how to party

Until now you gave us

All the important lessons

Now we will teach you

How to have some fun

Every single day

You made us toil away

Now we will make you

Celebrate in a grand way

We officially give you

A holiday today

The day’s schedule

Will be managed our way

You will do as per

Our wishes and bidding

You won’t open a single book

For we will all be partying

9) This day is a tribute

To the massive contribution

You have made in the lives

Of many, not just one

We offer you homage

For being a teacher, so brilliant

You will always be remembered

By each and every student

10) Learning is fun

Coming to school

Doesn’t make me blue

Your teaching makes

Every day seem new

This is not flattery

It is respect, so true

11) I see the world

In a different light

I can discriminate

Between wrong and right

I perceive things

In a different style

I have learnt to go

I have a deeper

Understanding of things

You have truly given me wings

12) Keep trying again and again

So that your efforts may never be in vain

Always speak the truth no matter what

With complications, even if you are fraught

Be good to others and help people in need

Be ambitious but never succumb to greed

All this you have taught, I will always remember

Not just while I am in school, but forever

13) You are the only teacher

I like to no end

You are less of a teacher

And more of a friend

Sometimes you have also been

The cause of my mother’s envy

For she thinks more than her

I hold you in my heart dearly

14) I hated school

After which, nothing

Remained the same

Everything turned bright

School became fun

You are to be credited

For making that happen

15) Even if we give you

A beautifully wrapped present

It cannot match the gift that you

Have given to each student

That is the gift of wisdom

Which we hold so precious

To a special teacher we wish

Happy birthday from all of us

16) Happy birthday

To the awesome lady

Who tolerates the bunch of us

Oh so patiently

We wish the very best

To her on this joyous day

We love her very much

Is all that we want to say

17) I pity the students who haven’t had

You as their teacher

For you, are the very best

Like you, there can never be another

I sympathize will those pupils

Who haven’t been taught by you

For teachers like you in this world

Are hard to come across and few

18) You have seen me develop

You have seen me grow

You have seen me fail

My weaknesses, you know

You have seen me perplexed

You have seen me falter

You have seen me in happy times

You have even seen me bitter

To such a teacher who has seen

Ever single form of mine

I wish a happy birthday

May your day be nice and fine

19) Many happy returns of the day

On your birthday, to God I pray

That your guidance reaches many pupils

All their dreams, so that they can fulfill

May lots of students benefit from your tutelage

May you become their reason for attending college

May God make all my prayers come true

I wish a happy birthday to you

20) I remember your birthday

Not just because you remember mine

I never forget it because

You made my school life so fine

From lessons in the books

To real life morals and values

You taught us how to deal

With life’s ever changing hues

For that I will always be

Indebted and grateful

On your birthday, I wish that

Everything in your life, is always beautiful

I was never going to be one of those people. You know the ones, those Happy Planner people. What was that thing anyway? Three big boxes for each day? What would I ever use that for?

No lines, no nicely divided subject areas for my homeschool planner. The thing was useless as far as I was concerned.

I watched my friends joyfully set up these pretty decorated pages and thought, “I don’t have time for that. That would never help me.”

Oh’ how wrong I was!

About the time I began to be frustrated with my system for my third grader, I also began to be frustrated by the planner which had served me well for over three years.

With added students, meal plans, dance schedules, and other commitments it was simply no longer serving my needs. So, I turned to Pam and Plan Your Year for Help.

Pam made me a custom form for my homeschool planning and suggested I try the Happy Planner as a way to bind the forms I would be using. I choose a Big Happy Planner Kit.

I wanted to start my year in July, the month I begin homeschooling and this allowed me to make my own calendars. It also came with a few extra stickers and a folder.

After a few weeks of thinking and brainstorming, I became a Happy Planner believer. This was the answer to my frustrations with multiple homeschooling notebooks, forgotten appointments, shopping lists, meal planning scraps of paper, or no meal plan at all.

How I set up my happy planner for homeschool and life

Note: You will need the Happy Planner Punch. It is absolutely essential for customizing your planner for your life.

Section 1: Schedules

Plan Your Year Weekly Plan: This page is where I keep all of our weekly commitments such as co-op, piano, and church. It helps me to see at a glance where other appointments and field trips can go without double booking.

Plan Your Year 2017-2018 School Calendar: This one-page calendar is perfect for blocking out the weeks and days I plan to take off from school.

Other work related or homemaking schedules: I have our Morning Time Release Schedule here and plan to add a loop schedule for cleaning the house.

Section 2: School records

Plan Your Year At a Glance 2017: Perfect as an attendance calendar. Nice big boxes for those beautiful “X”s that signify a completed school day.

Plan Your Year Long Range Planning 2017: The idea to use this as a way to plan out trips and future field trips came from the Plan Your Year FB group. I loved the idea so much I collected all booklets from the zoo, park, and art museum and added the events we might attend to the appropriate month.

Plan Your Year Vision: This page is a must-have. If it isn’t with me, I will forget what I am working towards.

Plan Your Year Course of Study: Have one for each student. This has been so helpful to work through this year. It made making their planning books a cinch.

Plan Your Year Goals Worksheet: Have one for each student. I asked each child for input as I made their goal page. I keep them here to refer to a few times a year as we check to see how we are doing.

Other: Grade sheets and full semester lesson plans also fit in this section.

Check out the video tour of this post:

Section 3: Morning time plans

I used to have a separately bound Happy Planner for all. the. Morning. Time. Plans. It was never in the right place at the right time. So, in the spirit of, “One Book to Rule Them All,” I added our current Morning Time Plans to my Happy Planner.

Section 4: Other printable plans

Currently, this section has the Sir Cumference Bundle from Math Geek Mama. However, I can see adding a month from Exploring Nature with Children, a NaturExplorers book or a Chalk Pastel book to this section as well.

Section 5: Memory work

If you use memory work for a co-op or you memorize passages of scripture, Shakespeare or Hymns, this is the section for that. No more separate folder. No more hunting around for your memory work because you had guests last weekend and you wanted to neaten up your living room and can’t remember where you put it.

Calendar sections

Now to tackle those three pesky boxes for each day. I have all these calendar pages. I already have a Weekly Plan page for homeschooling that I keep in the middle of the weekly spread along with a meal planning sheet. What will I use these boxes for? I don’t have that many appointments!

I decided to use these sections as a journal/planner.

Top box: When I do my Bible reading for the day, I like to copy a verse or two. I do this for the same reason I make my children do copy work. It helps me to really think about what I have read. I don’t have long, so sometimes one verse is all I do.

Bottom box: Kids are funny! Family life is precious, but I am in the middle of the whirlwind of these little years and I know I will forget. This bottom box is where I add a snippet from our day. A conversation, something funny, a joke, Peter’s first tooth, someplace we visited.

Middle box: This is a catch-all. Sometimes it is a pretty sticker that adds to my page. Yes, I got into decorating more than I ever thought I would! Appointments, to-do lists, a special memory, a quote, all of these fit here.

The margin: This is also a catch all depending on the week. It usually holds my prayer list, but other subjects include family journal overflow, weekly to-do, a packing list, and sometimes nothing at all.

Notes

This section is in the back and holds blank lined paper for random notes or ideas, book lists, and logs. You can put anything here.

Decorations

Having a Happy Planner is way more fun if you decorate it. This has been such a fun project for me. My oldest daughter and I sometimes sit together and share ideas on how to decorate our pages. It is a special time for us to connect and share ideas.

Here are some resources I have used to decorate mine:

Ready to make the switch to “One Book to Rule Them All?” Go for it! Make it your own! It doesn’t have to look like mine! I would love to see some of yours.

Our teachers guide us and play a very crucial role in not only our academic development but our overall development. You’d agree when we say that for a growing child, the teacher’s word is the final word, which makes it all the more important for her to know what she means to you.

Teacher’s day is the perfect day to express how you feel for your teacher. And nothing can be better than a hand made card with heartfelt personalised words. If you need some help to create something, we are here to help:

1) The Ruler card
One thing that you’d definitely find in a school bag would be a ruler. Fold an A4 size paper into two, and paste a small scale on top of it. Write on Top of it, Maám, you RULE! Inside the card, you can write 4-5 lines of the time when your teacher touched your life but you could not express to her how much it meant to you.
2) Shading card
Take A4 size card paper in two colours. Fold them into half and paste the lighter colour on top of the darker one. With scissors make a zig zag pattern on the sides and make a border using a black marker. Now write Thank You on the card and decorate it with ribbons and buttons. Inside the card, write your personalised note for the teacher.

3) Hand print card

In different coloured chart papers, make an outline of your small tiny hands. Cut the traced hand outline in 4-5 different colours and then paste it on an A4 sized card paper. Place it in a creative manner, next to each other and write in a small bubble, I KNOW I AM A HANDFUL BUT YOU ARE THE BEST

4) Heart card
Take an A4 size sheet and fold it into half. On one half draw a big heart that almost covers the page. Now cut it out from the middle so only the sides of the heart remains. In another paper, add glue and stick small sized sticky notes on it randomly. Once done, place the heart outline on top of it and the card is ready. Write your message and make it special.

• Zoe584000

Welcome to the Forum.

If you were talking to your teacher, what would you say to him/her?

Think about that. Try to write those words in a letter, starting with Dear Teacher , . . . .

Post your letter here. We will give you helpful comments. OK?

Best wishes, Clive,

• Clive

first,i ‘m so glad that you can help me!Thanks a lot !!

P.S. i’m student of grate 9 ,so my english isn’t very well.

Recently, i heard October 5 is the World Teachers’ Day.So i want to say:”Happy Teachers’ Day!”to you.I think cards are seem impersonal.Writing a letter can really show my care.So i try that.

As you are my teacher,i want to thank for your help. I enjoyed being taught by you. You are an excellent teacher i’ve ever seen.

To be a teacher will be very tired and boring.Especially you, you are so young, but you still choose this job in your youth.Everyday, you ought to correct so many work.But you enjoy it. Your spirit influence me!

In my view,great teachers do more than teach,they encourage and inspire.you’ve done all of them. You make a dull lesson become exciting.You make me start loving English.Thank you all the time.

No matter you will still work as a teacher or not. I think you are the best!

Once again,Happy teachers’ day!

Wish you happiness ang health forever!

This is my letter, hope you can correct it for me and give me some suggestions!Thank you!(Because of the National Day,i should send it to my teacher on 9 October)

• Zoe584000

Recently, I heard October 5 is World Teachers’ Day, so I want to say “Happy Teachers’ Day!” to you. I think cards seem impersonal. Writing a letter can really show my care, so I am trying that.

As you are my teacher, I want to thank for your help. I enjoy being taught by you. You are the most excellent teacher I’ve ever seen.

To be a teacher must be very tiring and boring. Especially for you, you are so young, but you still chose this job in your youth. Everyday, you need to correct so much work, but you enjoy it. Your spirit influences me!

In my view, great teachers do more than teach, they encourage and inspire. You’ve done all of these. You make a dull lesson become exciting. You make me start loving English. Thank you all the time.

No matter whether you still work as a teacher or not, I think you are the best!

Once again, Happy Teachers’ Day!

Wishing you happiness and health forever!

I think this letter will make your teacher very happy. It’s much better than a card.