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November 2010
"Calmness is the cradle of power."
J.G. Holland
Have you ever
been around someone who has the incredible ability to stay
calm and think clearly in difficult situations? Remaining
calm is a talent that is priceless for educators. James
Allen said it best: "The more tranquil a man becomes, the
greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."
This month's
challenge is to remain calm in a situation that would normally
be difficult for you to keep your cool. Think to yourself,
"Nothing these students say or do will make me mad." You'll be
amazed with the power that comes from remaining calm and
thinking clearly.
Here is a great list of advice that
students have for substitute teachers:
Be fair to everyone.
Give us our assignment and let us
go to work.
If I raise my hand, don't ignore
me.
Leave your personal life at home.
You can be both strict and nice.
Punish only the troublemakers.
Speak quietly and be patient.
Be reasonable in your
expectations.
Follow through with promises and
consequences.
Have a sense of humor.
Choose to be Effective
There will be times when you are teaching that the choice comes
down to you can either be right or you can be effective.
For example, this teacher is right, but not effective:
Student: I hate reading!
Teacher: When I was in school I hated reading too. Reading is
really fun when you find the right book...
Example of being effective:
Student: I hate reading!
Teacher: I understand, reading can be difficult sometimes.
However, I'll need you to pull out your book and get reading.
I'll come back to check on you.
In your dialogue with students you have the choice to either be
right or be effective. Choose to be effective.
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