The ABC's High School Teachers Really Need to Know Matt Bramuchi

Connecting and building relationships with students in the classroom is hugely impactful, as is building community with those you work with/for professionally. However, effective teachers know that there are things that should always be out of bounds. Establishing these boundaries will not only make you a better teacher, but they will also improve your quality of life and longevity in education.

The obvious reality is that teachers are overworked. Also, there is no such thing as "giving 110%." Why do we take on more classes, more clubs, and more duties just to get a nickel back? Effective teachers know that we have to make hard choices. We have to learn to say "no" when it doesn't also benefit us and our own personal and professional growth. Sometimes the extra income isn't worth the lost time. Advocating for yourself will also increase your longev...

The moment your class (or you) becomes mundane for students is the very moment our process begins to be less effective. Even the best instructional and assessment strategies have to be used thoughtfully and intentionally. Is your class the same each and every day? I hope not -- and so do your students.

A simple truth: Low expectations almost certainly equal low results. From homogenizing the population to pushing 50% "zeroes," the system seems built to soften expectations and push students through regardless of actual learning. As educators, we have to resist and lead the culture of learning in our classrooms. We have to focus on developing grit, being consistent with expectations, and focusing on mastery.

We have to take a deep and empathetic look at what is affecting our kids today. From school dances and time management woes to friend drama and bullying, there is a great deal of kryptonite out there making it harder and hardener to effectively reach students in the classroom and beyond. We can't teach (or coach) in a bubble and/or stick our heads in the sand and expect success. We are superheroes!

More and more classrooms are becoming absolute clown shows and ineffective learning environments because of student populations that are becoming increasingly disruptive, disinterested, and disillusioned. While effective teachers primarily focus on controlling what they can control, they also know that emphasizing the ABC's of teaching, remaining dynamic in a changing world, and being relentlessly positive are the keys to finding consistent success with learners and the learning environ...