subject: The Best Teacher Training Around [print this page] When you think about teacher training and all the professional development classes that are available to you; it is easy to wonder how much is simply too much. But here's something to think about: the best training that you may end up with may just be that training that you get on your own through classroom experiences.
Teacher training can revolve around how to control your classroom; how to develop new lesson plans, etc. There are so many ways you can grow professionally; no one lesson is more important than another; they all inter-connect and become stepping stones to a long and enjoyable career as a teacher. And that's what you really want after all, isn't it?
Self-reflection is a good tool for any teacher and takes little time to do. This can relate to several areas; from the way you relate to students particularly "problem students" to how you relate with parents and other staff members. You can even reflect on how you present yourself at work.
Let's start first with the easiest thing to reflect on: your appearance. When you think about how you appear to students, parents and other teachers, how would you rate yourself? When you look in the mirror on your way out the door, would you say you look more like a teacher or a student? While you want to be comfortable at work, you also want to maintain a professional demeanor and appearance.
Every teacher wears an ID badge of some sort. So instead of wearing your standard issue lanyard with ID badge and then accessorizing with too much bling for school, shop wisely and purchase a stylish BooJee Beads lanyard. With this one step, you have created a look all your own that is functional and makes a fashion statement. Boojee Beads are smart and strong. If you're a teacher of elementary students, you can even purchase novelty designs with the ABC's or Holiday themes.
Now on to the weightier things to reflect on. This is the perfect time to do some solid reflection, if you are on school break. Think about how you run your classroom from year to year, especially if you have taught the same grade for some time. Are you changing up your lesson plans from year to year to keep things fresh and inventive? Are you trying out new things, new approaches, new ideas?
You may wonder what the purpose of this self refection is if you've been in the same job for years, or have reached the point where you have tenure. Here's the point: this is your career. It is a big part of your life and because of that, you should enjoy every moment of the time you spend doing it. When you spend year after year teaching the same information in the same manner as every previous year, the chances are great that you are going to get bored with yourself!
Take some time to do your own teacher training. It will pay huge dividends in the long run.
