As I prepare to re-enter the classroom next week for another year of teaching, I was thinking about some of the most important lessons that I will attempt to impart on my students in the coming school year. There are too many to even begin to try listing, of course, but there always seems to be a few that become a constant refrain throughout the year.
The following is a list of twelve that came to mind:
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TWELVE OF THE MOST CRITICAL LESSONS THAT I TEACH TO MY STUDENTS EACH YEAR
1. One exclamation point. Never more than one regardless of circumstances.
2. Never ever ask a woman if she is pregnant.
3. The world is full of talented people who did nothing with their lives because they didn’t try. Effort is everything.
4. If you learn to use you’re and your, too, to and two and there, they’re and their correctly, you will already be better than half the writers of the world.
5. If you learn to write in complete sentences, you will be better than the other half.
6. Memorization of the multiplication tables is essential if you want to be successful in math. You will fail if you do not memorize them.
7. If you cannot find a good book, you are not trying very hard.
8. Acknowledge blame quickly. Apologize sincerely.
9. Understanding of basic geography will prevent many moments of academic and social embarrassment.
10. Lots of great music was made long before you were born. Don’t be an ageist. Give older music a chance.
11. Excluding anyone from anything for any reason will always make you look like a coward and the biggest jerk in the world.
12. You are the hero of your own story. Act like a hero.
What a wonderful teacher you must be. Wish all students could have a teacher like you.
Thanks, Ann. I suspect that not all my students would agree!
Matthew, thank you, brilliant sense. I wish you’d come to the UK and talk to our Secretary of State for Education – the whole system here could do with some plain talking. I check out your blog most mornings now – I call it my Dicks Fix. Thanks again !! (oops, rule 1 broken already)
Thanks so much, Jenny. Happy the post resonated with you, and I’m sorry to hear that your education system is letting you down. We could use a little reform on this side of the Atlantic as well, but no one ever wants to listen to a plain old teacher!
Matt, I remember the letter you wrote to your third grade incoming class. You told them never to be without a book because you never knew when you might be in a situation where you’ll need something to do. I will never forget the time we got into a minor car accident and she looked up from the back seat and said, ” mommy, did you just hit that car?”. When I replied yes, she said, “okay, I’ll get out my book, this will take awhile.” i took that same child to college yesterday and she’s still reading.
I love that story. I LOVE THAT STORY. I am sharing that story with this year’s class.
Of course, it was probably my tenth accident ( out of fourteen), so she knew the drill!