It takes hours of practice to become an expert in a given field. And this expertise is gain a little at a time. Pro athletes didn’t wake up running a mile in under 4 minutes, or driving a basketball through a court of defensive players. They worked at it. And often it required hitting a specific skill level and then just giving a little more. Becoming a teacher who is remembered as “awesome” uses the same principal.

When I think back on my favorite teachers, I don’t remember a flashy classroom or perfectly themed activities. What I remember are teachers who continually did small actions that changed my school experience.

Some of the most meaningful actions were: My teacher giving me a one-on-one meeting when I was struggling. Another teacher who made sure to say something nice to me throughout the week. Another teacher who simply loved what she taught and told me about it passionately. A teacher in high school consistently gave me high expectations which really pushed me (admittedly I received a D in that class, but I still learned more about writing in that class than anywhere else).

Teachers are overworked, under paid, under appreciated, and blamed for the failures of a struggling system. And burn out is so real. But in my experience, when we take a few minutes each day or even just each week to give 5-10% more to our career, we feel better about ourselves. (And I think this is true for any endeavor we care about)

Giving a little extra helps us feel better about ourselves because it allows to fill more fulfilled. It feels good to make someone’s day! It feels good to help a student! It feels good accomplishing work! But teaching is so demanding it can become overwhelming. And if you’re a parent reading this, parenting is overwhelming too. Try adding a few of these ideas too!

How I Will Help You Add 5-10% More Each Week

• My regular blog posts will now be on Mondays. Any additional posts will happen on a Wednesday or Friday.
• I will add the “giving 5-10% more” ideas on Instagram and Facebook. If you haven’t yet, consider following me so you won’t miss out!
• I will share 40 ideas since most school districts have about that many weeks of school.

If this is really speaking to you, make sure to check out my post: How To Increase Happiness While Teaching. It was one of my favorites to write and it really lends it’s self well to some of the “giving 5-10% more” ideas. And if this idea isn’t your jam, don’t worry, my blog and social media will have plenty of other good stuff.

Happy 2019-2020 School year!