ABC's of Teaching High School

It's time for the first writing endeavor of the year. The students and I are embarking on our blogging adventures this year be creating 26 pieces of advice, organized alphabetically of course, on any topic they (and I) so choose. Because of the nature of my blog, and my life ;) - I am modeling this blog for them with the theme of teaching high school....enjoy!

A - Advocate for your students
B - Be on your toes
C - Compassion
D - Don't plan - DESIGN!
E - Eat Lunch! School lunch or pack your own - you have to have time in the day for yourself - even if it's only 20 minutes.
F - Forget what worked for you in school - this is a new generation and you have to be flexible
G - Go See Their Performances (Sports, Music, Plays, Recitals, etc!)
H - Humor
I - Integrate Technology as much as possible
J - Joke Around
K - Keep current with the popular things in their generation (TV Shows, Movies, Music...)
L - Love - your job - your students - your colleagues - your life
M - Make a Fool of Yourself
N - Nifty Fifty - Everyday, 30 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of reading! (Kim Redmond)
O - Open your mind and your heart to new ideas and ways of thinking
P - Persistence - just keep swimming just keep swimming...
Q - Quiet - it doesn't happen often - but soak it up when it does
R - Repeat things, over and over and over and over and over......
S - Sleep... get it when you can!
T - Throw out what YOU think school should look and be like, make your educational universe what      your students think it should be like.
U - Uncover new ways of doing things - it's okay to reinvent the wheel!
inVest In Their Dreams
W - Work Hard - expect the same of yourself that you expect of your students
eXamine How You Live Your Life - be a model for your kids
Y - Young Minds are Malleable
Z - Zingers! Use these to keep these young "know it alls" on their toes!