A Teacher’s New Year’s Resolution
Fe S. Carreon
We’ve made it through the challenging year of 2021, a year where we spent almost all our teaching days remotely. Now, as we welcome 2022, we can hope for the better and strive hard to recover from the many pandemic-related obstacles we faced last year.
At every start of the year, it has been my mantra to set goals or what others may call “New Year’s Resolution”. As teachers, it is important to have this list of good practices that can help us improve, both in the classroom and in our personal lives.
For 2022, we can try to learn new teaching strategies that are more ideal or effective during this period. School closures and remote learning had some negative effects on our students and we can help them cope by considering new ways of teaching, differentiation, for example.
We can start by choosing one area to focus on first. If your students are really struggling in Math, try to incorporate some guided math groups into your instruction. If reading is a challenge, strategy groups can help you meet the needs of your individual students. Taking these steps in your classroom will help your students overcome the effects of remote learning and get them back on track for the new year.
Moreover, as another year start, take it as a chance to reconnect with colleagues, family members, and friends. One of the biggest challenges of 2021 was being isolated from people we care about and love. Travel restrictions kept us from visiting friends and family members who don’t live nearby, and remote teaching kept us from seeing our colleagues on a daily basis. Now is the perfect time to start reconnecting and rebuilding those relationships.
Lastly and usually one of the most common New Year’s resolutions of many every year, is to start taking care of oneself. During lockdowns, it was really easy to stay home and eat unhealthy foods. Sitting in front of a computer all day for virtual teaching kept many of us from being active. This year is the best time to hit the restart button and try to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, and look after your mental health and overall well-being.
As we bid goodbye to 2021 and the challenges it brought, let’s look ahead to the possibilities that 2022 holds. Today is the perfect time to stop and reflect on the lessons we’ve learned the past year and use them to make a plan for the year ahead.
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The author is Teacher III at Cabetican Elementary School - Proper