Do you ever call a student by the wrong name? Or forget to bring your kids to a scheduled school assembly? It happens! We make mistakes! But what if I told you there were common mistakes teachers make in the classroom that not only make our lives harder, but that lessens the quality of our teaching?
Today I want to share with you 3 common mistakes teachers make in the classroom. My hope is that if you are currently making these mistakes, that you don’t feel alone. I used the term ”common” for a reason; because a lot of us do it!
Heck, I was doing them too! But there are better, more efficient ways to teach. Ways that will help you improve the quality of your planning. My second hope is that you stop making these mistakes to save you time, energy, and headaches! These mistakes all revolve around one main pain point for teachers: P-L-A-N-N-I-N-G!
Be sure to download my free “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success” before leaving this page! In this resource, I have laid out the step-by-step process to get you started with curriculum mapping!
Let’s check out 3 common mistakes teachers make. I also included a bonus mistake so be sure to read until the end!
Mistakes teachers make in the classroom #1-Planning week by week
You’re a fly by the seat of your pants kind of gal! Planning for you consists of planning one week at a time. You don’t like to look much further into the future, because it is overwhelming.
Something else you like to do is plan last minute based on a cool idea you get from a famous Instagram teacher the night before.
While this allows you to keep your head above water, for now, I don’t recommend it.
Here’s why!
I was like you! I planned one week at a time. Do you know what happened? By the time I got to the end of the year, I hadn’t covered everything I had to. Students weren’t as prepared for the end of the year as they could have been because I hadn’t planned properly.
That is why I created the “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success!”. Get it here!
Mistake #2- ignoring the standards
As teachers, we should always put the students first. Our top priority should be fostering relationships with our students and making sure they are always engaged.
Most of us are against standardized tests and exams and we do not believe a one-size-fits-all model is the right way to go for our students.
The truth of the matter is, however, that we do need to follow our mandated standards and curriculum. The standards give us a way to see what needs to be taught to our students. They are simply unavoidable, and avoiding them can make your life much more difficult in the long run.
You must understand the standards to be better planners. Get my progression guide here!
Mistakes Teachers Make in the Classroom #3-not starting curriculum mapping sooner
Curriculum mapping is the process of planning your entire school year. It’s mapping out your standards and plotting them into your teaching units for the entire year. Click here to read my previous blog post about the curriculum mapping process.
I talk to both new and experienced teachers every day. What’s shocking to me is that most are not curriculum mapping! They are not building a big picture of the year for themselves. Instead, they are following mistakes #1 and #2.
Every time I tell a teacher about the curriculum mapping process, they all say to me “I wish I’d done this sooner!”
Curriculum mapping is the sure-fire way to getting all of your teaching standards covered over the year! Download my free “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success” by clicking here!
Bonus Mistake-Focusing on the superficial!
I am in so many Facebook groups for teachers. A lot of these groups are catered to helping new teachers. Do you know what the most common questions I see in these groups are? Questions such as “what bookshelf do you recommend?” or “what Instagram accounts do you follow for classroom decor inspiration?”.
I get it, I love a good classroom makeover just as much as anybody else! But these are not the first things you should be thinking about when you get your first teaching job!
Finding resources to help you plan quality and engaging lessons should be your priority! Then you can hit up Target or the container store to spend all of your hard-earned money!
Click here to download my free “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success!”
Overall…
I want you to start thinking smarter when it comes to planning. I love the quote “Think smarter, not harder” (I wish I could remember who said it!)
Lesson planning can be the toughest, most overwhelming part of the job. But if you do it properly, you will not only feel less overwhelmed, you will feel confident that you are a successful, impactful teacher!
Ps-Don’t forget to download my Free “Roadmap to Curriculum Mapping Success!)
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