As teachers, we need to be aware of how our students and employer perceive us. It may not be true but how you are perceived will make a big difference as to how they react to you. It may be that you are sending the wrong messages. It may be that the atmosphere you are creating is not the one you really want to have. Taking a close look at yourself and your teaching style is not always a comfortable thing to do, but I recommend that you do this self evaluation every year to make sure that you are on the right track to the continued development of yourself as the teacher you would like to be or become.
Here are some questions you may want to consider:
In the classroom…
Do your students think of you as a disciplinarian?
Do your students think you are an easy going individual?
Do they respect you?
When you mean business, do they listen carefully?
Do you complain to them about your life or work issues?
Do you let your students, even the problem ones, get under your skin?
Do you connect with them outside the studio on a personal level?
Do you know how to draw the line between teacher and friend?
With your employer…
Do you communicate with the studio owner effectively?
Do you like to please your boss and refrain from confrontation?
Are you honest with your employer in regards to your view of their school and how they can make it better?
Are you comfortable asking for a raise?
Do you present ideas that will improve your classes and the students experience in your class?
Do you like who you work for?
Some of these questions may even make you feel a bit uncomfortable and if they do that is good. Look, if you want to keep improving and developing yourself as a teacher, then you need to take a hard look at how you do things. Your answers may even surprise you. If you find that you do not like your answers or if you find that they may be part of your problem, the good news is that you can most definitely change what you do. Relationships are ever evolving and a new outlook by you will translate to others and that will be contagious.
Your classroom environment is created by you. Read that a few times and really let it sink in. If you are having a hard time motivating your students it may very well be that you are not feeling motivated to teach them. If your class is out of control you are probably facilitating them. If you and your boss are not seeing eye to eye, it may be that you are carrying baggage into the studio. The great thing about summer and a new semester is that you can get off to a clean new start. I have seen many teachers come in at the beginning of the semester with a new attitude, outlook and demeanor and all of a sudden, everything they do is improved and they feel so much better about themselves. Self improvement is always a big confidence booster.
Remember:
'It’s not your aptitude that determines your altitude, it’s your attitude!'
Zig Ziglar
