Forget New Years Resolutions I do BTS Resolutions

No it's not January, and no there's no 'holiday weight' to lose, but it's still a new year, and still time for some resolutions.

Back to School time is one of my favourite times of year. It always has been, and I still follow many of the Back to School traditions I've had since primary school. I pick my new outfit, I get a good sleep, I wake up a little extra early, I get to school earlier than usual, I even make sure my legs are shaved. I still enjoy Back to School clothes shopping (although that's a little less fun when mum isn't footing the entire bill). All of these rituals, set me up for a great school year, or so I hope.

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Back to School is a time of first impressions and first meetings. I want and need so badly to make a good impression on these kids, and the parents who drop them off. I am the teacher, I need to convey to them that I am in control, I know what I'm doing, their children are safe in my classroom, they can trust me, they can approach me, that I want what's best for their child just as much as they do, that I'm someone the students can talk to, and that I'm interested in their child. That's a lot to ask of a first impression. It's no wonder I pick an outfit the night before, get to school early, and shave my legs.

As a teacher I am the person that their child is going to be spending a lot of their time with over the next ten months. It's important that the parents don't see me as an enemy, but rather as a partner, someone who's here to help, not fight. I think a big issue in schools today is that there is this feeling of parents on one side, teachers on the other, and most often the child in the middle. Nobody wins in that situation, nobody can.

This is especially true if you teach populations that have been targeted by schools in the past. Imagine having a horrible experience in your own schooling, as a child, and then being expected to take your own child into that same situation. I'm not talking 'horrible' in the sense that you had to get up early, that you had to do math, or you were given homework. I mean the horrible that was abuse, neglect, being taken away from your family, beaten for using your language, separated from siblings, starved, and any other number of atrocities. Would you really want to subject your child to that? Naturally you'd feel as though the teacher was against you and your family.

It is not up to parents to just 'get over' that fear, and apprehension, it is up to us, as teachers, to help them feel at ease, to make them comfortable, to listen to their concerns, and to make them like us. Now sure you can't win with every parent, but you sure can try. And those first impressions go a long way to helping build that relationship.

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Thankfully, Back to School is a time of new beginnings, new ideas, new classes, new students, new everything. I remember being a kid and wondering who my new teacher would be, what friends, old and new, would be in my class, what new things would I learn, how could I improve on the student I was last year?

As a teacher I still wonder many things on the eve of a new school year. Who will be in my new class, what will my new students be like, what needs will they have, what new things can I teach them, how can I improve on the teacher I was last year? I wonder what the new year will bring and how I can make it the best year possible.

These new beginnings offer us a chance to make new resolutions, to improve our practice, to push ourselves to become better teachers. We can all be better, we can all teach better, and we can all improve our relationships with students. So as you write your new students names in your grade book, label all of the things, or laminate everything, think about a resolution for this new year. Think about how you can make a better impression on the parents, the students, even the new teachers in your school. Think about the kind of teacher you'd want your child to have. The calendar year may not have changed, but the students have, the situation has, and you have.