10 Things I Have Learned So Far...

10 Things I Have Learned About the Role of an Educator So Far:

1. Be Aware or Die- Teachers need to be educated on all the first aid procedures in case their students were to get hurt. Staying calm and controlling the situation is essential. Teachers are responsible for calling for medical assistance, keeping the other students calm and talking care of the sick child.
2. Do your Part- Students are like an unfinished car on a conveyor belt waiting to receive their new part. It is the teacher’s responsibility to equip them with the tools that the government says they need. Teachers are given a checklist (common core) and are told to drill them into the students’ brains and pass them onto the next teacher.
3. Not a Robot- Each child that comes into the classroom will be very different individuals with very different needs. It is the educator’s responsibility to know each them well enough so that they can modify the curriculum if it is needed to help the child learn.
4. A Second Sense- Educators need to be able to detect if something is wrong with the students. If a child comes in with bruises or a limp, teachers need to investigate and report of they suspect something is wrong at home. Teacher also need to observe things like the need for glasses, braces, or if a child has a learning disability. Teachers in this case are like that concerned aunt.
5. Fun, Fun, Fun- As a teacher it is your duty to make all your lessons enjoyable and interactive. It is no longer acceptable to stand in front of the class and lecture the students. Educators need to now make lessons fun. Lessons need to be intriguing and engaging. There needs to be variation like group activities, projects, individual work…etc.
6. Follow Through- In order to control your classroom you need to follow through. Teachers that threaten their students and don’t follow though automatically loose street cred. in their classroom. Especially working with little ones it’s okay if they cry. They will know you are serious the next time they try to test you.
7. Get the Key- Organization is key. If you are not organized the class cannot run smoothly. Having the agenda up on the board and letting the students in what is coming up next is a great way to get the students responsible for their learning. This also allows the students to be organized.  
8. Man Up- It is inevitable that you will get that student, parent, or coworker that will give you a hard time. It is up to you to shake it off and not to let it get to you. Parents are going to be awful if they feel that you aren’t doing all you can for their student. Working with parents to make sure that their child is getting the best education possible is essential.
9. Hold the Driver's Seat- There is going to be that student that gets their work done early. Planning for them and giving them supplemental material is essential to keeping the class under control and the parents and administration happy. There is also going to be students that take FOREVER to finish their work. Being able to keep the class going and not having students fall behind is a skill that teaches will have to acquire.
10. Drink Up- Many people don’t know this but water is essential for the brain to work at its full potential. Don't believe me? Check out this article "Encouraging Consumption of Water in School and Child Care Settings: Access, Challenges, and Strategies for Improvement."Letting the students have water in class is essential for the students to perform as they should. Teacher could even encourage students to bring water to class.