The Unwritten Rules of Teaching

Here are a list of the unwritten rules I came up with for teachers!

1. Don't use sarcasm. Bottom line, most children cannot pick up on sarcasm. It seems like high school students and above use sarcasm in their daily dialog, however, if you are teaching 2nd grade and a student comes up and asks a question, and you reply with a sarcastic comment, they will most likely take you literally and in turn, not do the correct task.

2. Don't take personal phone calls in front of students. While most teachers do have their cell phones on their desks, it is important that if you have to take a phone call, to step outside your door to do it. Students can easily pick up on conversations and if something inappropriate slips from the teachers' mouth, the students may hear and may repeat.

3. Do not address other teachers by their first names in front of students. This can be an easy mistake, but it is important to refer to your colleagues as Mr. or Ms. in front of students to maintain that respect and also to keep the "authority figure" in place.

4. Non School Events Attendance. It's important for teachers to attend events that are not necessarily "school related," such as a carnival, or a sporting event. This will help to build relationships with your students and show them that you care about the things they are interested in.

5. Refill the copy machine. If you are making copies and the paper runs out when you are finished, fill it back up for the next teacher. If you are using colored paper, make sure to remove any excess left over.

6. Be nice to the secretary and custodians. Make friends with the secretary. They do so much work behind the scenes and it is important to build a relationship with them and to always be appreciative of their work! Also, be courteous of the custodian and also let them know how much you appreciate them!

7. Smile in the hallway. When you pass students or colleagues, make sure you smile or say hi. This will help make the school a comfortable and happy environment.

8. Teacher's lounge etiquette. Try not to bring something for lunch that will smell up the entire lounge. Remember, most teachers escape to the lounge for a break and don't want to have to smell your lunch the entire time :)

9. Always have extra supplies. Students will lose their items, or forget their things, so always have extras of everything in your classroom.

10. Do not blow the recess whistle early. For those teachers not on recess duty, this is a much needed break for them and it is also a much needed break for the kids. No matter how cold you are, do not blow the whistle early! Each minute counts for those teachers inside!

I'm sure there are many "unwritten rules," but these were just a few that I could come up with! Feel free to comment and add to the post!