By: Cristie Watson
It is February, and as usual, I love my students. I no longer feel the polite, anxious, and determined love of August, but a more genuine affection that comes from really knowing them. By this point in the year, my students and I have figured each other out. I know their interests, work habits, and personality quirks. They know how to tease me and what questions will prompt me to tell a story. We have established a level of mutual respect, and now we laugh more heartily, grin more frequently, and feel a warmth in the classroom despite the gloomy weather outside.
So how do we develop a love of teaching that lasts?
I’m certainly no expert,
but I chatted with other veteran educators,
and we each shared many of the same strategies…