New Year's Resolutions

While many of my New Year's Resolutions are related to weight loss, I'll try to focus on goals that pertain more to teaching here:

1. At all times, keep the students' best interests in mind.
2. Remember that difficult students often come from difficult places.
3. Keep positive -- not just when interacting with students but with myself as well. I definitely need to work on becoming less self-critical.
4. Relax more and stress-out less. There are days when I get so tense that I fear I'll have a heart attack. Fortunately, these days have been few and far between. But still, I need to learn to take life a little easier and to let go of things that I don't have control of. Hey, this sounds like that serenity prayer. :p Maybe I should read it.
5. Become more confident. I've noticed that confidence can be your best weapon when teaching -- it can help with classroom management and with impressing others, like principals. ;)
6. Continue to learn more strategies, techiques, approaches, just about anything that will help me to become a better educator.
7. Continue to make more goals -- it never hurts to keep myself accountable. Maybe I'll make this a monthly thing.

Happy 2007!

I hope that you are having a great start to the new year and that you will have success in sticking with your own resolutions.

Cheers!