Professional Image

For K-12 Teachers and Staff:

1. Develop positive relationships with parents from the beginning. Call, write or create another opportunity to connect with parents.
2. Make a rule that every time you contact a parent about a ­student concern you will contact another parent with a success story. Within one month, the news will be out that you really care about your students’ progress. Parents who only hear about the failures transfer those negative feelings to you and the school.
3. Send letters to welcome transfer families. Include all information you gave to students the first day of school. Include homework and discipline expectations/guidelines, etc. Invite parents to come for a visit at their ­earliest convenience.
4. Develop a regular classroom newsletter or information sheet that informs parents about what the students are learning. Make suggestions as to how the family can assist, such as ­cooking and measuring when measurement is being studied.
5. Develop interactive homework assignments. Request that families share memories or an anecdote about the topic currently being discussed/studied. When ­introducing a new topic such as osmosis or counting by tens, etc., create a way that the family can be a part of the learning experience. Remember, make it something that any family can do no ­matter what the ­educational level or economic status of the family.
6. Speak highly of the teaching profession and about your role as an educator.
7. Teaching is a busy career. Carry your work with you everywhere. You will need every available moment to get your job done but think of it as yet ­another chance for people to see your dedication to the job.
8. In early November, send home a list of age and ability-appropriate books for parents to consider for holiday gifts. In May, send home a reading list for summer. Include ­library hours for those who can’t afford to buy reading materials.
9. Develop an activity calendar with your students. Suggest interesting places to visit and things to do for healthy ­entertainment each month. Include things like television specials, community events, school programs, etc.
10. Teach your students to write letters to members of the community. Letters can include invitations to school board members, grandparents and community leaders for school or classroom events. Students can write ­letters stating a position on community issues or ­complimenting community leaders for jobs well done. The lessons learned by students will equal the positive public ­relations gained by you and your school.
11. Display your certificates and credentials. Most professionals have their documents framed and hanging on their wall. You should too. Think about the message it sends to your students, and it makes a good impression on ­parents too. “Tooting your own horn” works.

Self-Esteem: Yours and Theirs

• You are part of a dynamic professional organization! Be proud of your affiliation.
• Take advantage of any learning opportunities offered by IEA-NEA. They are opportunities to build your support system.
• Liking and accepting yourself is the first step to ­instilling confidence in your students.
• Know your strengths and your weaknesses. When you know what you do well and accept what you cannot
  do, you are better able to encourage your students to ­recognize their strengths and work to overcome weaknesses.
• Self-confidence is a prerequisite for good teaching. You must believe you can teach and that you can learn. Having a sense of humor and being able to laugh at oneself is a huge step to feeling self-confident. Students will ­sometimes catch you in a mistake. Admitting a mistake, laughing about it and going on, can help you avoid many difficult classroom situations. Remember, you are the trained professional (however, imperfect) and an adult who must not act defensively but with ­maturity.
• Help every child feel that he/she has worth. Compliment sincerely, encourage and praise liberally.
• Try to see your class or group as individuals with ­­self-worth. Treat each student accordingly.
• Help children feel confident about trying or risking. Allow them to fail and correct their own mistakes. Children
  can learn healthy responses to failure in the safety of the classroom.
• Give children choices at every opportunity. Give ­alternative assignments or a number of optional ways to complete the same assignment. Students grow as ­problem-solvers as they are given choices.
• Create a learning environment where all children can ­enjoy success at least once each day. Nothing breeds ­success like ­success.