More Teaching. Less Managing.
Every summer, I write one thing on a sticky note.
One thing I want more of.
I’ve done this for years, and it has become one of my favorite ways to reflect on the year I’ve just… survived (insert exhausted teacher here 😅) and focus on the year ahead. What I’ve discovered is that one simple goal often influences many different parts of my classroom and, ultimately, my overall satisfaction as a teacher.
This year, my sticky note says:
More Teaching. Less Managing.
When I look back on last year, I remember the interruptions that left me frustrated.
I remember repeating directions that took time away from building student relationships.
I remember spending so much time redirecting behavior that I felt like I couldn’t get to the teaching I wanted to do.
I remember stopping lessons to address problems that kept everyone from learning.
I remember feeling frustrated.
Most of all, I remember feeling like I spent more time managing than teaching.
By the end of the day, I wasn’t tired from teaching.
I was tired from managing.
As I’ve reflected on that sticky note, I’ve been asking myself why.
The easy answer would be to blame behavior.
But I think the answer is more complicated than that.
The way I look at it, behavior sits on top of a foundation of skills.
When the foundation is strong, learning comes easier.
When pieces of that foundation are missing, we often see it show up as interruptions, conflicts, avoidance, or off-task behavior.
Under that foundation are skills like:
• Listening
• Self-regulation
• Empathy
• Motivation
• Problem-solving
• Working with others
• Perseverance
Students aren’t born with these skills. They develop them over time through experiences, modeling, guidance, and practice.
That realization has shifted my thinking.
Instead of asking myself, “How do I stop the behaviors?”
I’m asking myself, “How do I build a classroom that helps students develop these skills?”
And that’s where my sticky note is leading me.
More Teaching. Less Managing.
Over the next few months, I’m going to share what I’m learning as I rethink routines, systems, expectations, and the structures that make learning possible. We’ll take a deeper look at the routines, systems, and skills that help classrooms thrive.
I have a sticky note, a new school year on the horizon, and a desire to spend more time teaching and less time managing.
If you’ve ever ended a school day feeling exhausted by the interruptions, the redirections, and the constant stopping and starting, I hope you’ll join me.
And if you had one sticky note this year, what would it say?