We all get the advice when we first start teaching, avoid the teachers lounge. Stay in your room, get work done, or even tutoring kids as long as you are not in the teachers lounge. The point is to avoid gossip and drama between teachers. I get that. Negativity and gossip is like the plague, it can spread fast through a large group of people, so it is best to avoid. However being a teacher means you are also a part of the school community. Get to know your fellow teachers. You can be friends with someone, with out being a gossip. Honestly, eating lunch in the teachers lounge has saved me some days.
For starters, my fellow teachers have, actually become my friends. We go through similar experiences day-to-day and can relate to each others struggles. Other people do not always understand what it is like teaching or give us the "good for you" speech that I have come to loath. My teacher buddies and I get it, have our inside jokes about students, and are happy to listen every single day about what is going on.
Not only are they my friends they are a resource. We teach a lot of the same students so we talk about their behaviors, moods, interests, or even leverage the other teacher to get them to do work. It's hard to make an impact as one teacher, but as a team we can do more.
Lastly, you spend ALL day in your classroom surrounded by children. Often I just need 30 minutes outside that classroom, with adults who can talk to me about international current events, or lets be hones the newest Netflix series. (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, go watch it). Those are the days where escaping to the teachers lounge has saved me.
So if you have never tried the teachers lounge, try it out this week. As my dad told me, and as I tell my students, try it 3 times though. The first time you will be convinced you will hate it, the second time you will still have some negative feelings, but by the third time you should have more of an open mind. So make Tuesdays teacher lounge Tuesdays and let me know how it goes.
For starters, my fellow teachers have, actually become my friends. We go through similar experiences day-to-day and can relate to each others struggles. Other people do not always understand what it is like teaching or give us the "good for you" speech that I have come to loath. My teacher buddies and I get it, have our inside jokes about students, and are happy to listen every single day about what is going on.
Not only are they my friends they are a resource. We teach a lot of the same students so we talk about their behaviors, moods, interests, or even leverage the other teacher to get them to do work. It's hard to make an impact as one teacher, but as a team we can do more.
Lastly, you spend ALL day in your classroom surrounded by children. Often I just need 30 minutes outside that classroom, with adults who can talk to me about international current events, or lets be hones the newest Netflix series. (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, go watch it). Those are the days where escaping to the teachers lounge has saved me.
So if you have never tried the teachers lounge, try it out this week. As my dad told me, and as I tell my students, try it 3 times though. The first time you will be convinced you will hate it, the second time you will still have some negative feelings, but by the third time you should have more of an open mind. So make Tuesdays teacher lounge Tuesdays and let me know how it goes.
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