3 Steps to Actually Using the Tips You Get From Veteran Teachers

Do you remember the best advice a fellow teacher gave you?

Ever have a veteran teacher give you some teaching tips?

Ever wonder how you can improve yourself as a teacher?  

​Have you gone searching on Pinterest or Google for the Top Teaching Tips?

Seeking advice from veteran teachers is one of the best things you can do to improve your own teaching skills. 
 
But here’s my question...
 
Once you receive that advice or read those top tips, what do you do with that information?
 
Do you put it to use? Do you write it down? Do you think Oh, that’s good! I never thought of that!
 
Does the advice you receive actually translate to your classroom and your teaching tactics?
 
In this post, I’m sharing with you 3 easy steps you can take to actually use the tips you get from veteran teachers.


Tip #1 - Write It Down

The first thing you want to do is write down what the veteran teacher shared with you – including any examples.
 
You may find yourself wondering later what was actually said, and you’ll want to refer back to it.
 
Maybe it’s not applicable to you in your current situation – but maybe it will be in the future.
 
I have a notebook that I keep of thoughts, tips, and ideas I come across throughout the school year.  This notebook is nothing fancy, but it’s a place for me to get down ideas that spark inspiration for me and my lessons.


Tip #2 - How Does It Relate To You?

Not every classroom is the same.  Not every teacher is the same.  And every group of students have their own needs.
 
Just because some advice is shared with you, doesn’t mean you have to take it. 
 
So think about the advice that was shared, and how it relates to your current situation – your classroom, your students, your curriculum.
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Tip #3 - Determine Action Steps

If you decide that yes, this advice is something you want to utilize – then you’ll want to make a plan to actually do it.
 
You don’t have to do anything fancy here.  Maybe you jot down a few steps in your planner.  Maybe you write it on a post-it note and stick it on your desk.
 
But if you want to actually implement the advice you received, then you’ll want to make a plan on how to do that so you can actually make it happen.


​Final Thoughts...

I find these steps on how to actually use advice to be relevant in many situations.
 
Talking to colleagues, participating in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), attending a professional development training, listening to a presentation, reading a blog post, watching a video, the list goes on.
 
Whenever I come across new ideas that intrigue me, I follow these 3 steps.  Otherwise, it’s just great information that gets lost in the shuffle of my brain and nothing comes of it. 
 
I recently attended a conference with other Teacherprenuers, and heard from so many presenters it was almost like an information overload.  But I took good notes, thought about the ideas and how they relate to me, then wrote down action steps that I want to take.  If I hadn’t followed these 3 steps, I know there would have been lots of information that got lost in the shuffle.  And now, I know Teach Like Midgley will be better than ever as I implement these new ideas for serving other teachers like you!



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I’m Hillary Midgley, and I help teachers move from classroom chaos to streamlined success with no-frills systems that make managing student work easy. New here? Start with the Manage Student Work ebook.