7 Reasons for Teachers to Be Enthusiastic About a New School Year

The days of summer will soon give way to the start of a new school year. For teachers, the end of summer can be met with mixed emotions. Even the most passionate educators can be reluctant to give up the freedom and flexibility of summer break. But it's also a great time to get excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. It's GO-TIME!!!

As you gear up for back-to-school, here are seven reasons to be enthusiastic about the new school year.


1. Making New Friends

One of the most exciting things about the start of a new school year is the chance to meet new people and welcome them into your school. It's a privilege to get to know new staff members and students. And it's a great opportunity to share with them all the things that make your school great. It's also a great opportunity to find ways they can contribute to making your school even stronger.

Remember that being new can be terrifying. Offer your support. Be sure to send the message loud and clear to everyone new to your school, "We're glad you're here."

2. Reconnecting with Old Friends

I also look forward to seeing everyone who is returning. Over the years, we build increasingly strong bonds with the people we work with. It's great to hear about their exciting adventures of summer and begin to share in the daily life of school again. I can't wait to see all the smiles and feel the energy as we come together again to help kids.

Keep in mind that returning to school can be especially difficult in certain seasons of life. I am always reminded that a word of encouragement or act of kindness can go a long way to making the new school year better for someone going through a difficult time.

3. Making a Difference 

For some students, summer hasn't been that great. They've had struggles, turmoil, maybe even hunger. Returning to school won't solve all their problems, but it will provide a chance for educators to make a difference. No matter what their summer was like, your students are counting on you now. They need to know how much you care. They need you to love them, listen to them, and to never give up on them.

Your work as a teacher makes a difference in the lives of young people. That's a great reason to get excited about the start of the school year! 

4. Fulfilling Your Purpose

It's great to enjoy the wonderful time away from school during summer break. Good teaching is demanding in so many ways. We need time to recharge. But there is something about doing what you are meant to do, even when it's hard. The start of the school year is a great time to reflect on why you started in the first place. Why did you become a teacher? How will you make a positive impact this year?

When you have passion and purpose for your students and your teaching, you won't have too much trouble being excited for the new school year.

5. New Beginnings

When I reflect on a previous school year, there are always things I wish had gone differently. I see areas I need to improve, and things I want to change. The start of the school year is a brand new thing. It's a fresh start.

There's something about the cyclical nature of school that lends itself to making adjustments based on last year to continue to make things better for learning. But the key is to reflect and set goals during the summer, so that you're ready to adjust and adapt this year.  

6. New Opportunities to Grow

Positive people grow. Happy people grow. Healthy people grow. The new school year will not doubt present challenges that will help us grow if we choose to allow growth to happen. I believe growth is an essential part of being fulfilled in our lives. We can't stay the same or even have stagnant growth and expect to have a healthy and happy life. And for certain, we won't make much of an impact on others if we aren't willing to grow.

I know some people dread the start of school because they feel that they are going to face challenges that are really difficult for them. Some struggle more with difficult students. Some struggle to keep up with paperwork or grading. Clearly, some struggle to get through the school day more than others. I think most of that is related to attitude.

If we welcome the challenges and view them as a way to grow, it changes everything. If we invite hard things into our lives, it makes us stronger. Rarely do I see an unhappy teacher who also regularly takes on new challenges. Usually, the most unhappy people in your school are the ones who are most protective of their time and their comfort.

So I think a GREAT reason to get excited about a new school year is that it's a GREAT opportunity to grow. What would your school be like if every educator had a growth mindset?

7. Believe in Amazing Possibilities

I'm excited about the new school year because I believe this will be the best school year ever. I'm excited about the work our school is doing. I believe we are moving in a positive direction. I see a tipping point happening, where we will see learners empowered in ways we've envisioned. 

Your classroom has amazing possibilities too. Students will learn more about who they are. They will learn and grow and become more confident and independent learners. Commit yourself to the idea that great things are going to happen this year. Focus on the positive. Who knows what incredible things will happen this year in the life of your school?

Questions: What gets you excited about a new school year? What are you anticipating? I would love to hear from you. Leave me a message below or respond on or . Here we grow!

Top Quotes on Excellence for Educators

In a previous post, I discussed some possible distinctions between excellence and success, and why schools should aim for excellence. When success is defined only by the end results, it doesn't honor the process and how not all aspects of our "success" are within our control.

I think about the Olympic athletes who will compete in Rio in just a couple of weeks. Not all of them will be successful as competitors there. In fact, someone is going to finish last in every single event.

But clearly, these are excellent athletes. At least I can't imagine any of these elite athletes not demonstrating courage, heart, determination, hard work, and discipline. One would expect every Olympic athlete must exhibit these qualities just to make it to the games. These are qualities that embody excellence.

But in spite of their excellence, not all of these athletes will experience the same level of success. The same is true of teaching and schools. Sometimes, we do our best work in situations that may not appear to result in outward success.

Below are a few quotes that capture the spirit of excellence I am seeking to describe. For students, educators, and schools, a new school year is filled with possibilities. However, we can't always control our level of success. But we can control our level of excellence.

"Excellence in education is when we do everything we can to make sure they become everything they can." 
–Carol Ann Tomlinson

"Excellence is not an accomplishment. It is a spirit, a never-ending process." 

– Lawrence M. Miller


"Strive for excellence, not perfection." 
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." 
– Aristotle

"We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by how far they have traveled from the point where they started.' 

– Henry Ward Beecher


"Excellence is to do an common thing in an uncommon way." 
– Booker T. Washington


"Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value." 
– Albert Einstein


“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” 
– Colin Powell

"The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free."
– Charles R. Swindoll


"Mediocrity always attacks excellence."
– Michael Beckwith


Question: How will you demonstrate excellence as an educator? How will inspire your students to strive for excellence? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on or .

Does Your Classroom Offer Cash-Back Rebates?

Grading as a Kind of Manipulation

Earlier this summer I did something I vowed never to do again. I fell for a deal with a cash-back rebate. You know, the kind where you follow a complicated set of instructions and then mail-in all the required papers and hope it pays off. If you're lucky, you'll get your rebate check back in the mail in a few weeks.

I'm not sure why I fell for this again. I guess I thought the deal was just too good to pass up. After the rebate, the synthetic motor oil was going to be a great buy. And I didn't even need it right away. I had just changed the oil in the vehicle I planned to use it in.

But in spite of my best intentions, I failed to ever claim my rebate. I kept the receipt. I had the bar-code and the rebate form. I was good to go. But then I got distracted. I forgot about the rebate for awhile. And when I thought to finish the process, I couldn't find the receipt anymore. Game over.

Now I am just a resentful consumer. I'm irritated with myself for breaking my promise to never try for these offers. And, I'm irritated with the brand for manipulating me with a rebate offer they know many customers won't complete. They count on it. They are manipulating customers to buy knowing many consumers won't ever complete the rebate process successfully.

But it's so frustrating, and it's not customer-focused. If they really wanted to give me a great deal, they'd just give me the $10 off, without all the hoops. They don't actually want me to be successful. They want me to fail.

You've probably been frustrated by a rebate offer too. I think most people have. But not getting my $10 bucks is not the end of the world. But when similar tactics are used in the classroom, it undermines the foundation of learning.

The Problem With Points and Grades

In schools, the currency is not dollars and cents, it's points. And for a student, the more points you earn the better grade you get in the class. Students start learning this at a very young age, as soon as grades matter to them and their parents.

The points themselves are not the problem. The problem is how the points are used. Students learn to see the points as part of a transactional system, the game of school. The goal is to earn points. We have used the system to the extent that many students have forgotten how to learn just for the sake of learning. The first question students ask in many classrooms after an assignment is given is, "How many points is this worth?"

Clearly, classrooms and schools aren't offering cash-back rebates, although I'm guessing students might say it was great if we did! But when we further a grading system that is transactional, in essence, we are using sticks and carrots to manipulate behaviors and results. It's very similar to what companies do when they use rebates.

Just like the rebate is used to manipulate, points can be used to manipulate, too. Teachers have used the power of points for all sorts of reasons. To get students to participate, to show up on time, to choose right answers, and even to bring boxes of Kleenex.

Students are even sorted and ranked according to how well they play the game and earn points. I'm not a fan of sorting or ranking when it comes to learning. But this is especially concerning since earning points is often more about compliance and selecting right answers than showing good thinking or solving problems creatively.

In the current system, teachers even communicate the importance of an assignment by how many points it's worth. "The test tomorrow is worth 100 points so you better study tonight."

It's well-intentioned manipulation. And when used on rare occasions it might be helpful. Teachers are always trying to influence student behaviors and decisions. And for good reason. We will do just about anything to motivate students to learn. But as soon as sticks and carrots become routine in the classroom, students come to expect them all the time.

Point Chasing Never Empowers Students As Learners

The problem with transactional systems is they only change behavior for a moment. They never last. In fact, they work against most some of the most valuable things we want students to gain from school. They rob empowerment. They steal intrinsic motivation. And they even undermine relationships. 

Some students get so frustrated with the points game, they just quit caring. They refuse to play along and choose not to care about how the teacher or the school 'grades' them. And it's not just the kids who are 'at-risk' or 'underprivileged' who tend to reject this system. Often some of the most intelligent and creative students see through this artificial construct and pull back from learning in school.

Some of these same students have passions outside of school they pursue as self-motivated learners. They pour themselves into hobbies, interests, and causes. They will read online for hours, they will create art or practice an instrument, or they will share ideas on message boards or through social media on all types of important topics.

We do our students a disservice when we don't empower them as learners at school too. If students leave school less excited about learning than when they entered, we have failed them.

Learning Isn't About Transactions Between Students and Teachers

We don't have to use transactional systems in classrooms and schools.

Some companies choose not to use rebates. They let their product or service stand on its own merits. They communicate the value of their products with a compelling message of why they are helpful and beneficial to us. And because we believe in their product, we are willing to pay full price.

Likewise, classrooms and schools offer something extremely valuable to their end-users. What could be more valuable or more helpful than learning, for the sake of learning? But we have to remind our students of the wonder and awe of learning. We have to package it in ways that are interesting and attractive. This is especially true when they have come to view learning as part of a system of compliance to ultimately earn a grade.

Cash back rebates don't build loyalty with consumers, whether they ultimately receive the rebate or not. And a school culture driven by points and grades won't build loyalty with students either. It won't transform students into self-motivated learners. Only empowerment and authentic learning experiences will do that.

Question: How do you empower your students and avoid the compliance-driven classroom? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on or .