Teacher Tip#9: Leave Your Personal Drama Outside of the Classroom

Every once in a while it's important to break the monotony of the classroom routine. Sharing personal anecdotes, jokes, or stories can be a way to draw the attention of students into the lesson, especially when you can tell that they're drifting away and daydreaming. This is particularly true in high school when you have students sitting in a class for 90 - 120 minutes at a time. However, be careful with what you say to your students.

Teacher Tip#9: Leave your personal drama outside of the classroom.

Some teachers fall into the trap of telling their entire life story to their students. They tell their students every last detail of how their wife left them and how miserable they are, or the teacher will bring a pessimistic attitude into the classroom because their life sucks and no one loves them and their own children don't call and on and on and on...

Don't be that person. Again, it's okay to share a personal anecdote that will bring the students' attention to focus and you can have a good laugh, but don't air your dirty laundry. The students really don't care, they will just comment about your life to other students and other teachers, and then everyone knows your business. It's a vicious ugly cycle that I highly recommend you stay away from.