Weeks of a Beginning Teacher – Week 6: Plan, Pause, Prepare

Takeaways in 10s

• Revision lessons needs structure – Students lose focus when the flow of a lesson is unclear, even during review sessions.

• It’s okay to say no – Its okay to say “no” to students as long as we do it calmly, and reasonably.

• Sleep is not optional – Exhaustion creeps up, and burnout feels real—rest is part of the job.

This Week in My Teaching Journey

I started the week feeling like revision lessons didn’t need as much planning. Big mistake. When I skimmed on prep—especially the lesson flow and what went on the whiteboard — I ended up with students that are confused and zoning out. As I reflected on my run, I realised 2 main things, 1) whiteboarding for revision lessons can be pre-planned and 2) to be mindful of cognitive overload during revision lessons — sometimes, I have to balance them listening to me, to having some activity or story to give them a mental break.

On the classroom management side, I was inspired by observing Eileen's lesson. Her lessons are fun, and she holds attention well—not by being feared, but by setting a tone where students know she means business. That made me reflect on my own approach. I’ve started saying “no” more often, especially to students who regularly ask to leave class. As a people pleaser, it felt so empowering that I said a firm no, and gave a reason acceptable to my students and myself. I realised that I don't need to deny them a trip to the washroom with irritation — just calm, firm tone using logical reasons like “class is short” or “recess is next.” works. If the student is really keen to escape a task, I can set a short exit ticket task, so that they can complete some work to ascertain understanding before going to the toilet.

Beyond pedagogy, this week I experienced physical manifestation of stress. My head felt heavy and swollen, like its pressing against my skull. It did get better, after I had slept 14 hours straight. It’s a new experience for me to feel stress in such a physical way, and a feeling that I will learn to look out for, and give myself the needed rest to recuperate.

If I Could Tell My Younger Self One Thing...

"Sleep isn’t a luxury—it’s how you keep showing up for your students."

Take note of your body's physical signs of stress, and continue to practice self care. Plan sleep into your schedule, even if that means missing out on some social meetings or lesson planning. Sleep gives you the clear headspace and energy to plan a good lesson. Sleep allows you to stay calm when interacting with students and make well thought-out decisions.

With better sleep, do realise the importance of prioritising lesson planning, even for revision lessons. Materials can be re-used, but the planning should not be skipped. Also, learn to get comfortable with saying 'no' to people and providing logical reasons.

Disclaimer: This blog post is a summary of my written takeaways by ChatGPT and the cover image is generated by using the takeaway as the prompt in ChatGPT.