So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 31-32, ESV)

Welcome to another year of teaching, impacting lives, and leading the next generation. Even though our calendars may have different start dates, most of us have this goal in common for the new school year: We are all hoping that this year will be better. 

Last year was rough for so many educators. Some claim it was the hardest yet, even worse than the year the pandemic first arrived. Many of us found ourselves saying, "Next year will be better!" over and over to help us make it through the year. And while this thought offers hope, it’s not necessarily realistic.

The truth is, there is a very real chance that this year will not be better just because it is new. However, this school year can and will be better if we actively make changes to improve it. And as Christian educators, we can let this truth set us free.

Teachers can embrace and adopt these five empowering truths to make this upcoming school year better: 

1. Teachers cannot do it all.  Knowing when to say no will allow us to give our “best yes” to our students, friends, and families. Overworking does not equal greatness.
   
2. The administration is not always to blame when teachers feel overwhelmed. It’s up to us to find balance in our lives, regardless of our situations. Using skills like time blocking, simplifying, and delegating can empower us in difficult situations. 
   
3. Teachers need procedures for just about everything. Procedures allow our classrooms to run efficiently, increase student engagement, and even decrease our workloads. 
   
4. Efficiency increases effectiveness. When we come up with ways to reach our teaching goals more efficiently, we can roll with it without feelings of guilt. This is not cutting corners, but instead prioritizing the most important parts of our job responsibilities.
   
5. Teachers desperately need margin in their lives. If we’re constantly going all day, every day, this will take a toll on us in the long run. We will become better teachers when we have time to reflect, think, and pray.
   

If we want to experience improvement in our classrooms, we can live in truth! The truth sets us free and empowers us as teachers to reach our collective goal of making this year better than the last as we impact lives and lead the next generation.

Linda Kardamis taught middle school math before founding Teach 4 the Heart. She is the author of Create Your Dream Classroom and Take Heart and Teach and the creator of Classroom Management 101. She and her husband are raising their four kids in Northeast Ohio.

Linda’s new program, The Respectful Classroom, will help you create a classroom management plan that fosters respect and helps students focus.
Christian Educators Members with Coverage receive a 40% discount on all Teach 4 the Heart courses as a benefit of membership. Log in to your membership account at christianeducators.org to access your discount code.