I am proud of my work ethic. I work hard to get stuff done, and I know how to persevere when times get tough.

A strong work ethic is going to say a lot more favorable things about you than a weak work ethic. It is important to do well and accomplish the things you need to.

And please don’t think when I say things like this that I mean life has to be all work and no play. It’s okay to take time for yourself and relax. It’s okay to have off days. You don’t have to be perfect. Let me give you examples.

So I have mentioned many times that I’m a first year teacher. Adjusting to teaching has been a new experience for me. Part of that adjustment is lesson planning. My school wants lesson plans submitted for the week before Monday morning. It would freak me out if I submitted my lesson plans that late. I also only get two prep periods a week because we have block schedules. I make a list of what I want to accomplish during each prep. Usually in that list one day is planning for the next week. This way I don’t have to worry about planning over the weekend.

In addition, one of my personal rules is that I don’t take work home. This also helps work ethic because then I am more motivated to get stuff done while I’m on the clock. Almost every other job, once you clock out, you’re done with work. Teaching, if people let it, can be an all-encompassing job. I know many teachers who are taking work home all the time and staying up to get stuff done. If that works for you then great! But that is not something I want to do for myself, and I adamantly refuse to bring it home.

Because of that, this usually means that I have to work harder during the day. To keep myself organized, I create lots of lists and notes to remind me what I need to do. I work through them to get them done. Since we do have block schedules, I am not supposed to be talking and teaching the whole time. I like to give my students time to work on their own, but they know they can stay on the meeting with me so that I can answer any questions they may have.

It has taken me a long time to get to this point. My work ethic speaks for me. It shows that I’m reliable and competent and can get stuff done. But I know that not everyone’s work ethic is like this.

Not to call people out, but I have some coworkers who aren’t this way. I will spare you the details, but it is very frustrating on my end sometimes. It’s hard for me to think of them as effective teachers when it seems like they are doing the bare minimum. I know this sounds really bad and mean, but some of these people are teaching the same students I teach. We have meetings, and it’s so hard because I don’t know what to expect. I know I don’t see everything, and maybe some of these teachers are doing more than I see, but I feel like I’m pulling more than my weight if that makes sense.

I am not trying to complain or rant, nor am I trying to boast myself up. There are days that I don’t want to do anything, and it’s definitely a struggle. But, in my opinion, your work ethic is more about consistency than the day-to-day. Even with my bad days, I still have all my work done on time. Going back to my earlier example, if I don’t want to plan on my first prep, I can do it on my second prep later on in the week. Regardless of WHEN exactly I do it, it will still be done before that Monday deadline without bringing the work home.

Consistency is key when it comes to work ethic. That is the most important part. It will provide a reputation for you that shows you are capable, responsible, competent, and reliable.

Alright, well I am rambling a little bit, so I will just end it here. Your work ethic speaks about you. What message are you trying to say?