What Teachers Say vs. What Teachers Want to Say [GIFs]

Communication in teaching is paramount—so much so that teachers must work diligently to convey information in the most calculated, strategic, and sensitive way possible. Sometimes, that carefulness might lead us to fudge things a wee bit. 

Look, there are the diplomatic words you say to students and parents. Then there are the silent but brutally candid thoughts you have stewing inside your brain. And these two rhetorical devices don’t always match up. You’re only human, after all.  

For the sake of a few empathetic giggles, let’s take a look at what teachers say versus what teachers actually want to say. Any of this sound familiar? 

What you say:  

“I love my colleague’s classroom decorations.”  

What you want to say:  

“Her room looks like an advertisement for Pinterest, and I feel nothing but envy.” 

via GIPHY

You, talking:  

“All right, class. Let’s everyone take the volume to level zero.” 

You, thinking:  

“If you don’t sit and listen to my instructions, you’re going to learn nothing. Absolutely nothing. And guess what? It’s my job to ensure you learn every day, so do me a favor and can the chitchat.” 

via GIPHY

You say this:  

“I don’t mind after-school faculty meetings. It’s nice to work together.” 

You mean this:  

“If we have to have this godforsaken meeting, can we at least host it at a bar?” 

via GIPHY

What comes out of your mouth:  

“I can’t wait to meet Ms. Stevens at parent–teacher conferences.”  

What sits inside your mind: 

“Ms. Stevens wants her son to get an A, but thinks he should be rewarded with a good grade without studying. The kid’s smart, but hard work is the most crucial part of the equation. Alas, she’s not going to budge on this.”  

via GIPHY

You make this announcement:  

“You kids have been working hard. Let’s do a movie day on Friday.”  

You tell yourself the truth:  

“I need to grade. And I don’t want to do it at home.”  

via GIPHY

You tell them:  

“Amy is a joy to have in class.”  

You quietly admit:  

“I don’t worry that Amy will set the trash can on fire.” 

via GIPHY

They hear:  

“I look forward to reading your essays.”  

Your internal monologue:  

“Half of you write academic papers in text message lingo that turns the second-person pronoun into a single letter. The creative spelling choices and refusal to proofread makes me feel a bone-deep sense of dread.” 

via GIPHY

Keeping up with the latest pedagogical methodologies is all well and good, but sometimes teachers need to focus on self-care. To teach at your best, you need to be at your best. 

That’s why Advancement Courses has created several professional development courses on how to reduce stress, maintain balance, and nurture your passion throughout your teaching career. All courses are offered for both graduate and continuing education credit for your salary advancement or recertification needs. Here are a few of our favorites: 

Creating Work–Life Harmony in Teaching: With an eye on increasing your passion for teaching, this course provides effective methods of determining how and where to invest your time and energy, and how to handle disruptions to your schedule. 

Becoming a Calm, Happy Teacher: This course supports personal well-being and happiness, allowing you to explore the power of positive psychology as a tool to find a more balanced, calm approach to teaching and have more energy and vitality at work and at home. 

The Growth Mindset: Fostering Resilience and a Love of Learning: In this course, you will examine your internalized beliefs about learning and how you can reframe failures and challenges as opportunities for growth for both yourself and your students. 

Self-Care Strategies for Teachers: This course gives you targeted strategies for self-care and wellness, starting with a comprehensive inventory of your whole self—personally, and as a teacher, parent, partner, friend, and community member. 

In addition to these, Advancement Courses offers more than 280 online, self-paced PD courses covering both foundational topics and emerging trends in K–12 education. Courses are available for both graduate and continuing education credit for your salary advancement or recertification needs.