My Top 9 Teaching Tips

I saw on social media a call for teaching tips. There are so many, but I started to think, what would be my top tips for a new teacher, or a new to district teacher, or someone just needing a tip?

I have more, but nine seemed like a good number. Not a top ten, nine leave room for more. Ten seems like an ending number, nine is open.
So here are my top nine tips in no particular order.

1. Don't be afraid to fail.
2. Set high expectations but not any higher than you would expect of yourself. Evaluate this often.
3. Little people are just smaller people. Treat them like human beings.
4. READ-A LOT and write down your thinking. 
5. Reach out to global education communities through Twitter and blogging. The spaces for learning are limitless and authentic research-driven instruction is waiting for you. Find it.
6. If you realize you were doing something just because it was what was always done and you want to change...don't wait, change.
7. Smile and laugh a lot with your students.
8. Don't let adult problems dictate decisions for your students. They don't belong in the same column or conversation.
9. Always be an advocate for yourself/students and what you believe in most but be ready to support your beliefs with real and practiced practices. You can't be an expert if you only talk about good ideas. You have to be a practitioner of those ideas.

Good luck.