It's not all about the content or the grades or the assignments...

Over the course of my 17 years teaching, I have never been about the grades or the assignments, homeworks or tests. I am about the content simply because it's my passion however, I have to come to realize that none of these have helped me forge the relationships that I have with anyone in my school.  To some extent (and some to a lesser extent), all of the above have a place throughout my day and in my career. Building relationships is paramount. Something I tell my students is that if they leave my room knowing more than they did the class before, then I've done my job and they've done theirs. Not everything is measurable and we need to take pride in our personal progress because that is different for each learner in your class.  If they feel that you value process over product, they'll know you care about them as learners. This sets up your classroom to be a safe environment for them to share and take risks and be themselves and it makes you more than just their teacher.  So many students feel comfortable telling me about their lives (and not just my own students) because they know that you value them and that you'll take the time to listen, even if you do get off topic for a minute or two.  As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as being on task 100% of the time and it's ok. You and your students will get so much more out of your education (yes, we can learn from each other) if you can be flexible and find a balance between content, grades and building relationships.