Summarize this article in one sentence.
Dress appropriately for your teaching environment. Keep your teaching materials and classroom organized. Spend time preparing for each day of teaching. Show respect when talking with your colleagues and administrators. Think about what it means to be a professional teacher and try to live up to that model. It sometimes helps to think about one of your past teachers who you would describe as a true professional. Try to think about how you could in some ways mimic their behaviors in your own classroom and career. Try to teach your students that learning doesn’t have to be serious 24/7. If you do something that is funny or goofy, then laugh at yourself. Being a bit self-deprecating will make your students more comfortable with you. If you incorporate humor or jokes into your lesson plans, then your students will likely remember the material better as well. Not every teaching day will go perfectly and some might even fall into the category of disaster. However, it’s important to stay positive or your students will pick up and reflect your negative energy. Take a moment to tell yourself, “It’s going to be okay,” or, “Tomorrow is a new day.” Put a smile on your face and keep going.  You might even say out loud, “I love teaching because…” and list off a few reasons. For example, think about a moment when you saw real improvement in a student’s life due to your efforts. If it’s been a bad day for the students, too, then you might even say that you want to do a “re-set.” Tell them that you want to formally start the day over from that point forward. Communication is key when working with parents. Keep in touch with them via in-person conferences as well as written behavioral reports. Let them know that you are interested in their ideas and perspectives on teaching. You can also solicit their help for events and celebrations in your classroom. Make contact with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at your school and ask what you can do to help.
Be a professional at all times. Laugh and keep your sense of humor. Repeat positive mantras on bad days. Create good relationships with the parents of students.