A letter to your teacher self

Dear First Year Teacher:

The first week is over. You're getting your sea legs under you and feeling like this might actually be doable. You spent all last weekend ironing out all the details of your first week, and it showed in how smoothly the week went. If you are prepared, there's not a lot to fear.That's not to say long days and nights aren't ahead. But planning and keeping good records of what you do for each lesson is going to be key this year. This will make next year so much easier.

Remember your core values of confidence, agency, and relationships. You want to instill confidence in your students. Give them hard things to accomplish and succeed at. You want your students to use their agency. Give them choices in their learning in the classroom. You want to develop strong relationships of love and trust. School is more than book work and academic learning. Teach them to be kind and look out for your little classroom family.

Before you know it, this year will be over. You will look back and see how far you've come and how much more there is still to learn.

Be ever learning and don't be afraid to ask questions and learn from your mentors especially the two ladies in your hall who have just celebrated their 40th back to school night.

Not my photo

Don't be afraid to try new things or do things differently, especially when everyone around you is doing the same things they've done for many years. It's okay to break the mold. Don't be afraid to change what isn't working.

Celebrate the little successes and don't wallow in the failures. This will be a year of many ups and downs. There is a reason the Lord put you in this position at this particular time when life is more than you can bear sometimes. You may not know the reason yet, but one day it will be revealed. This is part of your life mission.

You have a class of wonderful kids. And a few even have made a point to tell you, "You did a good job on your first day of teaching school." They are bright. They are innocent. They are eager to learn. Your job is to help them reach a greater potential than what they see in themselves which may not always be academically. You are going to have a couple of hard kids that will challenge you. Love them. Love Them. LOVE THEM.

You are going to do better than you think. It is going to be a BRIGHT year.

Love, Your First Week Teaching Self