To my niece, Madeline Roberts, and every first year teacher ever, but especially this year
Dear First Year Teacher,
First of all, let me say how proud of you we are. You have completed your studies, field experiences, and student teaching. But more importantly, you have chosen a career that has the betterment of society and humankind as its primary goal. Whether you are teaching pre-K or college, in the North America, in Africa, South America, Asia, Australia, Europe, or Antarctica, it is our shared task as educators to formally pass on the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of humankind.
That’s a heck of a job for seasoned teachers in “normal” times. It’s going to be a herculean task for a first year teacher during a global pandemic. So I wanted to share a few thoughts with you that you might be able to pull out during the discouraging moments and know that you are far from alone.
You are NOT alone.
From Socrates to Mary McLeod Bethune, from Jaime Escalante to Lao-Tzu, from your very own favorite teachers to your new colleagues down the hall, throughout human history teachers have sought to uplift, encourage, challenge, and enlighten their students. It is not an easy task. But you are joining a proud profession. If you are teaching virtually, you may feel more alone than most teachers have in recent memory. You are not. Hundreds of thousands of current and former teachers are praying for you, holding you in the light, cheering you on, or however you prefer to think of it.
You will fail, sometimes miserably.
There will be days when you wonder if you have made the right choice. (Um, those may be the good days.) There will be others when you are absolutely certain you have not. You will lose your temper, forget something essential, have lessons that flop. We all do. The hallmark of a ‘good’ teacher – whatever that is – is to acknowledge that you are also learning, that you are human, and that you will keep trying.
Then get up, dust yourself off, and give it your best again the next day. Please believe me when I say, only the rotten teachers never question themselves. Reflection is necessary, but often painful because it forces us to recognize where we fall short of our ideals. It is also the only path to improvement. Hang in there.
Do not expect to be every kid’s favorite teacher.
When I started teaching, I wanted to be that ‘one’ teacher that every kid went to, related to, and looked forward to each day. And then I realized how insanely arrogant that was.
My teaching style didn’t suit every kid, and neither did the styles of my colleagues. Just as there is no one best way to be a friend or a parent or a sibling, there is certainly no one best way to be a teacher. Some of the students loved Tim, my fun and freewheeling colleague. But some felt more comfortable in my structured and more predictable class. While some kids are going to relate to you, others will relate better to other teachers. That’s cool.
The important thing is that every child has someone in their corner and knows it. Some kids are going to love your class, and honestly, some will probably hate it – no matter what do you. It is our job to work to maximize that first group, and minimize the second. It is also our job to care about and do our best for every child no matter which group they fall into. And no matter how many times they tell you they are in that second group, which they will. Just don’t make the same mistake that I did and get your feelings hurt when you aren’t the favorite teacher of every. single. kid. Remember, it takes a whole village, and while we are each a part of that village, we are only one part of it.
But do expect yourself to try to make every kid feel like they are YOUR favorite. Yes. Every kid.
One night in high school, we were all reminiscing about our elementary teacher, Mrs. Olmsted. Then someone commented, “I always felt just a little bit bad because I was her favorite.” Immediately, there was a chorus of protest, “No way, I was her favorite!” “You’ve got to be kidding me, I was definitely her favorite.” (This from a kid who the rest of us were sure had NEVER been any teacher’s favorite!)
We realized that every single one of us literally thought we were her favorite student, including me – and I had only been in her class for about a week before she was switched to a different class. When I thought back on what made me honestly believe that she liked me better than the other students, it was the fact that she listened first, and tried to understand.
Case in point: I was a flakey kid and no matter how hard I tried, I was always forgetting my homework or losing it or something. When she asked for us to get out the first assignment of the year, I realized that I had forgotten to do it – AGAIN! – and resolved into tears.
She got the other kids started on some seat work, then gently led me to the hallway. In between gasping sobs (which some teachers would have had no patience for since she still didn’t even know why I was crying) I explained that I had wanted to do better this year (third grade, I think, but maybe fourth) and I was already messing up again. And instead of telling me how important it was that I complete my work, she told me how proud she was that I wanted to do well. And other stuff. I don’t remember, honestly.
I do remember that she made a special deal with me and that we formulated a plan and that she promised me that we would figure it out together. And she made me feel like I was the most important student in the class, just like she did for all the others.
Now, Mrs. Olmsted was a pro, no question about it. And I think I have already mentioned that you will fail a fair bit this year, so there are probably going to be lots of times when you feel like you screw this up. But I imagine that Mrs. Olmstead had days when she felt like she screwed it up, as well. The important thing is that you try. And keep on trying day after day. Listen, care, teach, repeat.
Take care of your future.
Okay, I AM a personal finance blogger, so you knew this was coming, and here it is.
Put something aside from Every. Single. Paycheck. Ideally, you would create an emergency fund and then max out your IRA. But don’t let the ideal stop you from the realistic. If all you can afford is $5, $10, or $20 buck, do that, but do it automatically and every single week. (If you want a great resource for financial planning that is specific to teachers, check out One Million Apples, one of my favorite podcasts.)
Now let me explain why this is so important for teachers. I have spent the last month reading posts from people who are pregnant, living with someone at high risk of COVID-19, or at high risk of COVID-19 themselves. In some cases, their districts are either unwilling or unable to provide them with a safe environment. If they have no savings, they have to make the impossible choice of whether to quit work and let their bills go unpaid, or go back and put lives at risk.
But even in situations that are not life or death, you want to be able to make your decisions based on what is right, without having to worry about whether you are putting yourself financially at risk. At one school where I taught, a teacher was accused of bullying by several reliable students. He was very popular with the administration, the newly hired ‘golden boy’,but no one knew him very well. Unfortunately, a number of students related specific instances of him belittling them for asking valid questions and generally making fun of them, among other things.
I reported the students’ claims to the administration and became pretty unpopular. It wasn’t a fun time, but at least I didn’t have to worry about finances. I knew 100% that if the situation took too much of a toll on my mental health, I could walk and still pay my bills with no problem. It never came to that, but the bottom line is that just KNOWING I had the option to leave made it bearable to stay.
So while the philosophical tips in 1-4 are important, don’t forget the practical advice in #5.
As anyone who has ever taken my class can attest, I could go on and on. There are a million and one things you will learn as a first year teacher. It will be like the best movie you’ve ever seen. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll come back again and again. Find yourself some amazing, positive colleagues (who have your back when you need it), make yourself some popcorn, and enjoy! This one is going to be a doosy.
Remember, you’ve got this.