麻豆传媒入口

It鈥檚 been two decades since my first year in the classroom. I reflect on that time and wish I鈥檇 known a few things about myself, about teaching, and about my students. Some of what I wish I鈥檇 known could have been shared with me鈥攕ome I just had to live and learn.

So I offer this reflection both for new teachers as well as for those who support them. If you work with a new teacher, I鈥檓 hoping you might stop by their room in the next few days and share some insights from your own experience. And if you鈥檙e a new teacher, I鈥檓 hoping these reflections might help you feel validated, hopeful, and resourceful.

1. This will get better. The first year of teaching is so, so hard. You don鈥檛 even know why it鈥檚 so hard鈥攜ou can鈥檛 wrap your head around that because you鈥檙e in survival mode. It鈥檚 so hard because you鈥檙e being asked to push your heart and mind and body in ways you never have. You鈥檙e making thousands of decisions each day, and there are big parts of you that know you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e doing. So you question the decisions you鈥檙e making each day鈥攁nd questioning is good, it is, but that questioning also makes you feel tired and insecure. It will get better. You鈥檙e just overloaded. You鈥檙e learning so much鈥擨 know you can鈥檛 even recognize this because you鈥檙e so tired, but it鈥檒l sink in as the months pass. Nothing will ever be as hard as the first year.

2. Always work from the heart. If your actions and words emerge from the heart, you can鈥檛 make too many mistakes. Let yourself love your students; don鈥檛 be afraid of falling in love with them. That鈥檚 the path to take as a new teacher. Get to know them, indulge your curiosity, spend time learning about who they are as human beings鈥攖he rest will follow.

3. They will remember this about you. Your students will remember how you made them feel, whether they felt loved and cared for by you. I know this: I鈥檓 in touch with dozens of former students who were among the first groups of kids I taught. They remember my love for them in various ways; they don鈥檛 remember the lessons that I botched, or that I didn鈥檛 return their homework within a promised two days, or my disorganization. When I listen to what they remember, I hear that it was my love for them鈥攁nd I did love them, deeply.

4. Be open to surprises. Students will surprise you鈥攖hey will learn things you didn鈥檛 think they could learn, they will grow in ways you didn鈥檛 expect. You might think that a particular student will struggle later on (he鈥檚 already been retained in second grade, can鈥檛 spell his own name, and clearly has a learning disability). Then 10 years later you might find yourself at his high school graduation hearing that he鈥檚 been accepted to art college, and there鈥檒l be tears ruining your makeup and you didn鈥檛 bring tissues and when he sees you he grins and gives you a huge hug and says, 鈥淢s. Aguilar, I鈥檓 so glad you came.鈥� You鈥檒l still be crying and telling him how proud you are. It will truly be one of the most joyful days of your life. He was also in your classroom that first year, when you thought you鈥檇 ruined them all. 鈥淵ou were really nice to me and you encouraged me to draw,鈥� he says, and you beam.

5. Find a coach. Find someone who can support your growth, someone who has training to be a coach, someone who will observe you and give you feedback and help you fulfill the vision you have for yourself as a teacher. You won鈥檛 be able to figure this all out on your own. You can鈥檛 see what you can鈥檛 see. You don鈥檛 know what you need to know. Ask for a coach, beg, search out all possible options鈥攁nd find someone to help you grow.

6. And if you can鈥檛 find a coach... Move. Find another school. I鈥檓 serious. Find a place where someone will support you in your growth as a teacher. OK, if it can鈥檛 be a coach, settle for a mentor, perhaps an administrator who will commit to supporting you in a non-evaluative way, or find a partner-teacher who might be a mentor, or a professional learning community of teachers who observe each other. You won鈥檛 be able to guide your own development by yourself鈥攖he weekly (if you鈥檙e lucky) or annual professional development won鈥檛 be enough.

As a new teacher, you need a lot of feedback and support. Don鈥檛 stop searching out support until you get it. If you feel like you鈥檙e learning and increasingly meeting the needs of your students, you鈥檒l feel good. You鈥檒l stay. And kids need teachers who stay.

The first year (like a first love) has so many highs and lows, and I still get both dreamy-eyed and panicky when I remember the 1995鈥�96 school year. Capture this year, share stories with people you trust, and then in 20 years, look back and write yourself a 鈥淲hat I Wish I鈥檇 Known鈥� letter.