September 28, 2008
Dear Sarah,
As you walked out of the SEC office today, you have only the
vaguest idea of the adventures and obstacles you will face on your journey to
becoming an English teacher. Over the
next four years, you will face some of the most trying and fantastic moments
you can only imagine right now. Some
days you will feel completely defeated and on others you’ll feel like you can save
the world. Don’t let the difficult times
drive you away; let them shape your preparation for becoming teacher.
Sarah, one of the most important things you’ll learn in your
final year as pre-service teacher is that you can never plan enough. You’ll very soon realize that, as a pre-service
teacher, you’re not the best at everything, but being prepared and organized is
something you do have a little control over so ALWAYS be ready to teach. Also, always have a lesson AND a backup
lesson ready to teach to your students.
Not only will it make you look good in your CT’s eyes, your students
will appreciate it.
Ask questions as often as possible and gather plenty of resources. With every chance you have, ask experienced teachers
questions, for advice, and for teaching resources. When you begin your first year of teaching,
you’ll have talked to a diverse group of teachers and have well-rounded information.
Become involved in your placement school, Sarah. Don’t just
stick to hanging out in your assigned classroom. Interact with other teachers and become involved
with extracurricular activities or school programs. Since these are so important to students and
with them spending much of their time participating in these activities, spending
your time getting involved will be beneficial in connecting with your students.
The pre-service program at WSU will help you in so many
ways, Sarah. While your education classes
will not be prescriptive, they will make you feel prepared for the situations
you’ll encounter during student teaching and your first year of teaching. Spend time getting to know the faculty members
of the College of Education; they can provide you with a wealth of information. Also, pay attention to Dr. M – she knows
her stuff!
Again, Sarah, good luck over the next four years. They will be harsh sometimes, but even on the
days you hurry to your car after school with tears streaming down your cheeks,
hoping no one sees, the next day will be better. The next day after that will be even better. You always have a chance to improve; you’ll
learn to adapt as needed and surround yourself with positive people. Above all, Sarah, don’t lose hope because you’re
not doing this for yourself, but for your students.
See you in a few years,
SH
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYou went all the way back to 2008! lol. I really enjoyed reading your letter.
Being prepared seems to be the name of the game. It's the reason why some teachers have behavior problems. It's the reason why some students are having trouble learning concepts. Thoughtful preparation is really the key to a successful classroom. It can eliminate behavioral problems. Planned and prepared differentiated instruction shows even lower level/struggling kids how to achieve. It seems like your very well prepared in that area.
Staying connected is obviously a huge deal. Staying connected with your students develops a sense of respect from your students towards you. That respect comes with trust, which for many of these students is difficult. When students feel safe, understood, and that their opinions and thoughts matter, they contribute. When they contribute, they will learn. It's all a process that starts with the teacher taking the initiative first.
Adaptation is the key to success as well. You will have to re-teach lessons. You will have seniors skip your class. You will have tornados, fires, and even lockdowns. How will you handle adversity when it hits you in the face? You mentioned it above in a positive attitude. Sometimes, your positive attitude can be beat down, and that's when you reach out for the help and support of others. Teachers that care about their students will want to support you and help you. Guess what? We as teachers are on the same team.
I enjoyed reading your letter. Until we blog again!
Spencer
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI could really identify with your letter...thanks for sharing it! I also had many ups and downs. It often felt like a roller coaster, where one day, you were the best teacher EVER and then, the next day, a total failure. I had a couple of days when I was close to tears on my drive home and then, I would just try to remember that tomorrow would probably be better.
Your advice about being prepared and organized hit me pretty hard. I'll admit that I still need some work in this area:) I try to do this but I still find myself spending too much time in the creating and searching for resources stage that I often don't leave enough time to plan the details and the "backup plan". I plan to check out many resources over the summer and get as much done before August as possible!
Good luck to you next year...I know you will be a great teacher and your students will be lucky to have you!
Graduation 2012, here we come!
Nancy Best