First Year Teacher Rant
"I remember when I was like you. Everything was so fun and exciting. My lesson plans were fool-proof. I came an hour earlier than my colleagues and was the last one out of the building at the end of the day. I lived and breathed being a teacher. But don't worry, honey, it doesn't last long. Soon you'll be struggling to get out of bed in the mornings, counting down the hours until you can run out of here without being caught leaving at the same time the kids do. Your lesson plans end up being scribbled on post-it notes scattered about your desk (if you even find the time to do THAT much). You'll just be another zombie like us, fighting through another day. You'll lose this shiny happy thing you've got going on. Just you wait." If you're a first year teacher, or in student teaching, you've likely heard this a time or two. These veteran teachers might mean well, but this piece of "wisdom" does more harm than good. Don't tell me that I'll stop loving what I do. Don't tell me that I'll stop being an amazing teacher. Don't tell me that this career only has a few "good" years in the beginning. Tell me that I'll be amazing! Tell me that my dedication to the profession is refreshing. Tell me that you miss being as involved as I am, and that I've inspired you to find your happy place again. I'm not here to make you feel less. I'm not here to rub my talents in your face. I'm not being happy and peppy and energetic just because I want YOU to feel like you're a crappy teacher. I completely get falling asleep at the wheel. I understand that. I know the years are long. I know inspiration comes and goes in waves. I understand not waking up ecstatic about your job every single second of every day. I get that! You lost your inspiration. You got lost on the winding road. Don't we all? But seeing someone following the path doesn't mean you're a horrible person for straying a bit here and there. Don't watch my every move just so you can pick me apart at the end of the day. Don't crush MY spirit because you've lost grip of your own dreams. Keep your eye on me. Because I'm not going anywhere. I will make the time for my students, my lesson plans, my classroom management techniques. I will always go the extra mile. I will continue to write on the board with colored chalk to get my students excited about field day, our trip to the science center, and our classroom visitor. It takes an extra 2 minutes to do this, and it helps get the kids excited! I will continue to make my own teaching materials because it's uniquely catered to what my students are learning. I don't do these things to rub them in your face. I don't think I'm any better than you are. Build me up, don't tear me down. I am you. We are in this together. Our focus should be our students, not out-doing one another. If what I do in my classroom makes you stop and question what YOU do in YOURS, don't attack me. Look deep within yourself. Make changes. Hell, ask me how I do it! Sit down with me and listen to the passion in my voice as I explain why I do all the little things I do that make my students feel like a million bucks. Ask me how I find the time to do it all with everything else educators have to do. I am here to help, not to hinder. We can do extraordinary things when we work together!