Five Pieces of Advice for First Years

As many of you first years will learn in the upcoming weeks, you'll be bombarded with so much information that you'll begin to second guess yourself from the get-go. I'm writing this blog to contribute to all of that. Luckily for you, since these blogs are relatively permanent, you'll have this to refer to when things start to calm down in late September or early October. So, here are my words of wisdom:

1.) As difficult as it may be, don't stress out about things you cannot control. For instance, unexpected schedule changes. I'm telling you, your daily schedule will change at the drop of a hat. You'll be expected to restructure lesson plans on the fly or go chaperone someone elses class while still teaching your own...yeah, figure that one out! Things may (rather, will) get messy. Don't stress, it's beyond your control.

2.) Take things seriously but not so seriously that you psych yourself out. When you really take time to stop and think about the responsibility you have towards 150 + kids, it suddenly becomes this inescapable weight on your shoulders. For those of you who are coming straight from college, more will be expected of you than ever before. Many of you are not used to this kind of pressure. Try not to think about it. Just take things one day at a time, and soon your responsibility won't seem so daunting.

3.) If possible, get direct deposit. Our school district would hold checks over our head and make us jump through hoops of fire to get them. If you have direct deposit, you're good to go.

4.) Hook up with someone special. This may sound silly but the one truth I've taken from this first year is that I could not have survived without a shoulder to lean on. My finace pulled me up when I was feeling low and kicked me in the behind when I got lazy. She also gave me a reason to put down the endless stack of papers and tests and realize that I had a life outside of school. This should really be number one but I'm too lazy to copy and paste.

5.) Have patience. Students will drive you nuts even if you're Mother Thersea reincarnated. Deep down they appreciate you but I guarantee you they will rarely show it. Throughout the entire first year, I thought I wasn't making a difference. It wasn't until the last day of school when I actually saw the fruits of my endless efforts. Hang in there.

Best of luck newbies. You'll do just fine.