As a teacher, you are always a student. Learning is never done. I just finished up year number twenty-seven, and teaching has taught me some pretty important lessons through the years.
1. Teaching is more than just a job. Seriously, teaching is hard, but it is unbelievably rewarding. I have been fortunate to have been able to watch my students through the years as they grow up, graduate, and become adults. And they are truly amazing! You never know how they are going to be as adults (when they are still little), but seeing them all grown up is rewarding. Students come back to you with stories about your class that you had long-since forgotten. They may get taller than you, smarter than you, and make more money than you, but the influence of a great teacher is never forgotten. I have had students write papers about me as their favorite teacher, years after the fact. I have had students come back to our school, walk into my room, and with a huge smile and a hug go down memory lane again with me about the good 'ole days...and remember when. I have parents thank me and students too. Teaching may feel hard in the moment, but the effects are lasting.
2. Teaching is not for the faint of heart. Teaching is work...it is WORK in all caps! But if you aren't afraid of work, then you will be fine. I'm not saying you have to eat, breathe, sleep, and live teaching, but I am saying that you will work harder than many other jobs, and the work never feels done. There are things that will have to wait. Do NOT live at your classroom at the expense of your family. However, to be successful, you will have to put in some extra time above those "contract hours"...and that's OK.
3. Breaks are not just for vacationing, they are for truly allowing you to thrive and survive. Many non-teachers like to point out that teachers work just 180 days a year and have an abundance of breaks in-between. That may be true on paper, but it sure isn't true in reality. Actually, I am contracted from August 1-May 31, so even though we have just 180 days with students, teachers work more than just student contact days. Those breaks however, are a necessity. Teachers go 90 miles a minute while school is in session and they definitely sacrifice some on the self-care front. These sprinkled in breaks allow teachers a small period to recover before hitting it hard again. In my job, I am it. No specials, no planning period, no free time to eat lunch in the staff lounge. I am with my students from the time they arrive at 7:30 to the time they either leave or start aftercare at 3:15. I love my students, but that doesn't mean the rejuvenation and relaxation isn't only appreciated, but necessary.
4. Teaching is fun! Teaching was my dream job as a little girl. I was THAT girl that made worksheets, raided the garbage cans when the teacher cleaned out the closets of old school books and materials, and went home to teach my dolls. Teaching is new and different each day. It changes with each class. I could NEVER be one of those teachers who have all of their lesson plans done for the year before the first day ever arrives. Teaching evolves and changes with the students. I throw in activities that suit their personalities and preferences. Having students who are obsessed with sports means that at some point sports are going to show up in my curriculum. Whether we do sports-style games for math facts, read non-fiction books about sports, share a STEM project idea based on a book we read, or have sports themed math games, I will find a way to connect to my students.
Teaching isn't stagnant, it is ever evolving. It is broad enough that you can use so many different methods to deliver the goods, so to speak. I can use games, videos, team activities, classroom transformations, have guest speakers, the sky is really the limit. I cannot get stuck in a teaching rut and never deviate from a textbook. I stick with standards and find ways to incorporate a little fun as often as possible.
5. Children are the same. Times change and challenges change, but children deep down desire the same thing: belonging. They want to please you. They have a desire to be heard, cared for, loved, be seen, celebrated, and accepted. And if I can create a classroom environment that facilitates that, I have done my job well. At the end of the year, I want my students to understand math more, be better readers, know about science and social studies. But more important that that, I want them to know that they belong and that they are loved. That is a true gift.
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