Moi? Changed?
Have I changed since I first started as an educator?
Dear First Year Teaching Me:
Breathe. You did it. Your schooling is done and you are now one of the very few people who actually have a contract. ( merci French)
Take a look around and enjoy the quiet moment before the students walk in. They will be your first faces that you will teach. Some will be on your mind for years to come, impacting many of your
teaching ideals. Enjoy every minute of every year because they always go by too fast. You have to say farewell to students sooner then you will ever want to.
There is something that you were not taught in teachers college. There is a pendulum in education. The pendulum of practise is always swinging one direction and sometimes back again. Your learning is never complete. You will constantly be looking for ways to do things better, more effective and more efficient. You will continue to explore new methods to teach children, refine the ways you practise daily and employ new strategies that you would have never imagined.
Go ahead and look in the mirror. Wrinkles will start to appear. I have heard grey hair will start to sprout(lucky for you seven years later not a one-yet). Your style of clothes will change. Enjoy those heels while you can, because you will soon discover teaching in flats is much more student (and back) friendly.
The one thing that will change the most is your passion for teaching. You are going to fall in love with teaching in a way you can not expect nor can be described to you. Late nights, weekends and holidays are going to be filled and fuelled by your passion.
Let it.
Welcome it.
Embrace it.
Be comfortable with change because change is coming every year and everyday. You will not be the same as you are today, nor should you be. Evolve with the students and with the times that will change around you. Being ready to do so, will continue to keep you connected with the students which in return will shape you into an educator you will be proud of.
Get ready now! I hear the students coming and this moment will be the beginning of a new you.
Enjoy.
I love this post, Maria! It really speaks to the value of change -- something that I think is important regardless of how many years you've been teaching. What advice would you offer to those that don't want to change and/or don't feel as though they need to change? Do we all need to change? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
ReplyDeleteAviva
I think we all need to change. If we don't change we will not connect with our students. Connecting with the students is the most vital part of our job. I think that if someone is unwilling to change....perhaps teaching is just not for them. Harsh?
DeleteWith my student teachers my advice is always be flexible and ready to change. If there is no change, then there is no growth and no growth is not what we expect from our students. Lead by example. Oh my...this could be a blog post in itself.
Thanks Maria for this post. I started reading it and realized it was the only way I could really write mine. I waited until mine was published till I read yours completely and was interested to see some of the things we have in common.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for inspiring me.
:) No problem
DeleteVery True Maria teaching is a profession of change and embracing change with the students. The students who encourage us to adapt to change and they make us better teachers.
ReplyDelete