FIRST YEAR JITTERS: A MESSAGE TO NEW TEACHERS

      Hey there I-Team! It's so good to be back from summer break. I hope that you've been enjoying these warm sunny days as much as I have! I 've especially enjoyed spending free time with family and friends. As a matter of fact, it was a conversation that I overheard this summer that inspired this post. One day when my family and I went out to eat, we were waiting to be seated when I overheard a conversation between a group of people sitting beside us. Initially, there were only two people siting next to me and my family. But as more people joined the party of two, I could overhear them saying to one of the original two "Congratulations on your retirement!" (and to be clear... I wasn't eavesdropping or as the younger generation says I wasn't "ear hustling" LOL). It was just that their voices carried and you could tell they were truly happy for the guest of honor. That's when I realized this group wasn't just out for an ordinary lunch like me and my family; this large group was out to lunch for a retirement celebration.
     As they laughed and talked while waiting to be seated, I thought about the fact that this person had finally reached a day where they could celebrate the end of their career. In that brief moment, I  wondered what the beginning of that person's work journey was like. I wondered if that person was excited and nervous when they got the news that they'd been hired for their first job.
And that made me think back to my first year as a classroom teacher. Although I appreciated the support I received from both of my cooperating teachers during the previous semester when I was a student teacher, being handed keys to my own classroom was definitely uncharted territory! Weeks before school started, I remember racing thoughts going through my mind. Thoughts such as: What will my students be like? What will my grade level team be like? What if I teach the lesson wrong? What if a student gets sick in the middle of my lesson...what will I do? I had so many questions. I even remember telling my mother how I hated being considered the "brand new" or "first year" teacher. But her response to me was simple: "Everybody had a first year and if they could do it, so can you".
     Now 25 years later I write this post hoping to encourage first year teachers who will begin their journey in a matter of weeks. If you're as nervous as I was, I have a couple of suggestions that not only  impacted my  first year, but my entire career in education. So head on over to the Intentional Instruction Podcast to listen to the episode! For easier access click the three dashes on the top left side of this page, then scroll down to "podcast" and click. You'll see several platforms where you can listen to the show.
  Next month, I'll do part 2 of this blog and I'll share more tips that'll support you on your new journey.  Of course I've included additional resources to go along with this post. Just click on the Intentional Instruction Toolkit below to get to the articles. As always, I hope you find these resources useful.
While we continue to bask in the sunshine during these dog-days of summer, remember to stay safe and practice social distancing when out and about. I also encourage you to prepare your mind for the new opportunities that you'll encounter during the upcoming school year. Do your best to remain positive, and don't forget to practice self care. You'll see how those small things will go a long way. Until next time...go out there and be GREAT!

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