Dear First Year Teacher

Dear First Year Teacher,

In the next few weeks you will be putting the finishing touch on your Pinterest Perfect classroom as you anxiously await Back to School Night or Meet the Teacher. Your emotions are probably all over the place as a million questions go through your head. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“Will they like me?”

“Am I ready?”

“What am I forgetting?” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀

After four years, here are my honest answers to those questions.

Of course they will like you, and if you have those special few who “don’t”, it probably just seems that way because they are asking for love in the most unloving way.

It’s impossible to be ready for every single situation you’re going to encounter this year, but here’s to “faking it until you make it” because as long as you can love your students every day (and keep them alive), you’re truly as ready as you’ll ever be!

If you end up forgetting to label a mail box or print a handout, that’s ok! We’ve all been there, and we are all still there! Don’t sweat the small stuff!

It’s going to be hard. It’s probably going to be the most challenging year you’ve had thus far. You might cry, you might sleep from 6:00pm - 6:00am every single night, you might spend hours upon hours after school and on weekends working.

It’s ok if you do any of the above, you’re going to put blood, sweat, and tears into this first year, trust me. But it’s not okay if you’re giving your students 100% of you, but not giving yourself what you need too.
It’s going to be okay if you pack up early. If you go to happy hour with your coworkers instead of doing “just one more thing.” If you go out of town for the weekend instead of lesson planning for hours.
Your students need YOU to be happy and healthy too.

Take time to rest, to relax, and to laugh it off. During this first year you’re going to have stories that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

You’re ready for this and we are all cheering you on as you start this new and exciting adventure called teaching! ♥️

Love,

Kayla