Words of Wisdom

We asked the outgoing Class of 2004 to write some words of advice for the incoming Class of 2006. Although the two classes never actually met (2004 graduated May 13th; 2006 arrived May 30th) it's a nice connection between the two groups.

Here are all the comments, completely unedited:

• Come in with an open-mind, have tough skin and be ready for anything
• Visit your school district and see the place you will be teaching. Try to get there for a summer school session.
• Enjoy and relax whenever possible.
• Take in every piece of advice that you are given. Write this advice down and when you are stuck look back over it. People will be always giving you advice, use it.
• When things get tough, remember why you are here
• Build relationships with your classmates.
• Do yourself a favor and consistently enforce your rules and consequences. Learn the kids' names as soon as possible. Do not get discouraged if you are not the best teacher in the world right off the bat. I promise you are a better teacher than you think. Show the kids you care about them and make yourself available to them and you will have success.
• I recommend that you do not go to your school thinking you know everything, or that you are better than everyone else. You are here because you are intelligent and hardworking, but you will not be successful until you are accepted into the school and community. Take time to understand the students. Be stern, but fair and caring. Teaching is not just presenting material to the students--you are a role model to your students.
• The more you put in the more you get out
• You are in good hands. Teaching is a rewarding job and the staffs will give you tools to help you become the best teacher you can be.
• Enjoy the program and the people and work hard
• Make yourself go to sleep at a certain time and relax, go on trips to Little Rock, Memphis, etc.
• Live around teacher corps teachers- you'll need one another even if you think you want to be on your own right now.
• It will get better.
• Stick with it. It only gets better.
• Keep all assignments in a marked folder from beginning to end, and blog or record your daily experiences in the classroom.
• Keep ALL of your work. Keep the course syllabus and the work for the class in separate folders. Organize it on your disk or flash drive as well by class. Type everything. Your portfolio will be much easier to assemble.
• Own it!