A letter I wrote to myself a few years ago based on this video. I recommend that you do the same - no matter if it is your first year teaching or if you are wrapping up your 25th year like me.
Happy Summer!
Dear Rexie,
Happy Summer!
Dear Rexie,
I want you to remember that there will be days when you are tired. Not just a little tired but so tired that you can cry. These days don’t define you and they usually stem from not taking the time to savor the moments. Each and every day there is something that happens in the classroom that should be celebrated and cherished.
Working with adolescents creates a lot of highs and lows but don’t let the lows get you down. You will always want to do MORE for your kids. Tweak your lesson plans, find the just right way to connect to the non engaged student, build relationships with your students’ families, find the right instructional strategy to meet the needs of all the learners in your room, push all of your students to achieve more and the list goes on and on.
This list could run you so ragged that you will be a tired teacher crossing the finish line, aka the last day of school. By running through the school year without acknowledging that each day matters and what you do matters; you will forget why you became a teacher. Rexie, celebrate each day and reach for every opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues. This is a lesson I learned from them. They are an amazing resource that helped me become the teacher I am today.
With great love and respect,
Older and wiser Rexie
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