It’s that time of year again! It’s back to school time and for many parents that’s a sigh of relief. For teachers, it’s a bittersweet mix of “was my summer like 5 minutes long or…?” And “New year. New me.”. As teachers we always have a balance of wanting to make improvements every school year and understanding remembering we can only do so much. As I embark on my 4th year of teaching I realize a few veteran teacher friends may roll their eyes at my post or laugh and say I still have so much to learn, but don’t we all? This post is half satirical and half serous about what’s missing from teacher ed programs and what’s vital to know when we embark on a new year. Enjoy!

1. Befriend the office manager, the security officers, and the custodial staff. These people are the glue that holds the whole school together. The office manager is going to be your go to. Supplies, district info, coffee on days you really need it. The office manager at my school is a mentor, a friend and a breath of fresh air. I wouldn’t have that any other way. The security officers are so much more than just that. They’re obviously security.. but that sketchy stuff you’re hearing going down? They’re gunna help you. They will protect you. Crazy wild student in class? They’re gunna give them a talking to, and guide them to be better people. Helping support your class management techniques? They’re the real MVP’s. Lastly, the custodial staff. Boy oh boy do you want them on your side. First off, there’s never enough of them and they don’t get paid enough to do all the jobs we expect of them. But if they’re your friend, and you treat them well, the kid that puked all over the field won’t be so embarrassed when the custodian quickly gets it taken care of. When you forget your keys for the 100th time, they will come help you and have the door opened faster than you can tell them which key you’re missing. These people are the life blood of any school. Make sure know them, you thank them, and you keep them happy. 

2. You better have a good poker face. Kid tells you to f off? Poker face. Your class roster changed for the 10th time this week? Poker face. You saw the lunch they serve our students? Poker face. That smell coming from the boys locker room? Poker face. Going over data in the staff meeting for the next hour? Poker face. In all seriousness, having a poker face is one of the most valuable faces to wear when teaching. Don’t get me wrong, a smile is the most valuable face on earth, especially teaching. But not every situation calls for a smile. Like in the situations above, a strong poker face can save the day. This one takes a few years to master, but once you have it, you’re going to know when to use it. 

3. All of your students are special needs. Well, all of your campus is, really. My friend Tracie in my first year of teaching said to me, “Yeah I work in the Special Ed Dept, but to be honest, were all special ed in some way….” She is so right! Whether the student is diagnosed or not, each student we see has a special need. That special need could be a small as needing a seat close to the whiteboard, or as big as having fill in the blank notes. Regardless of whether you know each student’s special needs or not, remember there’s no such thing as a perfect student or a perfect teacher. We’re all going to need a little accommodation and adaptation at times. 

4. Substitute teachers will ALWAYS screw something up- and that’s okay. First off, think back to when you subbed. Did every teacher leave crystal clear instructions? No. And when they did, was every student geared up and ready roll with the lesson plan? Yeah right. There’s a reason kids love having subs. Most of the time it’s because they know they can be a little squirrelly and get away with a little more. Subs deserve way more credit than we give them! Let’s all try and remember they’re doing their best and if they screw up, hey, at least the school isn’t burning down. 

5.  You’re going to “Wing it” a lot more than you “Nail it”. The beauty of teaching lies in your ability to wing it and go with the flow. You may think you’re prepared and technologically sound… but you haven’t been trying to hook up a projector, while your students file into class and then the school’s wifi drops your connection and then your administrator “pops in” to see how your class is going (Now would be a great time for the school to start burning down) Oh! Did I mention it’s raining and it’s an assembly day? Seriously, this crap happens all the time! You gotta wing it. You’ve gotta remember why you’re a teacher and fall back on your confidence in yourself as a leader. If all else fails, that poker face will come in handy now. 

6. Not everyone’s going to like you. Get over it! Believe it or not… there’s a lot of people who truly believe teachers are glorified baby sitters and that the governement pays us to corral their children for 8 hours a day. Parents, students, even other staff members aren’t always going to be rooting for you. If you spend your whole day trying to get them to understand you and like you, not only will you be beyond exhausted but you’ll also feel discouraged and ready to quit by November. Let your teaching do the talking. Let your results be their proof. As my girl Kasey Musgraves says, “You can’t be everybody’s cup of tea some like the bitter some like it sweet. Nobody’s everybody’s favorite so you might as well just make it how you please cuz you can’t be everybody’s cup of tea. … & why would you wanna be?”. 

7. The most valuable sick day you can take is a “sick and tired of being sick and tired” day. So I won’t lie, this one I did learn in my teacher ed program. Surprisingly from the professor that not a lot of students liked. He was abrasive and a bit condescending, but boy did this stick with me. He said to our class, “One thing I learned in my first year teaching is that you’re going to need to use your sick days when you aren’t actually sick, but your sick and tired.” That happens often as teachers. Mental health is key! So if you’re a little sick, a lot tired, and completely burnt out– TAKE THE DAY OFF. You need a break. You can’t do everything all the time. A few days with a sub doesn’t destroy your class forever. You’ll feel better and you’ll be ready for more winging it, poker facing it, and whatever else is thrown at you that week. 

8. Your students won’t always learn the content, but they will always learn character. This is huge. Not every kid is amped on learning math and science everyday and that’s okay. What’s most important for us is that we remember we work in a profession of people. The only constant in the field of people is change. Especially youth. So maybe they get a C, barely get the gist of your content, but at the end of year they know the importance of eye contact and responsiveness in communication. Win! Maybe they fail your class all together, but you’re still their favorite teacher. There’s a reason why. You reached them in some way, shape or form. So have that conversation. Show up to their athletics game or Quincenera. They won’t forget that. Ever. (Shout out to Mr. Tilton if you’re reading this, thanks for coming to my games and being my Most Inspirational Teacher even though I was terrible at math.)

So there you have it. Maybe this list looks different for you. Maybe you’re laughing along with me and recalling each of these experiences. Either way, I hope you enjoyed! 

-RTTP