If you’re reading this, it’s because you are entering into the wonderful field of education. This is both the most exciting and scariest time of your journey. I remember like it was yesterday. It was my last spring semester. I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to give up my paying job as a teacher’s assistant to take an unpaid internship. While financially difficult, it was one of the best decisions I could have made for my future career. Fast forward five years later and I can reflect and share some of the things I did right and some of the things I wish someone would have given me a heads up about. Here are my 5 tips to succeed in a teaching career.
Tip #1
Form strong, authentic bonds with your classmates and professors. If you’re approaching graduation and you haven’t figured this one out by now, my apologies. It might be a little late on this one. This is so incredibly important because who knows the struggles and successes of a new teacher better than those who have already been through it or are currently going through it alongside you. Other than being incredible sounding boards, your peers and professors have inside connections to various schools, techniques, and strategies. Many of my professors were currently teaching in our school district. I was able to pick their brains about real-time problems in the county and they could advise me on schools that would be the best fit for me. Oh, did I mention they are a great source when you need recommendations in the application process?
Tip #2
Treat your internship as if they were paying you. You are a teacher, you just aren’t on the payroll yet. Pay attention to the culture of the school. Be sure to attend special events. Offer suggestions during grade level meetings and take notes on their ideas. ALWAYS be on time. Attendance is important. If you don’t take it seriously now, they’ll be hesitant to believe you will later. Just like the previous tip, the relationships you form during your internship may become the foundation for your budding teaching career. I was fortunate that my principal at my interning school asked me to consider working there after graduation. This leads me to the next tip.
Tip #3
Stay on top of your certification requirements. Depending on your area of expertise there are multiple praxis tests to take. These tests aren’t cheap so be sure to take full advantage of the practice tests that are available on the site. Also, with all things, the results take time to come back. Start taking these tests as early in your last semester as possible. This gives you multiple opportunities to retake any of the exams in the case you don’t get the qualifying scores required. Also, this is a huge one, do research on the requirements of the state you actually plan on teaching in. While most states have similar requirements they do vary and you don’t want your certification to be held up due to lacking test scores.
Tip #4
Stay positive. Applying for my first teaching job tested this to the max. It was very discouraging. The certification process took 8-12 weeks in Maryland which made it impossible to have my actual credentials when applying for jobs at the beginning of the school year. This wouldn’t have been a huge deal, if you followed step one and two, except I moved to another state. I knew no one and had no ties. Most districts weren’t willing to offer me a job based on “my certification is being processed.” Expect to hear some no’s. Forgive yourself if you bomb an interview. Reflect on what you could have done better and do it! You have to believe that no matter what, you WILL find a job and you will!
Tip #5
Keep a journal/keepsake notebook. Every day right one thing that went well. Seems easy, but as a first-year teacher, you will likely have days where it feels like nothing went right. This journal will remind you that SOMETHING you did that day and every other day. It could be that a kid had an “ah ha” moment, your coworker brought you coffee, or you had a great chat with your mentor teacher. My journal was stuffed with keepsakes from my kids. These are the things, five years later, that I pull out and smile about.
All in all, this is the most exciting time in your life. It’s the beginning. The beginning of a wonderful career. One where you will quickly learn that sometimes experience is the best teacher. That some days you have to laugh to keep from crying. That you are never really off at dismissal. That some of the best plans fail miserably and some of the best lessons come from “winging” it. That the kids you teach will each take a little piece of your heart with them and they will give you a little piece of theirs in exchange. Ultimately, you are the molder of our future! Congratulations and enjoy!
