Things I Wish I Knew: Veteran Teachers Talk to Their Younger Self

…A time machine, you say? Interesting.

If you gave me the chance to go back and talk to a younger version of myself as a teacher, what would I say? A couple of things come to mind…

First and foremost, have a plan for discipline.

I know you have a general idea of how classroom management is going to work, but these real-life students are not the same as the children you have imagined in your head for so long. And more challenging still, EACH CLASS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT! So the discipline strategies you end up using in one class will not be nearly as effective in another. Be prepared to adjust your classroom management strategies day by day, and class by class, and more than anything, practice “patient consistency.” What is patient consistency? Glad you asked. Classroom management is going to be the foundation of your classroom, and your classroom will not be able to function if that foundation is unstable. You will have to constantly teach and reteach your classroom rules, especially during the first few weeks and months of each new school year. This repetition can quickly get frustrating and exhausting. That is where patience comes in. The only way for your classroom management plan to take root is with patient consistency. It may take a while, but your students will get it eventually. However, until they do, be calm, patient, and professional, and have a plan.

And second, have fun.

Have fun when the bureaucratic absurdities and district mandates make you question your career choices. Have fun when the counterproductive school-wide initiatives start to cut into your core curriculum. Have fun when the normally easygoing student melts down in the middle of your favorite class. Take a breath. Center yourself. And remember: You don’t teach theatre because of the unparalleled respect and lucrative salary. (Right?!?) You teach because you love theatre and you want to share that love with your students. I know you are concerned about discipline, and curriculum, and having bus line duty, and making a good impression on your admin, and a laundry list of other pressing worries. But don’t let those worries distract you from your love of theatre, and your love of teaching! Sharing that love should be fun.

So that’s it. Pretty straightforward… Oh Shoot! One last thing! Get that container out of the fridge in the teachers’ lounge before it turns fuzzy. It’s already starting to smell…