Dear New Teacher…
Dear New Teacher,
This is it. This is the month. It’s time to make it happen. Your gut is rolling. Your brain is going 1,000 miles per hour. Every scenario imaginable is haunting your dreams. You have a pacing guide, daily lesson plans, assessments, books, post it notes, and a plan. It’s now time.
The trepidation you feel is not only normal, it’s healthy. The moment I stopped feeling that, I knew it was time for me to look at different options. That fear of not being accepted by the students is natural. It’s what will drive you to be a better teacher in the coming years. You will feel like you have everything down then realize you have students who know more than you about a topic and now you have to get on their level. Use that fear to drive you to get to the level. It will help you stay ahead of the curve.
That feeling in your gut that the other teachers in your building are judging is something you have to push down. Yes, they will judge you. Yes, they will be critical… but they don’t have the guts to do what you do every day. Your students' work is displayed for the world while they hide their scores and assessments. You share your student works because you know in 3-6 months, you will be able to show those students their growth in ways no other teacher can. They will laugh at themselves: their haircut, their clothing, and their performance. You will laugh with those students. That laughter is all that matters.
You have planned, paced, and prepared but in the end it doesn’t matter. In the words of the great philosopher, Michael Gerard Tyson “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Plan and prepare but know that most of that work is going to change the moment the students walk in the door. You will become a master “tap dancer" with the ability to engage a group of students for several minutes while you plan the next step in your head. That’s ok. Make plans but call audibles.
You can’t prepare for everything. It’s completely impossible. Nothing in my preparation helped me be ready when a student told me over the live broadcast intercom system “Mr. White, I can’t see.” Nothing prepared me for the phone call with “Don’t look around but, is (insert name) in your room right now?” You can’t prevent or prepare for everything but you can protect yourself. You can build grading standards and practices that prevent questioning and help you live above reproach. Well written assignments, rubrics, and clear lines of communication will carry you a long way.
The most important thing for you to understand is that you are not alone. There was a time where video production educators were in silos and may, if lucky, interact with another teacher of the same subject once a year. Those days are long gone. You may not have another teacher in your building, your town, or even within 100 miles of you but you have the internet and you can reach out to make connections. Don’t just ask for help… be the shoulder someone can cry on. Find another teacher who is in a similar situation as you and share. Give and take. Your new perspective matters - share it.
Don’t look around for a while. You are new. Your program will not look like the program that’s been running for 20 years. Your program won’t look like the program from the school that has money…. Or the school that has community support. Spend time focusing on your program, aware of others, but not competing. You do you for a while.
Finally, you are going to get pulled in a million different directions. You are going to have people ask you to do things that you don’t want to do. You are going to be questioned for the things you want to do. It’s overwhelming. Find some time to take care of you. Take a walk to end the day. Just close your eyes and sit. Find a way to clear your mind and prepare your body. You are the only you your school has. You are the local expert. It’s not easy but you matter as much as the most veteran teacher in your building and your students need you to be there for them mentally, physically, and emotionally. Ask for help.
You can do this. It’s not easy and you will think about quitting… but don’t. Don’t sacrifice your family, sanity, or integrity but keep pushing.
Always here for you,
Adam, Josh, and Tom
Success breeds success. This article talks about the importance of getting your students involved in video and film competitions.