New Teacher Orientation Speech

I thought I'd post the speech I gave last week at my school district's new teacher orientation. THANK YOU to all of you who left me helpful tips and advice! :)

Me before giving the speech...and now my hair is WAY shorter!

Four years ago, I was sitting exactly where you all are sitting. There I was, a “newbie,” just like you, itching to be finished with the many meetings that filled up my first official week as a teacher. I remember feeling incredibly anxious to get back into my classroom to hang up just one more poster or double check my rosters and seating charts.

                I, of course, thought I knew what I was doing. I had graduated from Lindenwood University with a degree in Elementary Education and was placed in a sixth grade science classroom at North Middle. I had researched my subject all summer. I had met with my mentor, met my grade level team of teachers, and found the ever coveted laminating machine in my building. I had copies for the first week carefully layed out on my desk. I was as ready as I could ever be.

When that classroom door closed as the bell rang for my first hour class, the feeling hit me. What was I doing? Here I was, 22 years old, and I was being trusted to teach these twenty five eleven year olds…by myself? Without a cooperating teacher? There is no feeling quite like that initial moment where you look out into your classroom of kids for the first time, knowing they are all yours, and feeling more unprepared and nervous than you will ever feel, I assure you, in your adult life. One kid asked me if I was old enough to be their teacher. Others looked at me with skeptical eyes “scoping me out” to see what they could get away with. I was petrified. However, I smoothed out my dress, took a deep breath, and dove in to my first day of the rest of my life.

As a first year teacher, there were many “lessons” I quickly learned (mostly from my students) that I never learned in college. The first lesson was that it was okay to show my students that I was human. I had heard that old expression, “Don’t smile until Christmas” from many teachers in my building, and tried my very best to maintain order, be a disciplinarian, and never show my students my “weak” side during those first few months. However, I soon realized that there would be days when my “perfect” lesson plan simply wasn’t working, and I would need to say to my kiddos, “Okay guys, we need to try something else. What do you suggest?” I realized it was okay to let my students know when I made a mistake, and they respected me more for it. When a student asked me a question I didn’t know the answer to, I would show them how excited I was to look up the answer with them. It’s important to show your students that you aren’t just a teacher; you are a forever learner just like we want them to be.

I also learned that it’s okay to ask for help. Contrary to popular belief, we can’t do it all. It takes a village to teach a child. Get to know the staff at your school and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Some of the best advice I’ve been given has come from my school’s custodians, librarian, and secretaries. We don’t know everything, and sometimes we need to learn to ask for assistance. Plus, it’s important to show our students that there is a whole family of staff in our school who are working together to make school an awesome place for learning.

I also learned that it’s okay to be openly passionate about what you are doing. After all, we got into teaching for our kids, and the more we show our passion for learning and teaching with our students and our colleagues, the better. It was hard for me as a first year teacher to “step outside the box” by decorating the hallways to look like the layers of the Earth for a lesson on the Earth’s interior. It was even harder dressing up like Sir Isaac Newton (and staying in character all day) as I voyaged into the teacher’s workroom to pick up my mail. However, I decided that it was up to me to instill a lifelong love of learning in my students. I wanted them to be excited to come to school every day. I loved seeing them peek their heads into our classroom in the morning and say, “Ooh, what are we doing today?” It was difficult to be considered “the weird teacher” at first from others in my building, but seeing my students’ academic success and love for learning assured me that rapping about volcanoes while standing on my desk wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Soon, my students and I were creating projects and learning experiences that I had never dreamed possible. I shared with them my dream of attending space camp, and before I knew it my students and I were writing essays to obtain scholarships to attend. Students dressed up like “Metamorphic Rock Superheros” and the planets of our solar system and proudly walked the halls. My kids taught me how to “do the jerk” dance move and laughed with me as I desperately tried to attempt it at our school’s Halloween party. We learned together, made many mistakes together, and created a classroom climate that made every student feel safe, loved, and secure. Nothing will ever replace that first group of kids, and the bond you have with them will be like none other in your teaching career.

I also learned that you can…never. Give. Up. Teaching is the hardest and BEST job in the world. It’s a job that requires every ounce of creativity, energy, and enthusiasm. We have the ability to impact what kind of classroom we are going to have, and what kind of attitude our students will have towards learning. It is up to us to never stop learning and to never give up on our kids. Last year I had a particularly challenging student that made me realize even more the power that we teachers can have on a learner. This student was very behind academically speaking in all content areas. Yet, he came to my class every day with a smile on his face, and sat in the front row dazed and confused as the scientific material seemed to spin around him. Every day he and I would conference about what was working in our class and what wasn’t. We brainstormed ways to study. He started the year with an “F” in science and ended with an “A,” after months of hard work and dedication. On the last day of school, he left a card in my mailbox that read, “Thank you so much for everything that you have done for me. I have so much to write you, sadly, this note won't hold all of that. All I have to say is thank you so much for not giving up on me. Thank you for believing in me. That was all I needed to achieve my science goals. I want to say that you are my favorite teacher so far but I can't...you will always be my favorite.” I stood holding the card for what felt like forever, re-reading it over and over again, and seeing him confidently register for his seventh grade classes last week brought tears to my eyes.

Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated, especially during your first year when you are still learning what kind of a teacher you want to be. Weeks may go by where you feel like you are drowning. It will be rare that students stop to say, “Thank you” for that classroom game that took you hours to create or a card like the one from my kiddo is waiting for you in your mailbox. Some days you will feel like everything you are doing isn’t working, but know that you were chosen for your position for a reason. You were chosen by the Fort Zumwalt School District to teach because you believe the best of kids, and your students will motivate you in ways you never dreamed possible. I never thought in a million years I would have the energy to make a trip to Wal-Mart at 4:00 in the morning because a kid emailed me a great lab idea at midnight, or that I would find myself listening to Justin Bieber so that I could get to know my students’ interests better. The gratification and rewards will come with time, and seeing your first year students come back to visit you will remind you that you did indeed make a difference. Remember to breathe and give yourself a break every once in a while. The grading will get finished, the lessons will work out, and remember that staying at school every night until 9:00 PM can become overwhelming. Give yourself time to get refreshed-your students will thank you for it and you will feel a hundred times better. Great teachers are constantly revamping and reworking their classrooms and lessons, and the work never ends. Just remember to stop and recharge with a Bread Company iced tea every once in a while. Find people in your building who you can lean on when you need a boost, and try not to hide in your classroom too much. Helping with school organizations and clubs brings a whole new perspective, and your students will see you in a different light.

Also, remember that everyone was a first year teacher once, and trust me, everyone is more than willing to help you with anything you need, myself included. But most of all, take time to enjoy every minute of your irreplaceable first year. There will never be another year that is quite as special.

Congratulations on beginning the best journey of your lives and welcome to the Fort Zumwalt School District family! Thank you!