In a recent post, Nora H asked:

I was wondering simply what your biggest piece of advice would be for new/beginning educators?

Before I answer this question, it’s important to name that no one teacher has the same journey into this work. With the myriad identities, entryways, and circumstances, everyone has to adapt whatever advice is given to their own situation. However, over the course of my teaching, some patterns emerged in conversations with others:

• The first year is relatively difficult for everyone.
• It’s difficult (though not impossible) to do it all by yourself.
• It’s probably better when new teachers have had experiences as the “adult” in the room before they’re the main one.
• The more veteran you get as a teacher, the more likely you are to critique who you were the first year.

That last one is appropriate. We often see prior versions of our teacher-selves and think of all the flaws in them. Even those of us who appreciated our first teacher-self understand the ways we could have been better.

In my book This Is Not A Test, I recount how one of the veteran teachers said I was doing a yeoman’s job. I came to learn that “yeoman’s job” meant “good in the midst of difficult circumstances.” I can’t tell if I made it look easy or if I had a valid connection with the students. From September until March of that school year, I did relatively well. Of course, I also revealed in the book how I cried to my befuddled administration. I was a blubbering mess, and didn’t think I would come back to teaching. Looking back, I gave so much to my teaching that I had no way of replenishing that well.

But the one thing I did well: I wrote it down.