Education

Advice to Teacher Janelle 1.0

Today‘s topic is I’m a bit late in the game for April’s blog-a-day project, but better late than never, right?  Today’s topic is “What would you say to your beginning teacher-self”.   There are several things I wish I could go back and tell myself at the beginning of my career.  Here are two:

  1. Don’t get your master’s in elementary education.  I was positive that I would never want to do anything other than teach elementary students, and I for sure would never  want to be an administrator.  So, I proceeded to earn my MA in elementary education.  All that degree got me was a bit more money on the teacher pay scale. Later, I went back and got my building-level administrator’s license, and high ability certification.  Both could have been part of my master’s program, saving me time and money, while enlarging my circle of opportunities.
  2. Keep the fire lit.  We all enter our first teaching experience excited to grow young minds.  I had fresh ideas, new perspectives, and passion for my field.  Over the years, that fire started to go out.  It wasn’t until I made the move from classroom teacher to district curriculum director that I felt a renewed enthusiasm for my career as an educator.  I think it was new challenges, new career goals, and new learning that helped ignite that passion once again.