Dear, Ms. Loyd.
I hope this
letter finds you well. After your first year of teaching I am optimistic that I
have found you with all your hair in tact and your wits about you. I am here to
remind you of the intentions and values you held so dearly before embarking on
your teaching journey. Enclosed are the Ten Commandments of Teaching that you,
yourself, created shortly before you began your student teaching.
Please
review them, and initial in the blank following each commandment to indicate that
you have upheld these commandments throughout the most stressful year of your
career.
If you have
found that you have not upheld some or all of these commandments (which I pray
is not the case), use this letter as a reflective opportunity to regain your
purpose and continue pursuing the goals and dreams you first envisioned
yourself achieving.
Thou shall be one who makes everybody feel like somebody—that is you have made an intentional effort to make every student feel seen and heard.
________
Thou shall not only teach about literary heroes like Atticus Finch and Arnold Spirit Jr., thou shall bring those characters to life!
Thou shall extend and challenge the lenses in which students view the world and themselves.
________
Thou shall not give up on any student, no matter how difficult he/she may prove to be.
Thou shall not give up on any student, no matter how difficult he/she may prove to be.
________
Thou shall not be negative when it comes to anything regarding teaching. This includes, but is not limited to: government legislation regarding education, challenging colleagues, demanding superiors, or frustrating students.
________
Thou shall try thy best to be a good example of an upright citizen every day for all, especially students, to witness and hopefully emulate.
________
Thou shall not post anything school related on social media—This is not a past problem, so with any luck, it is not a future problem!
________
Thou shall maintain confidence in thy ability to manage behavior and misbehavior within the classroom.
Thou shall maintain confidence in thy ability to manage behavior and misbehavior within the classroom.
________
Thou shall NOT cry anywhere near school, and NEVER in front of a student, parent, administrator, etc.
Thou shall NOT cry anywhere near school, and NEVER in front of a student, parent, administrator, etc.
________
Thou shall refuse to give up!
Thou shall refuse to give up!
________
It is my
greatest expectation that you have not lost your passion for teaching and
helping others. Take heart, push through, you were made to show the world it’s
potential.
“Today you will lead the school. Tomorrow your students will
lead the world.” –Go forth and make sure they are prepared!
Best wishes,
Past Ms. Loyd (the nervous, but eager, soon-to-be student
teacher)
What a wonderful letter you yourself! I hope you re-read this next year after teaching for a few months. It should be very encouraging for you. Your ten commandments of teaching are great. Beware, some of them are very tempting to break!
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of writing a letter to yourself. This is such a fun way to explain your goals and expectations while reflecting on both the present and the future. So creative! Thank you for sharing it with us!