Letter to Myself (Ghost of Student Teaching's Past)

Dear Self,

Wow, I bet you wouldn’t imagine the amazing things you went through during your time student teaching at East High School. You stayed with the same CT three semesters in a row she is extremely helpful by the way, so listen to all of the wisdom she gives you. Stick with your student teacher friends that are down the hall from you, especially Chris. He is big and strong and will protect you. Natalie will be a great friend to listen to your concerns, so always feel open to them. Oh, by the way, try taking Nature of Poetry a little earlier in your student career – that surely crunched your pre-student teaching semester! Make sure you start student teaching earlier than the required come-back date. Snow days may be lurking in your future. START YOUR KPTP ASAP! Don’t say “I’ll do it later” because later comes too late! Amber, be cautioned, early in the semester you’re going to have to deal with some serious grief. Your beloved grandma passes away, and you will feel the heavy burden of mourning on top of your teaching load. It’s okay to cry, it’s okay to say I need a moment, you’re grieving, you loved her so much, and she loved you, too. Remember? The last thing she said to you was how proud she was of you – and that she would be praying that you would get the job in Hutchinson (prayers are powerful!). You know she’s in a better place; you know she wants you to keep continuing, so do it. Don’t make excuses for yourself. Also, don’t worry about taking chances or making mistakes – you’ll make plenty of those. You may be called some interesting names by students, and may walk into a scandalous scene in the bathroom – but remember that all these experiences are helping you grow, and become the teacher YOU want to be. Oh, and yes, you get a job – in March! You receive two offers, but you know that your heart lingers to home. (You will watch Jane Eyre a million times and start empathizing with her pains of wandering and finding “home.”) You struggle with the transition of moving to Wichita – you absolutely despise it. Friday evenings can’t come fast enough for you to go back home. Some people won’t understand your longing and homesickness, but that’s okay. Remember the song "Rise" by Shawn McDonald -- it will get you by. 

Oh, back to those jobs. Don’t get so nervous and tongue-tied; you’ve waited for the opportunity to interview your entire college years. And those prayers, those heart-felt prayers you, your family and friends sent for that job? They worked. You received the job, not just any job, but the job in Hutchinson - home, home finally, and everything turned out so incredibly well, that only God Himself could do such wonders. Remember, your mother isn't the only support system you have, your fiance' loves and cares for you, don't neglect his needs, or his love. Note to self: kindness works wonders. You will struggle with the way some of the students treat you, but they don’t know you. Some of them will seem a bit stand-offish at first, but you have the support from your CT that you need. You will pass your KPTP; you will struggle with passing the Praxis English Content test. Just because you struggle, doesn’t mean you are incapable. You’ve worked hard, you know your content! Don’t let some silly test get you down. Tests don’t define who you are and how you work as a teacher. You will be frustrated, upset, you’ll cry (but try not to in front of the students), your patience will be tested; however, you will inspire, laugh, learn, teach, you will touch the lives of your students, and at the end of the day that is what truly matters. Best of luck as you go through this process! Stay positive and pray A LOT – you will need the strength that only God can give you.

 Sincerely,
Older, wiser, and more experienced You.