Dear Miss I.

Today, I went to another annual Teacher Convention. As much as I enjoy hanging out with my colleagues all day, I usually find myself planning lessons in my head and missing my students. It's always a good reminder that the classroom is where I'm happiest on a work day.

I've been out of university for almost 10 years. !0 years ago, I had my 12-person panel interview at Lanigan and GOT THE JOB! :) It was the best place for me to be a new teacher. Looking back, I was loved, mentored and put through my paces.
In the ensuing 10 years, I have learned a lot of things about teaching. If I could go back in time, or send myself a message from the future (holograph, of course), this are a few of things I wish I could say to a very keen Miss I.

-Go home! Stop fretting over lesson planning until 7:30 at night. The students certainly don't care this much.
-Stop giving so many marked assignments. Marking all evening after working well into the supper hour is not good.
-Get to know your colleagues better (I can still heed this advice - I'm terribly ant-social).
-Personal life should ALWAYS come before professional life.
-Don't take teenagers to Europe!
-Don't take 41 students to the PA Penitentiary on your own.
-Love those RISK kids more... you'll spend the rest of your career missing them.
-Laugh every day with students. (Silently fart near the ones who bug you and give them a dirty look shortly afterwards).
-Teach all those kids, not just the highly motivated ones. Regular teachers only really gear their plans for the "smart" kids. Good teachers focus on all of the students. (The reward for teaching the stragglers is much, much higher!)
-Read during Silent Reading.
-Don't read every email from admin - those articles are a time-suck.
-Change, even when it sucks and is unwanted, is still good.
-You're going to miss being Miss I.