I felt so honored a couple of weeks ago when I got to speak to a group of Flagler College seniors who want to become teachers. My former professor reached out to me to see if I would go down to St. Augustine after work one afternoon and speak to one of her classes. I'm posting my speech to them. They seemed to really enjoy it, and I loved having the opportunity :)
I’d like to begin by saying how honored I feel to have been
asked to speak to your class tonight. It’s
a pretty cool feeling to know that I made enough of an impact on my years here
to be asked to come back and speak with education students yearning to become
teachers. I loved my years at Flagler
College, and I enjoyed the classes I took with Dr. Baker, Mrs. Arzt (Quigly),
and Dr. Davis. They’re role models for
me, and people that I can always count on to ask a question about teaching, or
life in general. You’re probably
wondering what it’s like when you graduate from college, or if you get a job
right out of college, and best of all…is what I learned at Flagler going to
help me in the “real world?” They’re all
such great questions, and I can honestly say that I thought about them too…all
the time at that.
When I first graduated, I kept wondering to myself, “why did
I want to graduate college so badly?!”
Tip number 1, enjoy these times to the max. Study, yes, but have a social life, too. That free time dwindles greatly once you
graduate.
Am I going to get a job right after I graduate? Yes, you will, but you must be flexible. Be careful to know your strengths and
weaknesses. Tip number 2, be you. Principals and the interviewing committee are
looking for real people as well as those good answers. It’s important to answer honestly, with
integrity, and with the feeling once walking out that you gave it your best
shot.
Are all these classes at Flagler really going to help me in
“the real world?” Yes, of course! Tip number 3…The best, and I cannot stress
this enough, way to learn about the ins and outs of the teaching world is to be
in the classroom as much as you can.
Connect with one or two practicum teachers and ask if you may volunteer. Trust me, teachers need all the support they
can get. Intern with a teacher that you
already know, and one that you have built a relationship with. I had the most amazing internship experience. My directing teacher was someone who I had
done practicum hours with previously, and she was the most helpful, supportive,
and motivating person that I would have hoped to work with.
I graduated from Flagler in Spring 2012. I would like to share with you my first
experience. I had a job right after
graduation, but was terminated 9 weeks in.
It happened, and it sucked, but in the long run, it just made me
stronger. I made a mistake by taking the
first job I got hired for. I wasn’t
prepared as a 6th grade Math and Science teacher, but I “had to have
a job.” So, like I said earlier, know your strengths and weaknesses. I say this now, 2.5 years later, because at
the time, as you can imagine, I thought my life had ended and I was NEVER going
to get another teaching job. But, in
just a 5 week turnaround, I was hired for a 5th/6th grade
position. The following year, I taught 3rd/4th
grade at the same school. Currently, I’m
teaching 3rd grade at a different charter school in
Jacksonville. At every school I’ve been
to, I’ve learned. I ‘ve learned what I want
in a school that I work at, and I’ve learned what I’d like to steer clear from. I moved because I’m also in graduate school
at UNF….I’m a little crazy, but it’s a good thing. I love it.
Every day has its challenges, but amazing ones at that. I have the most supportive and helpful
principal, my coworkers are incredibly fun to be around, and my students are
pretty cute, too (when they want to be J).
Tip number 4, don’t be afraid to ask questions. I ask a million every day. I think it shows that I care, and I’m not “too
cool” to ask for help.
Tip number 5, be proud.
You’re doing a great job every day, even when you don’t think you
are. Tell yourself every morning (and
tell your students) that you believe in yourself, and them, because it will
keep a smile on everyone’s faces.
You’re going to love your job…you’re going to have your tough
days, too (but that’s life). Think of
your first few years of teaching as the best learning experiences you will ever
have. You’ll grow stronger every day,
and most importantly you will be making a difference. And that is the best feeling in the
world.
