Some days are more challenging than others, as almost everything is new to me. I’m currently teaching hybrid classes and have been tasked with making sure my online students and in-person ones are keeping up with the class material each week. Before this, during the first semester of school, I was teaching virtually and asked by my administrators to also take on a special education class, as there was (and currently remains) a teacher shortage to cover different classes that need more teachers. I accepted taking on the additional class, which was honestly great as it allowed me to gain more teaching experience.
Along with being a first year educator, per my contract, I’m also assigned and required to have an experienced teacher mentor. And while teaching’s been going well, my relationship with my mentor has been interesting and honestly uncomfortable at times. There have been some conflicts, disagreements, and confrontations, which can happen as a first year educator, and fortunately, we’ve been able to work through them. No matter how I may personally feel about someone or think they might feel about me, my goal in the workplace has always been to work hard, remain cordial and professional, and get what needs to be done, done. When my mentor and I first met, I learned she was an older and seasoned teacher who had many years of teaching experience under her belt. When she met me, she instantly made condescending comments about how young she thought I looked and expressed concerns about my abilities to teach. This went on for a while and though I was annoyed, I smiled, brushed the comments off, and focused on what I was hired to do. I also observed and connected with other teachers who were seasoned, sincere, and professional, who taught me about who and what to avoid, best teaching practices, and kindly offered to help me if and as needed.
One of the biggest things I’m learning as an educator is that it’s best to choose your battles. This isn’t an easy climate to teach in, but we’re all in this together. Every little thing doesn’t need to be addressed or dissected. And none of us have time for gossip, negativity, or pettiness either. I know I don’t. I’ve got lessons to plan, assignments to grade, parents to contact, students who need my help, classes to take, and meetings and trainings to attend. We’ve all got work to do, and ultimately, I always want to do my best and be the kind of educator my students need.