Image by Corrie McNugget via Flickr
Teaching is one of those career choices that will follow you from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep. It is a profession associated with respect and dignity, so teachers have to watch their behavior outside of the classroom.
Young Teachers, It’s Time To Leave the Party
Just because you were partying with your sorority six month ago, it doesn’t mean you can still do tequila shots and dance on the tables. When you chose to be a teacher, you chose to retire your party shoes as soon as you started student teaching. You are the example that parents want their children to be, so happy hour better be very subdued.
Before you walk out your door on Saturday night, do a reality check. First, remind yourself that you are a teacher and that teachers are respected. Then think about what you plan to do that evening. Would you be embarrassed if one of your students or their parents saw you? With that in mind, take a look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself that question again.
High School Teachers Beware
So you’re just 22 years old, and you’ll be teaching 17 and 18 year old seniors. The fun and games is tempting, but it is the kiss of death for many young teachers who don’t know where to draw the line. Do not socialize with your high school students. Do not socialize where your students socialize. No matter how cool you want to be, you are not going to relate to their reality in any way that will gain you respect.
Here’s the lowdown. If you choose education as a career, it comes with a heaping dose of adulthood on day one.
