What the School of Ed Should Have Taught

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I have been teaching for five years and I realized that there are a lot of things that my college's School of Education did not prepare me for.  So here is my advice to colleges out there that are training those bright-eyed and bushy-tailed college students to become the best educators that they can be.

Have a class on:

1. How to be in the "staff room" and not get cynical. 

2. How to hear other teachers talk negatively about their jobs and not let it affect you.

3. How to handle administration when you don't agree with them.

4. How to make connections with your students that show them that you really care.

5. How to deal with parents and work as a team for the benefit of the students.

6. How to get students to think about learning beyond the school walls.

7. How to foster your passion for education.

8. How to collaborate with colleagues.

9. How to balance your life with your career.

10. How to handle the politics of education.

I am sure that this list will keep growing with each additional year that I teach.  It's a good thing educators are life-long learners.

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