I can’t believe I’m about to start my third year of teaching! Somehow this doesn’t seem plausible to me. Yet here it is. Summer is about over, and next week I will be starting to teach again.

I’ve definitely learned a lot from my last two years of teaching, both about the content and about myself. I feel more prepared to teach and understand what I’m doing. But at the same time, I know I still have things to learn, improve, and develop.

I’m also trying a few new things this year in terms of my classroom management. I probably won’t reveal everything I’m doing. But I feel I have a handle on teaching itself, so now it’s time to start fixing some of those other things that need to be fixed.

This year is also going to be incredibly different because I’m now a veteran teacher. A lot of the staff have moved on to other things. So it’s kind of a big deal that I’ve been in the same position for the past two years. Also, last year didn’t really feel like I was a veteran because it was so different from my first year. My first year obviously came about smack in the middle of the pandemic, so I went from completely virtual to a hybrid. This past year was only in person all the way from August until May. So even though last year was my second year, it felt as fresh and new as if it were my first year of teaching.

I don’t need to be the best teacher ever. That’s not my job. But I’ll consider it a success if at least one student is inspired by my actions. My goal is to continue working to improve and make my classroom better. It not only helps me, but it also helps my students as well. If I’m better at my job, then I feel more confident and can enjoy it more.

I’ve watched one of my own teachers get better and improve their abilities as I went through high school. So now it’s really cool and interesting for me to be able to apply my own knowledge and skills and do the same thing. I’m excited to see where I’m headed and things that I’ll be capable of accomplishing.

I’ve mentioned before that this is a year of maintenance for me. That applies even to things like teaching. I know my content, and I have a pretty good idea of my teaching style. Now it’s time to make sure all the things work the way that they are supposed to.

I know I don’t have everything figured out, whether it be teaching or in life. But I’m excited where I’m going, and I hope this year shows some of the things that I can fix to overall become a better teacher.