New Teacher... Always!

New Teacher?... Always! 

My first year as a teacher, I sat with my principal Arturo, in his office, who shared with me some advice on what he believed to be the secret to happiness. He shared, "If you want to be happy every day, the secret is to choose a career that brings you joy. In turn, you will take that joy home and never feel like you have worked a day in your entire life." I have to say that 13 years later that is still the best advice I have ever received.

The path that my career has taken me on has not been an easy one. I came into teaching at a time when there were no permanent positions available, and I was labeled a 'New Teacher' for the first ten years of my career due to my Temporary status. 

As a new teacher, back in 2006, I bounced around from one elementary school to another hoping to catch an assignment each year. As a new teacher, I soon learned that to be successful, I had to be as nurturing as possible and 'feed' my career daily. Now 13 years later, I can look back and appreciate all the obstacles I had to overcome to get here, and more importantly, all that I have learned because of it. 

What I Learned...

The first thing that I learned was that I was here for our kids. I chose a career that asked that I put the needs of my students before mine every day. I was here to make a difference in their lives and only to make choices that would, in turn, benefit my students. 

The second thing I can honestly share that I learned was that I had to go above and beyond, raise my learning curve with every opportunity provided, try my best to be the hardest working person in the room, and in turn my students would directly benefit from this.  

Finally, I learned to get involved! I find that this can sometimes be the most difficult to master, yet it is the one that has given me the most in return. I had to be part of as many projects as I could on campus. I had to be in the trenches helping make decisions that would directly impact our students. I wanted to help lead committees and run enrichment programs that my students would benefit from.  

"There is no magic to achievement. It's really about hard work, choices, and persistence." -Michelle Obama 

How Can You Do This...

1. First, LOVE what you do. For myself, it has proven to hold true that if you love what you do, you will never feel like you have a worked a day in your life.


2. Raise your learning curve daily. We encourage our students to do this- so why not do the same! Learn something new, try something new; become that lifelong learner we so eagerly work for in our classrooms.


3. Get involved! There are so many committees and projects happening at each of our school sites, and they are waiting for people just like you who are excited to be a part of them! Ask your site principal to help you choose the project which will be the perfect fit for you! 

Finally, I have to share that the most important thing I have learned is that I will always strive to be an expert learner in what I do. Now, this by no means should be interpreted as me being an expert at anything (seriously insert LOL) what it means is that I will always strive to be the best, just as I did when I first came into teaching because that is what our students deserve... the best.

Your lifelong learner,
Yvonne Milian