Dear incoming first-years,
I can’t wait for you to experience Mississippi, what it’s like to be a responsible adult, what it’s like to prepare for the day ahead in a different way than you did when you were a student, to discover that this job can be done and that you can persevere and beat all the difficulties, to experience (if you’re like me) for the first time what it’s like to be a racial minority for the majority of your waking hours, and to start dreaming different dreams than you did before. This experience will radically change you.
As time goes on, you will find it hard to explain to those back home (if you’re not from here). And you may find that you really like this profession. Even if you don’t, you won’t be able to go back to the status quo “conveyor belt” of education in society at large; from here on out, you will be able to see that it takes some seriously anti-racist grit to push against systemic inequalities in education. I think that after teaching in the Corps, you will be inclined to push against structural injustice in education in some way. Maybe you’ll make a statement by sending your children to a public school, which will require you to play an active part in the schooling system. Maybe you’ll keep teaching past your two years. Maybe you’ll discover some parallel, auxiliary avenue to support education, such as through policy, politics or further study.
Don’t worry, a few months into your first year, you will strike a balance where your work and rest, your vocational, personal, spiritual and physical life, will balance out. This is when teaching becomes less stressful and more enjoyable. Find a few veteran teachers to support you, ones who are in their upper twenties. They will give you hope that this job can be done, plus they will encourage you and listen to your plight more attentively than a fellow MTCer stuck in the same problems. Furthermore, tap into your mentor’s resources, especially at the beginning of the year documents (syllabus, etc.).
Get involved in your community, beyond the dynamic MTC crew. Having a supportive social network will ease a lot of the stress that comes with the first year.
Try to chip away at the MTC projects before the day before they’re due. For Dr. Monroe’s 5-day lesson plan, plan something fresh you haven’t done yet (instead of recycling old stuff), because then you can turn around and implement it in October/November, which will put the wind back in your sails during a tiring stretch of the year.
Above all, I want to encourage you that you can do this. Stick with it, rely on your advocates, and find your balance where you won’t feel tired all the time. Once you get that, you will enjoy teaching and be more alert to your community and surroundings. I’m excited to see all the places you’ll go!
Your fellow Corps member,
Ms. Nelson
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