Although I am no longer a classroom teacher, teaching is a profession that will always have a place in my heart. In my opinion, it’s one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs you could have in education, but also one of the most important. Teachers have the joy of teaching and mentoring the youth to help them achieve their goals and build their future. I think it’s truly special and I will always, ALWAYS defend the field of education for that reason (as well as others).
That said, teaching is hard – especially the first year. I remember my first year teaching was such a challenging year for me because although I was trained to teach, there’s nothing that can truly prepare you for teaching your first classes on your own. Some of the classroom strategies that I learned didn’t work, but I learned so much from that first year.
As a result, this gift guide was one of my favorites to create because I got to tap into my experiences as an educator to come up with a guide with items we’d recommend for the first-year teacher in your life. Some of these items are education-related, but most of them center around self-care because as a teacher, whether it’s your first year or your twentieth, you cannot pour from an empty cup, so it’s crucial to take care of yourself as much as you can.
