Source: SalisburyPost.com

When the calendar turns to August, children, teachers and parents know all too well it's time for school again. Even now there are children moaning and groaning, while at the same time their parents are in the background trying to hide laughter. For many, it's a time of rejoicing, while for others it's a time of fear and trepidation. It's a given, though, that first-year teachers are excited. They're excited about not only having the chance to teach, but also about finally getting paid.

I still remember my first paycheck like it was yesterday. I was a kindergarten teacher at Cleveland Elementary School and couldn't get to the bank fast enough with my one-month's salary of $600. At least now first-year teachers make a little more money each month.

Not only that, but first-year teachers have the advantage of technology not available even just a few years ago. While it's true modern technology has opened up many opportunities for learning, Dawn Fox, the media specialist at Knollwood, has some advice for first-year teachers in which they only need pencils and paper. Her advice is to start a journal. Dawn says, "I wish I had kept a journal because many of the cute things children did or said over my 27-year career have long been forgotten."

Last year at Hanford-Dole, I had the pleasure of getting to know two first-year teachers, Kati Earl Etters and Jessica Deal. When they brought their classes to music each week, they always had control of their classes like a seasoned teacher might, expecting and getting respect in return, with students ready to learn. Read more...

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