Hello Jake,
This is Jake. I trust that you have found yourself a job and
that your first year has been challenging, yet rewarding. I am writing this
just to give you some words of encouragement and advice. Remember, you have
gone through a lot to get here. The hurdles were numerous and daunting, but you
made it through, and your GPA wasn’t half bad. I have a few tips that I hope
will help out. First of all, breathe. Don’t forget to pull your head above water
and find some me time. You didn’t have much of it over the last few years, and
video games, creative writing, and your guitar have helped you cope. Also, make
sure that you keep your planner up to date. You haven’t done a very good job of
it, and consequently, some things have slipped your mind. For example, you were
supposed to have posted this letter two days ago, and it just dawned on you
after dinner and drinks that you were supposed to have had it finished already.
I would also suggest you keep in touch with your friends. Family is great, and
your coworkers can help with some things, but you need people that you can be
completely honest with. The last few months have been filled with a lot of
alone time, and despite the fact that you have always been able to entertain
yourself (face it, you are great company), there is still that need for actual
human contact. You don’t want to be the lonely middle aged American male with
no close friends other than a romantic partner. Oh, I also hope that you have
found one of those, but back to school stuff. Remember to keep yourself
organized. You have always kind of struggled with that. Don’t procrastinate on
grading. Make the time to get it done, and try to finish it as soon as
possible. I would also suggest to keep a hard copy of student grades. Computers
do not always behave like you want them to, and you will thank yourself for
having a backup. Speaking of backups, have extra activities planned in case you
are sick or a lesson plan runs short. It is better to over plan. Sometimes a
fun learning activity will help fill the last minutes of a class period. They
will be entertaining and educational. Always keep candy handy for yourself and
for your students. Everybody enjoys a reward now and then. Sometimes it comes
in the form of sugar and other times it can be in the form of points. Extra
credit at the end of the semester often keeps students engaged. Although a few
points will not significantly impact a student’s grade, it will definitely act
as leverage in your favor. It may a bit deceptive, but the kids won’t know the difference,
and they all like extra points. Well, I am sure that you have some grading to
get to, or maybe you are trying to read the newest Palahniuk book, so I will
let you go.
