Dear
Mr. Thompson…well, Michael…you haven’t earned your honorific yet,
You are probably wondering who I am. The answer is simply that I am you. We (that's me and you) just celebrated our 10-year-reunion and you are well on your way to getting a Dual Major in both English and Secondary Education. Believe it or not, you are going to be a teacher.
At
some point in the future, you are going to finally decide what you want to do
with your life. Believe it or not (and
you probably will not actually believe it), you are going to decide to follow
in the steps of the might Green Ink Nazi and become an English teacher.
Once
you make the decision, you are definitely going to have your doubts, but
continue on and hold strong as you continue on your path. You are going to feel like you have waited
too long to return for your education, but this experience will also help you
to succeed in this new venue.
Getting
a job in the district through the Cooperative Education program is going to
feel like it is getting nowhere, but you will get on at a school that will show
that you have made the right choice. The
students are going to do what they can to challenge you, but this is just their
way. Co-op is going to be one of the
best experiences you will have and will prove to be an extremely valuable
experience as you get started on your career.
You will work with some amazing teachers and their knowledge will help
you find your own way as a teacher. This
will give you a great chance to learn different perspectives about the
profession and to apply what you can to a classroom setting (or at least what
is realistically applicable, since some of it just isn't quite practical).
You
will be studious and will do your best, but there are definitely times when you
should study more diligently and should be more thorough with your reading,
especially in your literature classes.
You are going to cut it close in certain classes, and some of your
better professors are going to push your writing to its limits, and it is going
to be worth it in the end. Remember to
always be reflective and challenge yourself, even when some of the
less-challenging professors will not be doing the pushing for you.
Don’t
freak out about your inexperience with some of the classic literary works: you
are not the only one who has not read every single work in the canon. Be aware and learn all you can from the texts
which you do end up touching upon throughout your educational career.
Instead
of trying to keep to yourself like I know you are going to your first year at
WSU, branch out and get to know the people who are also in your classes. You are going to meet some really clever and
interesting people who you will want to keep in touch with for a long
time. You don’t need to hide in the
front row of class and be a mute. Your
policy of keeping school and personal life separate is going to make that first
year in your new school lonely. The
school is only going to feel like an airport terminal because you aren't getting to know the people you sit next to throughout your classes (especially
that horrible poetry class that almost turns you off of poetry). Surround yourself with these friends you make
and you will get through the stress.
Overall,
I would suggest you go through your program as you normally would choose
to. Inquire about the dual major and
acquire as much knowledge as you can from your courses. You do not have to have a favorite author,
but learn as much as you can about the ones that you delve into with your
different professors.
Finally,
and probably most importantly, do what you can to enjoy the process. You will be the first in your family, both immediate
and extended, to earn a college degree.
Your 4-year degree is going to take about five years, but it’s well
worth the ride.
Sincerely,
The you that is me, and all you hopefully will be,
Mr. T
