This is my 17th year as a principal.

I thought for 15 years. I started in 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade. Never taught Kindergarten or 5th grade.

I know that this sounds cheesy, but it was my calling. I just love kids. My mom worked with kids a lot and she was a children's minister. So I was around kids and it's just my calling to work with kids.

I say, just remember why you're doing it. Remember the reason you got into it and that calling or feeling you get as you go through your first year.

Give yourself a lot of grace and reflect of things because there are some really challenging days, but there are even more really good days.

Remember why you do it and know you're going to mess up. Also remember that the kids will mess up too, they are going to have bad days and they don't have the same ability to reflect as we do, so help them through that.

Before getting into teaching, I thought I may have been a pediatrician. But decided on teaching instead.

Now, no! Partly because I am so close to retiring, but also again..it's my calling. I have a fire in my belly that keeps me going, seeing the smiles on the student's faces every morning reminds me why I do it.

If i could go back to that very first class, and apologize to them, I would. I thought 1st grade my first year, I was super excited and the kids fed off of that energy.

I think the hardest challenge was dealing with kids that I had never been around as an adult, the kids who yelled out or had behaviors and I didn't know how to handle them because I wasn't prepared for that. Learning how to deal with them and knowing who to go to for help and just admitting that I needed help was a challenge in itself.

So many hugs and excitement!

They are excited to be at school, and they want to learn from their teacher. If you are excited about teaching, they will be excited about learning.

They just have so much joy in them and their innocence.

Knowing that you may help make their day better by being kind.

There is also the possibility that you make such an impact on a student, that they find you on Facebook or Twitter when they are in high school or after they graduate, and they tell you how grateful they have been for the way you taught or for showing them kindness.

Number one thing for me, is being prepared and organized. Teachers need to be ready for the kids to come in that day. They need to be on time and know what they are teaching, there is no time to mess around. Teaching is important. If the teacher is not organized and prepared, the class will be chaos.

If you have a bad day, knowing who you can talk to and how you talk about it. There are privacy policies for a reason and we need to abide by those to keep the children safe.

Teaching with others, teaching is no longer a thing where you close yourself and your students off in your classroom. We collaborate with other teachers and admin staff. Teachers should be willing to be involved in the collaboration meetings.

To stand out: Show your passion for the job in your interview, talk about it in your answers to questions. being thoughtful with your answers, ask for them to repeat questions. Have questions to ask the principal interviewing you.

We need to do more Social/Emotional learning with our younger students, starting in Pre-Kindergarten and into Kindergarten. So many of our students come with no social skills and some teachers feel too much pressure to focus on the academics (which are important) that they don't teach social skills. Without regulating those students, the class isn't going to focus on lessons. Because the student who isn't regulated isn't going to sit to do their alphabet ark, they are going to up, destroying the classroom.

I also think that our SPED system needs to be looked at as well. How we provide services, what we're providing and I think it would be phenomenal to offer parenting classes. To teach parents who to handle things like tantrums and behavior issues at home, give them strategies and help them find ways that work for their child.

Teachers should be paid more.

It's a tough field. Everyone wants you to be "Super Teacher". There are a ton of demands and they can be overwhelming and difficult at times, remember to go back to your "WHY". (WHY are you doing this? WHY did you get into teaching? WHY do you come to work everyday?) Sometimes you will do that a lot. Also remember that these kids need you.

I am glad you are going into it! We need more teachers. Don't forget to sit back and enjoy the moments, when everything is going well. Stop and talk to the students about their interests and hobbies.