We recently posted a collection of Teacher Magazine articles by TLN members — all aimed at helping novice teachers get off to a good start this school year.
We didn’t include this excellent essay by David B. Cohen, a high school English teacher in Palo Alto, CA, because his advice on how to “Establish Your Professional Identity” struck us as a little advanced for teachers who are still struggling to wrestle their first classrooms into shape.
But maybe we were wrong about that. And it’s certain that David’s article will be valuable to any teacher who is taking up residence in a new school. It’s all about getting off on the right foot.
“Although the students and the classroom are your top priorities,” he writes, “it’s never too early to think carefully about how early experiences in your career can help you establish a professional identity—about how you can collaborate with others and engage in the profession.”
It’s smart advice we haven’t seen anywhere else on the Web.
