1. You won’t sleep a wink the night before your students arrive.
2. You’ll never feel ready. No matter how much you prepare in advance. This is totally normal.
3. Protect your time like crazy. Don’t volunteer for anything extra for the first little while. You’ll be "next level" tired. Ease into the pace and then re-evaluate.
4. Always have a backup plan for your technology - especially if you are hosting some type of event. Guaranteed that your tech will fail at the worst possible time.
5. Get good at setting boundaries. Saying "no" is a good skill to acquire.
6. Your students will be none the wiser that you might not know what you’re doing. Roll with it.
7. Try not to replay things over in your mind that have already taken place. Don’t let anxiety get the better of you. Get good at letting things go.
8. Go easy on yourself. Mistakes are going to happen. The trick is to own it and move on. How you respond is everything.
9. You will want to quit. It’s normal.
10. You will question the workload. It’s never ending. Build your own systems to manage this.
11. You will have one (or two, or three students) where you won’t have a clue where to begin. Just find a way to connect with them. Let them know that you have their back. Start there.
12. Don’t try to “fix” everything in the first few weeks. Pick one or two big ideas and run with these. Being human is important. You can’t bear all the responsibility.
13. Find a way to work in a super smart manner. Assess your own workflow. Are you spending too much time on the wrong things? Be reflective.
14. Find a coach or mentor. Great guidance is a gift.
15. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh as often as you can because you're about to launch on a wild ride. Humility is your ally.
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That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading.
Jen