v That you are a powerful and compelling figure in the lives of your students.
v That you are both a role model and change agent.
v That in recalling their school years, students mostly remember their teachers, not the courses they took.
v That you need to find a “critical friend” whom you can trust to serve as your sounding board.
v That at times students can be very cruel, difficult, and mean-spirited.
v That it is a mistake to personalize a student’s unacceptable behavior.
v That teachers love their students as their parents love them – but in a different way and for a different reason.
v That few people will ever appreciate the amount of time and effort teachers give to their teaching.
v That by choosing to be a teacher, you have entered an emotionally dangerous profession.
v That you need to pay attention to both your physical and emotional well-being.
v That teaching is not like inducing a chemical reaction, but more like creating a painting, or planting a garden, or writing a friendly letter.
v That most of significant advances in civilization have been the result of the work of teachers.
v That teaching is an act of faith in the promise of the future.
v That teaching is a way of life!
