This weekend during a very brief moment of relaxation, I picked up the New York Teacher paper.  Inside, I found an article about Dora Fowler who started her sixth decade of teaching.  My first response was one of shock.  How has she survived in the teaching profession for so long?  She offers some really good advice to all of us in the teaching business.  I thought it was only  appropriate to reflect on her advice as another school year begins.  Ms. Fowler advises:

• Be a teacher first.  Students need someone to look up to, not a friend.
• Meet the parents.  Open House is just not good enough to meet our student’s parents.  They need to be involved and aware of what is going on in their child’s life at school.  This is an area I am sure all schools try to improve on.
• You can’t reach everyone.  Fowler states, that no matter how hard we may try, every student may not be reached.  She comments that we all should be proud of the students we do help.
• Don’t fear failure.  Fowler’s repeated phrase seems to be: “Get over it!”  We all make mistakes, lesson plans may not always go as planned, and trying different approaches in the classroom can be scary. “Get over it!”
• Mind your appearance.  Going to school dressed professionally is not just old fashioned but according to Fowler, it fosters respect.
• Learn to laugh.  In order to make it this long, Fowler says her sense of humor and the ability to laugh at herself and then move on  has been paramount.