Dear Todd, I commend you on becoming a teacher.
First of all, never give up. Your students need you. Get to know your students as individuals. Tap into their interests as you plan and execute your lessons; it makes learning engaging and relevant. Ensure that students consistently follow the rules you have created together. Listen to your students. Ask them, "How can I help you learn better?" Seek out your colleagues and share best practices. Communicate and get along with your administrators. Take care of yourself. Reflect each day on which instructional and classroom management practices worked and which ones could be improved. Laugh and smile at least once a day. And finally, thank you for affecting the academic, psychological, and physical life of each and every child in your class. Teach on!
—Todd Feltman, assistant principal, New York City Department of Education, Bronx, New York