Welcome to this edition of #firstyearteacherme! We are collecting words of wisdom from NCCE friends, trainers, and staff to share with early career teachers and other educational professionals through our blog. Experience brings understanding, and we know that if we could do it all over again, we would all approach things in a bit of a different way. This time, we’re chatting with Lisa Simmons, NCCE’s Coordinator of Professional Learning and rockstar Microsoft trainer!
Lisa Then and Now
Lisa Then: Music Teacher in Azle, Texas with 600 students in a K-4 elementary. She taught 12 sections a day, put on 6 musicals a year, with All City Choir and taught piano lessons to students after school. She was awarded Teacher of the Year at Silver Creek Elementary her 3rd year teaching!
Lisa Now: Lisa is NCCE’s Coordinator of Professional Learning with 21 years in education. She is passionate about education and has a wide range of experience from fine arts, special education, administration and the classroom. Lisa loves working with educators and is passionate about creating change in our education system.
What I Really Wish I Had Known Early On
“…I do not have to be the giver of all knowledge. Use your questioning skills to allow students to find their own answers!”
Lisa’s Top 3 Pieces of Advice For First Year Teachers
- Take time to get to know students
- Learn about your students’ passions.
- Change is important to step out of your comfort zone.