[assigned] advice to first-years

First-years (get used to the name), I'll be meeting you soon, and working with some of you during your Holly Springs summer school training. There's a lot we'll do, but there will be much left undone, and much that no one can teach you during summer school. Some things just need to be learned on the ground, no matter how much we tell you beforehand. 

You'll probably learn far more than you'll teach during your first year. You might not know that until you reach the midpoint of your second year. I'm not saying you won't teach much. You'll teach a lot. In fact, it's kind of all you'll do for a while (see below). 

I'm saying that no matter how much you teach, your own learning curve will be enormous. You'll learn your own limits, your strengths, your weaknesses, and you'll discover parts of yourself you never knew about, and might let go of some parts of yourself you don't need anymore.

First, try to always see your students as individuals. A classroom dynamic is the embodiment of the "one bad apple" idiom. You'll be amazed at the difference the presence or absence of one or two key knuckle-heads can have on an entire class. Don't listen to us second- and third-years when we talk about fourth block as good and second block as bad. We're just a bunch of cranky old burnouts. If you fall into the trap of seeing them as a group, it will be a very long year or two. Find something to like about each student -- or most of them anyway -- and keep that in mind on your dark days.

Second, make some time to explore your new home state, and get some perspective. If you're in Jackson, spend a weekend in the Delta. It's a world apart, and like no place else. (We love company!) You'll never complain about a lack of places to go or things to do again. You are so fortunate to have suburbs around you where there are stores, theaters, and things that aren't literally falling apart. Just imagine living within a block your school building, where everything is broken or abandoned, 24/7 for months. That's kind of what living in the Delta is like. We drive 2-plus hours just to be able to go to Target or get ice cream. I was never a fan of the suburbs, but lately it feels like a trip to Disney World just to sit on a bench (that has all of its slats and four legs!) in front of the Apple Store in Ridgeland. Seriously. 

Which leads me to... If you're in the Delta, try to get to Jackson or Memphis once in a while. I know it seems like a lot of driving, and you're really busy. But here's the thing: Your school, and the Delta environment can suck the life out of you. Going to Jackson or Memphis gives you a chance to get out of the "third world" mentality. Get some ice cream. All of Mississippi is not like the Delta. You'll come back refreshed and able to appreciate the weird quirky charm and beauty of this place. 

See you soon.

P.S.  So, last year, I was in a really different place -- specifically, unfiltered due to serious pain meds. I still agree with everything I wrote, but it was a lot to lay on the new kids. You might want to read what I had to say toward the end about being organized, though.