Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1190776
#OurVoiceOurUnion #WeAreCTA For our full social media directory, see cta.org/social. facebook.com/wearecta @WeAreCTA youtube.com/californiateachers @WeAreCTA WeAreCTA L E T U S K N O W W H A T Y O U T H I N K . We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and californiaeducator.org. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have permissions. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA Beat the Bullies The article about the auto shop teacher who had been wrongfully treated by administrators ("A Fighter Wins," Octo- ber/November) made me think about all the teachers I have had the honor of mentoring over the years and the power- less feeling we all felt when a teacher gets on bad terms with an administrator. The harmful effect of administrators who bully instead of support teach- ers is a cycle I see repeated again and again. I encourage CTA to advocate for more teacher voice in administrator evaluation. In the same way teachers are held to high standards, we should have a voice in protecting the support we deserve to help students achieve their academic best every day in our classrooms. When I think about the countless hours, sleepless nights and stress administrators with a hidden agenda place on teachers and our unions, and how that undermines our professional prestige, I am outraged. ARPINE OVSEPYAN Glendale Teachers Association From our story on Manolo Lopez, who, with CTA support, cleared his name after five years. In the CTA Bulletin recently, we asked educators: If you could go back in time, what advice would you tell your- self before your first day on the job? Sample responses: " Connect with each child individually. Find out their inter- ests and try to incorporate them into lessons. Make each child feel like a star. Each has something special to give." —MICHELLE FREIBERG, Murrieta Educators Association " It's more important to keep the engagement and energy of a lesson than to follow the lesson as it was planned. Give yourself five years to get really good at this. It gets much easier after that!" —GINA DEVORE, Central Teachers Organization " Listen and learn from those around you. Students need to know you care before they will care about what you teach." —DARIN JONES, Corona-Norco Teachers Association " Be yourself. Kids know when you're being genuine." — PHYLLISANN ESCOBAR MORTEN, Fillmore Unified Teachers Association " Let kids see you vulnerable at times. When they realize you have a whole life away from school, they tend to cut you some slack. And you're going to need that good will." —SAMANTHA WEISS, Palos Verde Faculty Association " Take care of yourself and your health. If you have a family, don't let them feel like they're second to your students." —MARY LOTZ, Fremont Unified District Teachers Association " 1. It's OK to say no. Be mindful of your priorities. 2. Get to know your union site rep. 3. Make sleep a priority. You'll get more work done, and its quality will increase." — DENA VANDEVENDER LUDWIG, Torrance Teachers Association " Don't forget to laugh, and remember that very little will go as planned." —JEANINE EDGINGTON, United Teachers Los Angeles CTA Bulletin is sent every other week to your inbox. Email WeAreCTA@cta.org to get on the list. ADVICE? S H A R E Y O U R T H O U G H T S & W I S D O M F O R N E W E D U C A T O R S 7 D E C E M B E R 2 019 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 U P F R O N T