New teachers in Michigan City were welcomed to the city, their school, and the business community on Thursday as the Lakefront Career Network (LCN) hosted its annual New Teacher Luncheon. LCN, the young professionals group of the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, holds this event every August as a way to introduce new teachers to area businesses, and to help them settle into this new role.
“This luncheon serves as a reminder to the teachers and administrators of our local schools that the business community in the Michigan City area is here to support you,” said Katie Eaton, President of the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce. Held at the Pottawattomie Country Club, this event was open to new teachers from public and parochial schools in Michigan City, as well as principals from those schools who introduced each of their new teachers that were in attendance.
The guest speaker for the event was Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Superintendent of the Michigan City Area Schools, who is beginning her 49th year in education. In sharing some wisdom and advice with new educators, Eason-Watkins gave three pieces of advice: Don’t be afraid to ask for help; relationships with students matter; and if you see a good educational strategy, steal it and use it.
Her biggest piece of advice was to practice self-care. “Take care of yourself,” she said. “Be sure to maintain great physical and emotional health because teaching is a hard job.”
New teachers also received a gift from LCN at the luncheon – a goodie bag filled with items donated by businesses, as well as some essential school supplies to help start the year.
“We wish all of you the best of luck, both with this upcoming year and the rest of your career,” Eaton said, encouraging the educators to become more involved with the Lakefront Career Network as a way to continue growing their professional network in Michigan City.
More information about LCN is available by visiting www.mcachamber.com.