Think back to the teacher you were in September. Now, with at least one year of teaching under your belt, you hopefully feel a little more confident as you head off to summer vacation.

As you reflect on what you may want to refine or change in your teaching practice for next year, also consider the ways in which you might deepen your engagement with issues outside the classroom that matter to public school educators.

All teachers, even brand-new ones, have a stake in political matters. After all, it takes an active and dedicated community to strengthen public schools.

That’s why the UFT and many thousands of its members, often in collaboration with parents and child advocates, get involved in lobbying and other political activities. We make lawmakers and candidates running for elected office aware of what public schools and educators need. The UFT:

• Lobbies for education policies that protect you, your class

room and your students and that ensure you have the support you need as a teacher;

• Lobbies for education funding that ensures you have the resources you need to teach and that your school can offer the programs and services your students need;

• Supports political candidates who stand with the union on education, labor and human rights issues; and

• Fights proposals to end or weaken tenure, privatize the school system or strip workers of hard-won pension benefits.

A crucial presidential election is approaching in November. Here are some ways you can stay informed and involved.

Register and vote. New York’s primary election will take place on Sept. 13; the nationwide presidential election will take place on Nov. 8. You should register to vote if you have never voted in New York, if you have not voted in the past five years, if you have moved since the last election or if you want to change your party affiliation. Your registration must be postmarked at least 25 days before the election (Aug. 19 for this year’s primary and Oct. 14 for the general election). If you have a valid New York State driver’s license or ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, you can register to vote online by logging on to your MyDMV account. You can also download a voter registration form.

Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Check your status online.

Contribute to COPE. Sign up for automatic contributions to COPE, the union’s Committee on Political Education. It takes money to support the UFT’s lobbying efforts to make elected officials aware of our education agenda and to safeguard the professional and economic interests of UFT members and students. Through small voluntary contributions to COPE, you can make a big difference. It is these small voluntary payments — not union dues — that fund all the UFT’s political and lobbying activities. If you do not already contribute to COPE, see your chapter leader to sign up or contact COPE at 1-212-598-7747 or cope@uft.org.

Stay in touch with the UFT. Learn more about the UFT’s legislative priorities, find out how to contact your local representatives and learn more about the UFT’s community partners. Make sure to follow the UFT on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates all summer. Sign up for UFT emails by registering on the website and sign up for UFT text messages or by texting UFT to 30644.