How to navigate Education and still come out feeling like you?

I am not sure if it is just me but I feel that in education we are bombarded about what we, as newly arriving teacher(NATs), are suppose to be. Some professors will tell us we need to be strict with our students while another will say it is important to be flexible. There does seem to be some themes, like use DI, but for the most part I feel that a lot of what we are told from one person is contradicted by the next person.  So this begs the question, who are we as NATs suppose to be?
I am obviously no expert in this area but I am going to share with you my opinion anyway(this is my blog, so I think that gives me the right).  I think we need to be who we are comfortable with being.  Our professors, I feel, share with us their opinion on what the "perfect" teacher is. This is often based on their personality and on how they taught when they were in schools.  Like most people they think their way of teaching is the best and that the best teachers are just like them.  I am not saying that my professors were are not excellent teachers but I do believe that the idea of perfection is different for everyone.  Also I think we need to consider that not all people can teach using the same teaching style.  Different personalities and philosophies definitely play a role.    This mean we NATs need to take what we like or feel we can accomplish productively from what our professors are telling us and put that towards our philosophy and teaching style.  For example, not all of us can be an aggressive teacher, and not all of us can be that warm inviting teacher but we can all fit in between that spectrum somewhere.
How do you decide who you are going to be as a NAT?  Well I think it all starts by taking a long hard look at your personality and your reasons for becoming a teacher.  Then I think you need to be open minded about what you are hearing from your professors.  I recommend making a list of what they say is important and their ideas.  Later on this list will provide you with ideas and thoughts that you can consider when evaluating who you are going to be as a NAT. Keep in mind, no idea is a bad idea, but some ideas may not be for you.  Then some day when you are ready, write down, take a long walk, or just lay on a beach somewhere and think critically about your philosophy of teaching.  Question things like what your classroom will look like and how you plan to make it that way.  Also ask yourself, besides curriculum outcomes, what do you want students to take away from your class.  I could probably go on for pages about questions to ask yourself but I think you get the idea.
When you have decided on who you want to be, remember that just because you choose that philosophy today does not mean that it can't change it, and trust me, change it you will.
Good luck on your journey fellow NATs, I look forward to meeting you on the other side.