First-Year Teacher Tips
Posted by Debra Liverman on 04 Aug 2008 | Posted in: Classroom Management, Holiday and Seasonal, Inspiration and Motivation
As I was reading through the comments that were posted in response to “Thinking Summer or Back to School?”, Tennith’s comment took me back in time! She mentioned the excitement she felt as a first-year teacher preparing for her very first class. I distinctly remember that feeling and I too had many sleepless nights before that first day of school. She also asked for some tips for getting her through the first year. So I walked around the office today asking a few of the editors what advice they had for first-year teachers. This is what they’d like to share…
“Be a good listener! Take time to listen to other teachers and be sure to really listen to your students.” –Hope Spencer, Managing Editor of Grade 1 and Grades 2-3 Teacher’s Helper
“Read through some books for tips on classroom management. Find the ideas that you’d like to implement and then stick with them.”–Kim Murphy, Managing Editor of Preschool MAILBOX
“Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions! No one expects you to have all the answers.”–Tina Peterson, Editor
“Be proud that you have such an extremely important job. And remember the students are likely just as excited and nervous as you are!” –Diane Badden, Editor at Large
“Always remember to give your students enough thinking time after you ask a question. Most of the time they really need it!” –Sherry McGregor, Managing Editor of The Mailbox BOOKBAG
How about you? Do you have any words of encouragement for Tennith and all the other first-year teachers who are preparing to enter the classroom for the first time?
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30 Responses to “First-Year Teacher Tips”
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More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 » Show All Comments
Great comments! New teachers really benefit from colleagial collaborations that allow them confidential room to grow…we have a responsibility to support our new colleagues.
Read, The First Six Weeks of School. It is a great book and really helped me to get started in my Kindergarten classroom last year!
This will be my first yr. I taught preschool last year, I was a third in the room and to my surprise, I was made a teacher one this year. I must admit I am a bit scared. But I know with all of the info I got here that those first few days will go easier because of all of you thank you….
I just have to remember that I get to go home after the end of the day and the children go home to their parents. lol even though I’d like to stay and play lol..lol..
I am starting my fourth year of teaching and the best advice I can give is be organized and prepared, but be FLEXIBLE. Be willing to adapt your room, lessons, and behavior plans to meet the needs of your students. Don’t let adapting things stress you out. Finding something that works for YOUR students will make both you and them happier in the end. With whatever behavior plan you choose… be consistent. And remember to have fun and laugh each day.
I am starting my 39th year of teaching 1st grade Every year I feel like it is my very first day of teaching. I got shopping for all the new “stuff” for the classroom. I have all the before school dreams, worry I forgot how to teach, that the kids won’t listen to me. So I say to all of you, be relaxed, get enough sleep the night before and take a couple pair of shoes to school with you and change them at noon. Have mouth “suckies” available because your mouth will be dry, drink lots of water and have a special lunch. The day will go fast, so enjoy the journey.
I am in my 10th year of teaching and every year feels like the first time. I get nervous because of new kids, sometimes even a different room, new staff members, and worrying to make this year better then the last, ect. I pray daily for the children I am teaching and that I may be of positive influence to them and hope they can learn one thing that will make my job worthwhile.
So, besides praying, my advice is have your class rules, management and expectations ready to implement from day one. Day one/week one sets the tone for the year. Good luck to all and have a safe & great year.
I’m starting my 29th year, and my advice would be to put together a file box with 3×5 index cards and several dividers: 5 minute fillers, active games, quiet games, chants, song favorites, silly stuff, group bonding activities, story starters, etc. When things get hectic or your students need a change, or it’s gray and rainy or your lessons take far less time than you expected, or it’s almost, but not quite, time to go to the gym, you can pull out a file card, (or have kids who have finished early choose one.) By going through books and magazines, asking veteran teachers for their favorites and jotting down fun things you’ve enjoyed, you’ll have a great collection of ideas before you know it. I especially like gathering the kids around and starting with something like, “Something that I’ll never forget is..” or “The funniest thing happened…” The kids get going and don’t want to quit!
After teaching for about 30 years, here’s some tips for a first year teacher:
+ Have a behavior plan in place for day one–book “One, Two Three Magic” has good ideas
+ Take students on a visual “tour” of the room–shows them what is there and brings up lots of questions and answers about your classroom…
+ Find a mentor teacher that you can talk to and bounce ideas off of…
+ Keep a file of good teaching ideas that you see in Mailbox magazine for future reference…I cut them out and use a plastic pages sticky photo album to keep ideas in..I also keep a file of pages to photo copy when needed….
+…I like to lesson plan for a week at a time..this lets you see where your lessons are headed..put them in pencil though so they can be changed if you move slower or faster than you expect
+..Learn new things to try every year…if you are bored with the same lessons, the kids will be bored…
+..Use lots of multi sensory learning to bring in interest…videos, hands on, drama, games…fun ways to build interest…
+…take care of yourself so you don’t get burned out
Also a veteran of 17 years, start a bulletin board scrapbook. After the completion of a bulletin board, take a picture and put into a scrapbook with a label and date. Over the years, you will look back and see how your bulletin boards will mature and change. It is also a great way to get a ‘new’ idea when at a loss for for a new bulletin board. You will find you will make changes to that original bulletin board when using it a second time. I think this is also a great piece to add to your professional portfolio.
Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments. I am a first year teacher and I am starting to freak out. I just want to be a good teacher and a good role model. Im starting to have dreams about my first day and they are not too pretty.What should I do in my first day? work? activities? games?
I am going on my third year of teaching, and I absolutely love it. My advice to all first year teachers is be consistent and make sure you have a behavior plan the minute your walk in the door. Children come from all different walks of life and it is important to be open minded and get to know each and everyone of them. It is important to be a good listener and be there for your students they need to know that they can rely on you. Relax, take a deep breath and enjoy it, and remember to have fun the year goes fast.
I am beginning my 10th year of teaching and my advice would be get to know your students. When you really know them you are a team. If you take an interest in their lives then you will have their respect. Be consistent and be fair!