First-Year Teachers
Posted by Hope Spencer on 30 Jul 2009 | Posted in: Inspiration and Motivation, Meet the Mailbox®, Professional Development, Relationships and Team Building, Teachers and Teaching
I don’t have to tell you what a busy, exciting time of year this is. But it is an especially thrilling time for first-year teachers. My first year gave me some of the most wonderful, terrifying, and humorous memories of my life! This is such an important topic that I’ve decided to run a short series aimed at first-year teachers, with memories and tips from those of us who’ve been there. For the first blog, I’ve asked my good friend, editor Krystle Short Jones, to share some of her thoughts with us:
At the beginning of the school year, I always found myself overwhelmed with too many tasks and thoughts. I would make a daily list of all the things that needed to be accomplished and rank the tasks in order of importance, so I knew what had to be done that day! Each day, I checked off each task as I completed it. I know it sounds funny, but seeing that list with all the checkmarks at the end of the day made me realize just how much I had accomplished. This allowed me to focus on what I had accomplished and not what I had left to accomplish. I had to remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day!
As a new teacher, I had the misconception that I was the only teacher who was nervous. Every teacher tosses and turns the night before school starts. We are just as nervous as the kids. That will never change, no matter how many years you teach! That is the fun of it all. Each year you will be both excited and nervous. Personally, I believe that is what makes great teachers!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. Visit veteran teachers and ask for suggestions. Sometimes more seasoned teachers may seem standoffish, but it isn’t because they don’t want to help you. They understand how much you have going on and don’t want to bother you. So go to them. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Who knows? Talking with you might be just the inspiration they need too!
Here’s to a great year!
Krystle
Congratulations to Diane Fangmeyer, Director/Teacher of Covenant Kids Preschool, Covenant Presbyterian Church; Omaha, Nebraska! She is the winner of a copy of the Big Book of Monthly Ideas, PreK-K.
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I am a first year teaching teaching 3rd grade for the first time! I am very excited, but feel overwhelmed with curriculum. I want to start the year off with an apple unit, complete with Johnny Chapman stories, apple tasting and apple descriptive words/descriptions. If any teacher has done a unit similar to this, any ideas would be most helpful!
I have many apple related books, including the Gail Gibbons book, “Apples to Oregon”, and Steven Kellog’s “Johnny Appleseed”. Is there any other book that are appropriate for 3rd graders retaining to this topic?
Also, I need to complete a parent letter decribing myself and up coming lessons that the students and parents can look forward to… any advice on this?? I think I am most nervous about this letter than anything else!
After 25 years I still can’t sleep the night before school starts! We all need to remember that the parents are nervous too as to who their child’s teacher will be and what the new teacher will be like. Teachers are with the children more than their parents most days. Talk about teachers being role models….
Good luck to all, the advice from everyone is great. Thank you Hope and Krystle!
Way back in student teaching, a cooperating teacher told me that I must never work through all lunches and specials. She required that I eat in the staff room at least twice a week, without bringing in any work. Her reason? She said teaching can be an isolating task if you’re not careful and that by sharing lunch, I’d never get too isolated from those that can help me laugh, cry, or try something new. Her words have proven more true than I could have imagined. The fact that so many of us blog is a testament to a teachers’ need for fellowship. So, in terms of advice, I echo what’s been posted: borrow, share, and take time to build those relationships. Remember: teaching is a high output profession where we spend lots of our time and talent filling up the tanks of our students. It’s paramount we come up for air and get a refill of energy from time to time.
I begin my 25th year this year! Time has flown by! I am so blessed to have been able to do something I am so passionate about. Even after 25 yrs I was thinking the other day if I knew how to do this. Don’t sweat the small stuff. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!Don’t be worried about stealing ideas from seasoned teachers. It is the greatest compliment! To tell you the truth, I steal from others after 25 yrs!
The beginning of every school year is the chance to start fresh and improve our teaching. Every year I take time to write down ideas, thoughts and goals to improve my classroom and curriculum. I keep this idea list throughout the year and check it anytime I am feeling stale and need a boost.
After over 16 years in the classroom I enjoy sharing what I know with new teachers and I do love their fresh ideas and enthusiasm! Here are 2 suggestions to help new teachers succeed during their first year:
1. To handle behavior in the classroom it is much easier to set firm boundaries and be a little more ’strict’ early in the year and lighten up as the children know the routines and expectations than it is to try to regain order in an out of control classroom later on.
2. Teach with your calendar! buy a large desk calendar and post it over your desk. On the calendar use different colors to label report card dates, holidays, special events, faculty meetings, your themes,etc. Also be sure to jot reminders of songs, skills and objectives you want to teach as your children gain in their abilities. (ex. I start to focus more on the name of the current month in January after my students have a good understanding of the days of the week, so in January I have a reminder to start teaching them the Macarena Months song)
Great ideas! I was looking for something like this when I started last year- this will be very helpful for this year!
Teaching is one of the very few professions that allows us to have a new beginning every year. Though this is my 3rd year teaching I still have the first day jitters. Lots to get done with little time to do it in. Last year, I was talking with my administrator and we were discussing how far not only I had come, but how far my students had come. I definitely would agree that you can not judge your entire career on your first year. The tearful days, sleepless nights, and anxiety are all worth it. My principal was very supportive and I found there were many wonderful people willing to offer suggestions. I once had an instructor in college tell us, “You don’t have to re-invent the wheel” use your resources!
Best of luck to all the teachers that are preparing for the first year of teaching. You are not alone.
I am so glad that Leigh-Ann posted because I am exactly where she is right now. I was interviewed and hired three days before school started in a pk special needs position. It was a very rough year but I have a wonderful aide who helped me out tremendously. My advice is to ask for help from your neighbors when needed. They have all been in your shoes and are more than willing to give advice and help out.
This is my second year in this position and it is sure to be a true challenge. We are universal so I will have a true mix of abilities and I need to be prepared to offer a theme and modify for the children who are advanced as well as delayed. This is a very hard job at times but the rewards are unmeasurable.
I too am trying to plan ahead. I have the themes planned out week by week for the first part of the year but I haven’t gotten as far as the crafts and activities. (I am not that organized.) But I have been able to paint my classroom and re-arrange the furniture to be more appropriate. I have also ordered some bigger pieces of furniture with the stimulus moneys offered through special ed. Check with administrators on what is offered or available.
Have a great year. I hope to with the help of Mailbox Magazine to give me ideas.
I am so excited and nervous about the new school year. I recently received my new assignment as a 2nd grade teacher. For the past three years, I have been a kindergarten assistant. It is such a big help to read Krystle’s post and all the other comments. Thank you and I hope we will all have a great year.
This is going to be my first year teaching. I student taught in Kindergarten and 1st grade, but will be teaching 2nd grade this year. I did one semester of subbing so I have some experience in 2nd grade but am really starting to get nervous. I really enjoy looking through all the comments and websites about first year teachers. It helps calm me!!!
My first year wasn’t great. It got to the point where I would go home and cry. My second year, I got a job at a different school and it was a thousand times better. My advice is: Promise yourself that you will teach at least 2 years. Don’t quit after the first one, because your first year is not an accurate example of how the following years will go. Also, it may be that you would do better in another grade level, different school or school district. Just don’t quit after year one.
I am a second year teacher and I truly am more nervous this year then last year. Last year I was only given a 2 week notice of my new position due to an unexpected change in staff. I think I was most nervous about knowing what to teach and if I was ready to get the four year olds ready for kindergarten. Thankfully as the year went on, and the parents and children were very pleased with my teaching, the nervousness went away.
Now that I am getting ready for the new year to start, I am now nervous of all the readiness I need to do before I begin. Last year I had no choice but to get ready ASAP, this year procrastination seems to be what is making me nervous.
I vowed to have my entire years lesson plans in place with the projects all ready to go (at least the samples) before school starts this year. So far, I have 6 weeks of plans on paper. I know I will accomplish what I set out to do, I just can’t wait to see it happen.
Teaching has been a fantastic experience for me and I am really excited to begin the new year. I am going to miss all the children from my first year of teaching and I know they will always have a very special place in my heart!
Best of luck to all teachers, the new and the improved!!
Thank you to everyone leaving posts on this blog. This will be my first year teaching - although I have been a sub and tutor for 5 years. I am very excited and nervous about being in my own classroom. With all the support of the teachers at my school and on this site I know I will succeed.
I remember my first year, eight years ago, sitting at a table looking across the room before school started, thinking, wow! I can’t believe they’re going to let me be in charge of all these kids! I agree you should stay simple with colors, so students can focus on what’s important instead of all the different colors, borders, and patterns in the room. I didn’t when I first started, I used the five primary colors, but now I’m sticking with about two. I also type my student’s names onto 1/2 a sheet of paper and leave a line at the top for the name of the assignment and the date. When students turn in their work, they have to mark their name off so that I can quickly see who’s not finshed. That’s helped me keep track of who needs to make up the assignment b/c I just hang up that paper and can see who I still need the assignment from.
I remember my first year teaching all I kept saying to myself is why did I chose teaching. During my studies no one showed us how to do lesson plans or write the state standards. No one told us about all the time consuming grading and entering the grades into the grade book. No one really focused on the problem child and what to do with that kid. But as the years have passed I learned from each year something new and I know I will continue to learn something new as every year continues to pass. Just remember to go to your mentor and bug them. They are truly prepared to be there for you and if by chance your mentor happens to be a grump find someone else of your team to talk to. There are always teachers ready to help other teachers. Collaborative teamwork really pays off. I gotta say, I love seeing my students little faces light up with joy when they just realize they’ve read.
Teaching truly is priceless. 
I feel like I have a first year teaching EVERY year. It seems that I move from different classes or different schools every couple of years. I’ve been to four schools in 10 years. And one of the schools we changed school locations (old school building/portable school-different site/new schoolbuilding-different site)! However, I LOVE teaching and have come to accept those first day (and WEEK before) jitters as part of the excitement of a new school year. My advice: Plan more than ou expect, learn the class rules as a class, and have fun. The year will fly and be over faster than you ever dreamed. Good luck with your first year!
After 16 years, I find that every year is still a new year. You are always looking for ways to make this year a little different and a little better. By the way, most veteran teachers like to work with new teachers. You bring us new and fresh ideas!!
Check out your room early to see if you have enough desks and materials for each child. Be prepared for
one or two to show up who aren’t on your list. Plan more activities than you think you will finish. Nothing worse than to have a lesson go faster than you anticipated and nothing to fall back on to keep the children busy. Start a scrapbook of your yearly pictures—interesting to look back on years later to see how you have changed. Keep a notebook handy to jot down the funny things children say…you won’t remember exact words later! Beside the quote,
I glue the child’s picture with the date.
Thanks for posting these tips and encouraging words! This will be my first year teaching, and although I’m feeling nervous and overwhelmed, I know I can make it a good year.
Thank you for the encouragement.
This is my first year and I am working on my master’s at the same time. I feel a little overwhelmed by it all. The suggestions given by other teachers has been helpful as well as the activities on “the companion.”
Thank you for offering such a great product.
I am so glad that this has been posted. After spending a year as an assistant teacher, I will now have my own preschool class to teach. I am so excited and nervous. The advice and tips given in these posts are wonderful. It will go along way in calming my fears and putting me at ease for that first day of school.
My first year I was so overwhelmed I actually got shingles. Never put too much pressure on yourself to accomplish everything before the year starts. Some projects may just have to wait until a later time. Your health is important. Because of shingles I was sick almost every day of the school year
What a learning experience!
My first year, last year, I asked our veteran teacher so many question she started to look for me before I even got to her door. Without her I would have been lost. From help with craft projects to just basic procedures she saved me my first few months. Thanks Traci!
My first year of teaching was horrible! I just knew that everything I paid for in college to prepare me for what was ahead would. I was grossly misinformed! I had no real idea how to calm down a class of 25 rowdy children, how to assist children with special needs, or manage a full school day. For the first 3 months I would cry on my drive home.
Not to scare any new teachers out there, because I LOVE MY JOB! I really do. This is going to be my 6th year teaching, and I still look forward to a new school year, but you need to know there will be great days and BAD days. The things that keep me sane and happy are: have a childlike sense of humor. You are around kids for the majority of the day. Start to see things as they do. It will help you understand them more, and keep you relaxed. Find at least one thing a day that was funny, upbuilding, or inspiring and reflect back on it even if you had a day from you know where. Don’t let administration get to you (they will try). Be fair and firm with your students. Show no favoritism. Establish all rules and procedures firmly with all bases covered for the first 4 to 6 weeks. It’s a long time, but it will make the rest of your year run more smoothly.
This is great advice that has been given. I would add that you take help when people offer. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re not sure. The other teachers in your building will have lots of advice for you. Be open and honest with your parents. If you find yourself confronted with an issue with a parent and you’re a little unsure. It’s okay to say, “I’d like to think about some ways we could help your child. I would also like to ask some other teachers for advice.” Take pictures of things that went well, activities that look good, and what other teachers are doing. I totally agree with this: Don’t try to fill your day with too much. You’ll go home with a headache and feel unsuccessful. Relax, have fun, and REALLY listen to the children. They will teach you more than you will ever realize.
Just relax. The children are unsure of what to expect. Keep it simple and make it a fun experience. Make all children feel you care for them and are happy they are with you. If you try to do too much, you will feel frustrated, incompetent and wonder why in the world you thought this would be a good career choice.
Don’t overload the environment with bright colors. I think all the colors just add to the confusion. Keep everything simple.
Go home at the end of the day, make notes about what worked and what did not work, plan a quiet evening and get a good night sleep.
I always make notes at the end of every day so when I start planning for next year and look back on my notes, I have a good idea how to really plan for the new year.
It is so wonderful that there are many publications (such as The Mailbox) that provide help for teachers. They have been an enormous help during my first year. Taking the time to read what has worked for others makes the job a little less overwhelming. I have found a few staple activities that the kids and I both love!
Just remember to have age appropriate materials and keep in mind that you have a classroom of wonderful children who are eager to learn. It made my day to see the light bulbs glowing above their heads. Remember to have fun.
My first year was such a blur I’m not sure I was even there. Just like every other teacher, caregiver, The night before school was hard. I sat up or woke up wondering if I had everything ready. Standing in front of the children, meeting the parents, Was so nerve racking. In the end everything worked out great and five years later I still wake up the night before school.
My first year teaching I was hired 3 days before school started. No time to feel overwhelmed just had to do it.It was a 1 yr. contract and I had to look for a position for the following year. The following year I was hired on in a different grade level and school on a Friday, school started on Tuesday. Again no real time to plan just had to do it.
I am now finally returning to the same school and grade level…time to plan finally. Now I feel overwhelmed. Really so many things to think about I never really had time to deal with before. I am more nervous now than my first year. I feel like this time I will be expected to do so much more since I now I have time to plan. I feel like I am all over the place, I will try making a list like suggested.
The first thing I would recommend is that you go in as early as you can to explore your room and materials that may be left in the room. Get a current list of SOL’s that you will be teaching and reserve one cupboard/shelf for stuff that you are not sure what to do with. Some stuff may be obvious trash and that should be pitched. Worksheets/copies that you don’t think you will use toss. Then I’d recommend measuring the room and all the furniture in it. Then make a mini map on paper of the set up you’d like before moving your furniture around and setting it up the way you think you’d like for it to be. Use post it notes. Then get friends, family or the custodial staff to help you set it up. Be careful if your room has already been cleaned not to scrape the wax off those high glossed floors! Get help to move things around. If you have a chance read Debbie Diller’s Spaces and Places book about room set up. Wonderful book! Wish I had it when I first started! Sit in different places and be sure that all can see the board or where you will be for whole group instruction. Do not over decorate your walls. I have learned that it is fine to have a “Under Contruction” note posted with a sign that says “Our Spelling papers will go here” or whatever will be posted. Be careful how much stuff you set out for open house and the first few days. It can overwhelm kids, plus many parents forget to watch their kids while they are meeting you. You don’t want to have to corral kids out of things you don’t want destroyed… Don’t have any chalk near your chalk board, no dry erase near your white boards… you may even want to have a hands on activity that they make and take with them. Keep it simple! Playdough as long as you have no carpeting, or food in individual packets like chips. Count on serving extras. I have had whole families including grandparents show up to meet me! When you meet your students get down on their eye level and shake their hands. If you can have a friend come to take a picture of you two together. I miss my Polaroid days but it was so much easier for the K kids to have that picture to take home of the two of us. I would talk about how much fun we were going to have and ask the child to bring the picture the first day of school. (I usually stuck it in their pencil pouch/BUS TAG and had them wear the bus tag home. Safety policy in my district is K’s have to be tagged.) I also told them to look for my door decorated with my theme and often I would wear exactly the same dress I met them in. That way they could remember who I was more easily. LABEL EVERYTHING! Remember that to try to treat each child like you’d want your own family to be treated and remember to laugh each day! Keep a journal of the funny and horrible moments as you will treasure those memories later on! You are going to do just great!
Great advice!
The first day is nerve racking for everyone, students and teachers alike. Finding someone that knows the ropes is always a good plan. They were always and continue to be great sources of advice and ideas for dealing with situations that will inevitably arise, not only on the first day but throughout the year! Remember, as others have said, have a sense of humor, it will carry you through those hard days!
Great advice, everyone! The first day of school always flies by for me and I never accomplish half of what I wanted to accomplish! The one thing I have to always remind myself, as I battle with first day nerves, is that the students are twice as nervous as I am and that once we all make it past that first day, the rest of the year is a breeze! As someone else said, you have to just remember to keep a sense of humor.
Keep the envioment simple. Don’t overwhelm the children with too many choices. Have fun and enjoy your children!
First year teacher with too many to do list as well. I have copied many list from websites and there seems to be so much to prepare for the first week of school. My problem is most of the items are based on school procedures and I don’t know how my school does everything and so it’s very frustrating.
I began my entry year of teaching the same year that a brand new reading series was adopted. I asked for help from my cooperating/master teacher with this reading curric. and she said it’s so new to her that she could not offer me much advice. I decided then to follow the Teacher’s Editions and guides as closely as possible and this helped me considerably. I also decided to really emphasize phonics instruction since that is what I was taught at the university. So, use those T.E.’s!
Also, I began a filing system. Every time a ran of a worksheet I would hold back one copy, label a file folder, and then file it away for future use/reference. This will help you be more organized for the next year and years to come. I am about to begin my 19th. year of teaching first grade and I still file. Happy filing! ☺
P.S. Also, expect to make mistakes and learn from them. Lastly, HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!!
One thing I learned at the beginning of my teaching career is, Don’t Over Plan, and expect to get everything done each day. I had my lesson plan book filled in and expected the first few days to follow my plan……my advice, be flexible and don’t get upset if you don’t accomplish all you had planned.
Make those first few days in preschool relaxed and fun. Everyone will benefit.
I’m so unorganized. Will try this idea and hope for better results!