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.
38 Comments |
Subscribe
|
Email This
38 Responses to “First-Year Teachers”
More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 » Show All Comments
More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 » Show All Comments
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.