Dear New Teachers,
The time has come for you to now own your classroom. You have studied hard, learned from your internship, were given tons of advice about the first year on the do’s and don’t, and you finally passed those first required exams in order to be license to teach in the classroom. You have a positive attitude of I’m going to change the world one student at a time. I’m going to decorate my classroom with all the bells and whistle. I want my classroom to feel warm and welcoming for students and parents. You have the cutest theme of all and now you are feeling great. You are so ready to tackle the first year.
Well, I’m going to burst your bubble for a moment. What you learned while in school and what you will learn in the classroom are two different things. Yes, your internship might have taught you some great things. You probably had a great mentor or one that has an attitude of I don’t care because I’m getting ready to retire soon anyway. Your first year is the hardest and so is the second and third but that first year will determine if you survive to make it into the second year of teaching or you just hang up the teacher cloak and walk away.
You will not be able to touch every child nor will you make an impact on all students. There will be a few that will say thank you while others will walk away. You will have teacher and parent drama at time. You may even doubt yourself as a teacher and feel as if you aren’t doing enough. There will be times you will cry or where you come home and want to grab a glass of wine or two because it was such a tough day. You may not understand why are you doing the things that you are doing because half of the time it doesn’t make sense. The following are a few advice that will help make your first year go a little smoother:
- Make sure to know your team, secretary, custodial, and instructional coaches .(These people have been my lifesaver and go to for anything)
- Have an open door policy with your parents. Make sure they are in the know of things that are happening in your classroom.
- Every morning stand outside of your class and greet the students. Try to think of a classroom chant to make your class more interesting. BE PREPARED!
- Have a behavioral system in place and most importantly be CONSISTENT with ALL students. Don’t make promises if you know you can’t follow-thru.
- Don’t play favorites because students will pick-up on that. Treat all students the same.
- It is alright to ask for help. Work with your team or a trusted team member if you are not sure of things or need help in writing that lesson plan.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself. You will make mistakes but learn from them.
As you approach this first year, be open, learn, and take it one day at a time. It will be a whirlwind the first few weeks and maybe months. However, I trust that you have a great school year and that this year doesn’t break you but make you a better teacher. Remember to always Inspire, Connect, and Empower your students.
HAPPY 1st YEAR!!
Reading 4 Our Future 