It can be overwhelming and exciting when you get your first teaching job, so get the most out of your first year teaching with these 9 tips for new teachers.
10 mistakes I made as a first-year teacher, what I learned my first year of teaching, and how I've grown as a teacher since then.
My first year in Middle School was T.O.U.G.H. I've talked about my journey some in my classroom management post over on my blog. When it came to student accountability, I had the idea that by removing any responsibility from the students when it came to things like being prepared for class, I would eliminate distractions and encourage them to just pay attention. I told them that I didn't want them to worry about whether or not they had a pencil or paper. I just wanted them to be present in class. Many of my kids were from low income families, so I thought this would show them I cared about them. Rookie Mistake. It backfired. BIG TIME. Instead of viewing me as someone who cared about them, they viewed me as someone who was a pushover and... quite honestly... stupid. From Day 1 I set the tone that my students were in charge. I was never able to regain control once they realized they had no accountability. The next year, I knew things needed to change. I became strict, without being mean. My students needed boundaries and expectations and it honestly took me a few years to find a good combination of what worked. Student Accountability {What Worked For Me} Homework (including projects and makeup work) was due every morning BEFORE T.A. (or homeroom, whichever you call it). I had a cart outside of my room that had a slot for each class. 8th grade was contained on the same floor that was shaped like a circle. Regardless of where there lockers or T.A.'s were located, they had plenty of time and accessibility to walk by my door and drop in their homework. They didn't have to speak to me or even stop. Just drop it in and keep walking. I did this for three reasons. First, it ensured their homework was done AT HOME (or at least on the bus on the way to school) and not at lunch, in T.A., in the hall before my class, etc. Secondly, I had my planning periods during the first block of the day. I was able to check their homework before they even got to my room. I could hand it back, already checked, and go over the skills for that day. Lastly, it sent a message to my students that I was serious about homework. Pencils - I NEVER lent out pencils to my students. I gave them about two weeks at the beginning of the school year to learn this before I really enforced it. My students were not required to carry textbooks for my class since we had enough for there to be a class set and a set for them to keep home all year. They only had to show up with their binder, pencil and calculator. If they came without a pencil, I would not give them one. They could ask a friend, or find one on the floor from the previous class. At first my students thought I was horrible for this. I explained to them that I wanted them to learn to think. They knew, that every.single.day they would be coming to my room at the exact same time. I wanted them to stop and think before they walked into my room to see if they had everything. After the first few weeks, it worked really well. I rarely had students who were unprepared. Non Disruptive Behavior - Addressing poor behavior in class is tough in middle school. If you are disrespectful to them or call them out in front of the class, they might bite back. They are more worried about saving face than listening to you. If a student was doing something that wasn't disruptive, I would make a note of it and email their parents without telling the student. This did two things - it let the student know that (1) I'm watching and (2) I'm not letting it go. At the end of class, I would say, "Three of you will be getting emails home today." And not tell them who it was. The following days, those three were pretty much spectacular. Disruptive Behavior - If the behavior causes a disruption, I would move them to a single desk that was directly next to mine and far removed from anyone else. This desk was actually pushed directly up on the wall where my projector screen was. Taking notes from this desk was VERY uncomfortable. Another reason students usually tried to stay out of it. Cell Phones - I was VERY good at taking cell phones. I would say I caught them a good 90% of the time. Our school policy was to take phones, write a referral and immediately give it to the grade level administrator. I followed this policy EVERY single time. No matter the student. No matter their reason. The teachers who would just tell the students to put the phones away or take them and give them back, were not sending a message. I told my students that they needed to understand that they were in my class to learn. Not check Facebook, not text their mom. To learn. Student accountability differs by grade. My 8th graders had all of the expectations as above. They were growing up and could handle all of my rules. They're the ones who needed the strongest rules anyway. My 6th grade intervention students were a little different. They had different needs and were only required to bring a pencil. Since they had no homework, their interactive notebooks simply stayed in my class. I would keep a box of golf pencils on my desk for my intervention students (all grades) to use if they forgot one. The KEY to Middle School Student accountability is to actually hold them accountable. You want to build relationships with your students and you want to have that mutual respect, but you have to give them a reason to respect you. Many teachers think it's "mean" to require the things I required of my students. But, it worked. My discipline problems were low, my student achievement was high. Whether they thrived on the structure or just finally gave up arguing over the pencils, it worked.
Create a word wall with these classroom expressions and commands for your ESL classroom! I know that getting my students to speak English aloud is a real challenge for me, especially when most of their classmates speak the same home language. I set up words and expressions around the classroom for them to refer to ... Read More about ESL Common Classroom Expressions
Hands-down the BEST PD I have ever taken was a 30-hour course on Positive Behavior Facilitation.
I so remember my first year as a new teacher! I wondered why I was even hired! (Did they not know that I didn't have a clue how to do ‘this teacher thing'?!) Yes, I had graduated with a degree, a teaching certificate, and had an idealistic philosophy of education (that had no basis in research […]
I’ve had many people ask me to share tips and tricks for first year teachers, but for this post I decided to take a different angle. Rather than tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing, I’d rather share some realness with you all! I want to share with you the five (there’s probably […]
Don't go back to school unprepared. Here's 17 of my blog posts that may help you as you plan whether it's the first day of school of your first year in the classroom or an even better year two, three, ten, twenty, or even thirty. Get information about my first lessons, decorating the classroom, establishing routines, building parent partnerships, and managing student behavior.
I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to buil…
Sure, all teachers learn and improve their practice each school year. That's especially true when a veteran teacher changes courses, grade levels, or school buildings. But that first year or two brings special challenges. I *thought* was prepared. I had all kinds of tangible and theoretical tools from my grad program; I'd had a good student teaching experience. But there are a few things that no mentor teacher, master's degree, or orientation told me. Let me save you the trouble of finding these out the hard way! 1. Don't blow your entire back-to-school budget BEFORE the first day. Even if you have taken others' advice and satisfied all of your own Pinterest-worthy-classroom dreams, you won't entirely know what you need until you're in the room, WITH your students, for at least one full week. Experience your new schedule fully, and THEN go finish shopping. I wasted money on an attendance book that was all wrong for my needs (and made this one instead), bought folders and files that weren't necessary, and got tools that didn't end up being relevant after all. Unless you're REALLY confident about your curriculum, procedures, and audience, allow yourself to buy a different clipboard or re-do that teacher binder a week later. 2. Don't over-promise, either literally or figuratively. Yes, you might be discussing a syllabus, setting rules/procedures, and trying to create a safe culture that first week. But while doing all of that, don't get too confident and make big statements promising things like... How fast they will get papers back* What your grading style & amount of feedback will be What the prize for something will be What units and lessons are happening (unless you truly know this) Routines that are time-consuming (ex: guaranteed minutes of reading time per day/week) Verbal promises aside, don't figuratively over-promise by creating expectations that will be hard to maintain, either, especially... Bulletin boards or displays that constantly need updating (or redone entirely) Extremely frequent changes to seating charts Playing a new video every day A "new books" shelf that begs to be restocked Look, I'm not saying that you CAN'T pull all this off. Far from it! But don't let the glow of New School Year Enthusiasm trap you into a promise that you won't want to maintain in January. (*And if you want HELP with that grading/feedback time, a lot of teachers like my grading helper forms!) 3. Don't lose your personality in favor of professionalism. Yes, fine, agreed - you don't want to be TOO soft, or try TOO hard to be their friend. But the kids are sizing you up on several levels, and they need help to not only figure you out, but know what kind of relationship they can have with you. Are you going to be someone who will recommend great books? Are you a teacher who also digs Star Wars? Are you the teacher they will go to when they need help? Find an appropriate way to show who you are, and not just what you teach. I often have a 3-slide PowerPoint of just photos to introduce myself on the first day, showing students things I did that summer, hobbies I have, or life milestones (especially my dog). It helps them get to know who I am as a person faster, just as I'm trying to figure THEM out! 4. Don't wait too long to start learning new things. Trust me, I get it. My back-to-school season involves a syllabus, community-building, pre-tests, and dealing with their summer reading assignment. BUT. If you wait too long to start tickling their brains with new learning, then students will decide that this class is boring, or maybe easier, than it actually will be. Then the acting-up or tuning-out might start sooner than you want. The same applies to teachers who talk too much the first few days (instead of incorporating student talking and/or movement). Combat this by using bell-ringers, the start of your first unit, or a really worthy project as soon as you can, even if it's concurrent with the more dry stuff. Resist the urge to dwell in the aroma of new crayons for TOO long. 5. Don't wait too long for the first confidence-booster. Notice that I did NOT say to give a prize, show a movie, or bribe them with candy early on. But students of all ages DO need to have hope that they can succeed in this class, that their efforts can result in good results, and that you are on their side. Maybe you'll choose to give a quiz that isn't too tough yet. Or make a group assessment. Or teach something firmly within their ZPD, with a method that's guaranteed to click. But whatever you do in the first weeks, try to ensure that your students choose to believe in themselves, in this class, and in you. The most important part... Finally, believe in yourself. You were hired for a reason, you are qualified to be here, and you CAN do this. Self-confidence is the best trick to NOT looking like a rookie, so stand firm in who you are and why you became a teacher. You have so much to offer! Good luck! :)
When typical classroom management does not work, what do you do? This year I had a particularity challenging class. I was desperate for a solution.
A lot of us teach in schools where the grading policy is set and there can be no changes to it. This was refreshing for me when I was a first-year teacher.
Read how phonics went from my most dreaded subject to my favorite thing to teach in first grade! Plus, get a peek into my weekly routine for phonics.
My first year of teaching was full of disruptive students in the beginning. That is, until I discovered this method to control my class!
The best "icebreaker" activity for high school students (who hate icebreaker activities). Get a jump start on creating a bond with your students.
Get ideas for teaching the six syllable types to your students, details about my Syllable Types Resource and a FREE syllable types activity to get you started!
I learned many valuable lessons during my first year of teachers. Here are my top 5 tips for new teachers.
There are days when your class will drive you crazy. It feels as though you will never make it out the other side again, but I am here to tell you that you will! So, when you are being driven a bit crazy, here are helpful reminders for regaining your sanity while keeping engagement high.
Research on Finnish instructional strategies in a United States classroom.
To help you avoid teaching mistakes as a novice teacher and start well, I’m sharing with you 5 things I wish I knew in my first year of teaching.
There's no magic wand for managing teenagers, but these game-changing tips are pretty close.
I’ve been pretty busy last week and this week preparing for the first day of school and setting up my classroom. I’ve actually NEVER had my own classroom so this is all new to me…
When I first started teaching, I remember trying so many different ideas all the time in my classroom. It was exhausting running a new small group scenario or differentiation strategy several times per week, and over my many years of teaching, I’ve come to master a handful of strategies that are ve
In this post, I explain the 8 jobs of silent e and offer you with a FREE Jobs of Silent e teaching poster for your classroom!
I recently posted some photos on Instagram of Orton Gillingham Phonics activities that I've been doing with my students. As a classroom teacher we've always used word families and reviewed vowel so
Learn to empowering students to become independent thinkers by talking less.
One of my favorite language arts lesson to do in teaching students about synonyms. Using the idea of a "synonym roll," every year my student...
Whether I’m starting a brand new school year, returning after winter break, or even just starting a new quarter, there’s always this itch in my gut that tells me to take a breather on those first few days together to regroup and reset our classroom culture and community. It’s vitally important to t
Check out the top icebreakers and ESL activities for first day of class that will get your students talking and getting to know each other.
Hey there, fellow English teacher! I want to share what my secondary English curriculum for the first six weeks of school looks like.
middle school chorus
Do you want to know the secondary classroom procedure I can't live without??
Beowulf is a challenging text: it's long, dense, and old. With these strategies, you can make this text relevant for all students!
Close reading in the first grade classroom can be a difficult skill to learn. Check out how I break it down for my little learners so they are successful!
Wow! What amazing feedback I’ve gotten after my last post, Creating CareerSmarts! Thank you to everyone for your kind comments and enthusiasm. I’m so glad that other school counselors (and other ed…
Podcasts in the classroom are so fun and engaging! Have you jumped on the podcast train yet?! I have a great system for using podcasts in the classroom...
How have warm-ups worked for you? Would you consider the time spent on them and the quality of work produced during them a success? I would try and try and try and just could not get
Close reading in the first grade classroom can be a difficult skill to learn. Check out how I break it down for my little learners so they are successful!
Hi all! The big day is Tuesday! That's my first day back with my little sweeties. I'm getting excited and nervous. Yeah, can you believe aft...
This past school year was my first one teaching first grade, and with that came a whole new set of standards that I had never taught before...
I didn’t waste the opening week of school introducing the course – my students solved murder mysteries. Here’s how I took simplified mysteries and turned them into a problem solving gam…
Wondering how to sequence grammar instruction? You'll want this list that scaffolds grammar lessons so that one skill builds upon the next.
Despite the joys of our profession (and there are so many!), there are also so many things which can drain our energies and motivations in the classroom. One
