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.
25 Tips for New (and Not So New) Teachers 1 comment Back to School, Just for Teachers, new teacher, Tips and Tricks If you're a new teacher about to begin your first year of teaching, chances are you are mildly freaking out about the upcoming school year. No need for that teacher friends. This post has lots of tips to help you feel more at ease (and more prepared) as you begin your first year of teaching. This post contains an affiliate link for your shopping convenience. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link. And, if you're a not so new teacher, there may be a few reminders or tips that you could use as well! This post includes 25 tips broken down by category: Classroom Management, Teaching, Efficiency, and Stress Less (tips for not letting stress rule your life). Classroom Management Know your students. Get to know them. Talk to them. Joke with them. They know when a teacher isn't interested in them, and getting to know them as individuals is an easy way to show them that you care. While you're at it, let THEM get to know YOU! Make a book about yourself and add it to your classroom library, or show a PowerPoint. Or both! Click here to check out my "Meet Your Teacher" book and PowerPoint templates. Determine your classroom rules. Create a set of classroom rules (or expectations) and determine how you will follow through when they are/are not being followed. Understand how you will manage behavior. Decide how you will manage behavior. The Responsive Classroom model is a great place to start. Know how you will use positive reinforcement in the classroom. Choose a few specific ways in which you can positively recognize your students for their effort and choices. Whether it's reward tags, stickers, verbal praise, or a combination of all these things, pick what works for you. If you know you won't be able to keep up with something, then don't use it. Determine a hallway routine. Most likely your school will have some rules about how students are expected to move through the hallway (independently and as a whole group). Learn those expectations and teach them to your students. Then, develop a system that motivates students to follow those expectations. Choose a mystery walker each time you leave the room, create a line monitor job, use nonverbal cues to quiet a noisy line, use verbal praise to point out exemplary habits, or award class points. Choose strategies that will work for you. Manage those pencils. If you don't create a system for pencil use in your classroom, you will go bonkers. Create a system that details who is responsible for sharpening pencils, where to put dull pencils, how many pencils students may have at one time, and where pencils are to be stored when not in use. Create a working library. The point of having a classroom library is to give your students access to books, but if you don't have a system in place, you'll soon find that your library is more of a headache than anything else. Determine when kids can borrow books from your library, and where they will store those books if they are allowed to keep them for several days at a time. Use student numbers. One way to streamline student organization is to use student numbers. Yes, students are more than a number, but using a system like this isn't as impersonal as it sounds. Labeling mailboxes, sign out boards (see below), files, reward tags, and the like with student numbers is way to save YOU time. By labeling your mailboxes with numbers instead of names, you never need to create individual labels with specific student names at the start of the school year. Instead, you can just leave the numbers in place. Tip: Write your students' names and assigned numbers on their desk name plate so they never forget their assigned number. Manage restroom breaks. Kids love bathroom breaks, well, they also need them. So, you'll want to have procedures in place for restroom breaks. Maybe the idea of several whole group breaks throughout the day will work best for you, or maybe you're better off just letting kids use the restroom as needed. If your school requires hall passes, be sure to incorporate that into your procedures. At best, make sure you have some sort of sign out board so you know when your students are out of the room. Click here for the tutorial for making your own numbered sign out board. Create absent student folders. When students are absent, they miss out on lots of learning, classwork, and information. Use a special folder to collect all the materials a student misses out on while they are absent. This way important make up assignments and notes don't get lost while the student is out. Sending the work home in this folder is a visual reminder that the work needs to be completed and returned. Just attach a post it note to the work inside the folder with a due date, if desired. Click HERE to grab these free folder covers. If using a paper folder: print the covers on regular paper, trim off excess paper, glue to folder. Laminate the folder for durability. If using a plastic folder, print the cover on 8.5 x 11 labels (Avery makes them). Trim off excess, if desired. Attach to the folder. Click HERE to check out the Avery 8x5 x 11 labels. Teaching Implement Whole Body Listening. Set listening expectations from the get go. If your students don't know how to listen, they won't learn. Whole body listening is a way to teach your students to listen and not just hear. When you see students getting off track in the middle of a lesson, simply pause and say "Whole Body Listening" to redirect them. Post some visual reminders around the room for your visual learners. Chalkboard Superhero has a super cute poster set and it's free. :) You can grab these free whole body listening reward tags in my TPT store. Learn more about reward tags HERE. Find a few go to engagement strategies. Find some go to engagement strategies that will work for you. Ideally, you want strategies that you can use with any content area. This way, you can reuse the strategy with different content. The strategy will be familiar and it will go over with little issue. You can read more about engagement strategies HERE. Let your students talk. Build talk time into your lessons. Encourage them to share thoughts and opinions, have them share their observations/what they just learned, or task them with answering specific questions. Then, regroup and move on. This is a good way to break up the monotony of just sitting there while the teacher talks and talks (well, that's how it often feels to kids even if it's only been a few minutes). Kids do not have long attention spans and they need to interact with their peers. Just be sure you teach them how to partner talk in the first few weeks of school. Look at Your Students. When you're teaching, look at your students. Don't look above their heads at the back of the room. Scan the room. Let them know that you are present and you are noticing them. Plus, it's the best way to tell who is tuned in or tuned out. ;) Efficiency Organize ALL the things. This includes math manipulatives, leveled readers (that's what you'll find in the bins pictured below), reading materials, library books, task cards, art supplies, files, read alouds, and so on. Making sure that everything has a place (and everything is kept in its place) is the ultimate time saver. BUT, keep in mind that organization is an ongoing process. You will always be tweaking and refining your organization. You can read all about CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION here. Make daily to do lists. Prioritize your tasks and write them down. To do lists help keep you on track and ensure you don't forget to do what needs to be done. At the end of each day, write a quick to do list for the following day. Decide which tasks need to be done before school and which ones can be done at prep or after school. Use communication apps. In the digital age, newsletters are beginning to lose their effectiveness. Time is spent drafting a beautiful note, only to find that maybe 2 parents read them. So, if your school doesn't require you to send an actual newsletter, use a communication app like Dojo or Remind to communicate regularly with your parents. You can send last minute announcements, reminders, or message parents individually as needed. Streamline your sub plans. Find a sub plan template that you like and reuse it. Fill it in once and save it. Each time you are going to be absent, you can update pertinent info and specifics. This turns a tedious job into a fairly quick one (like 20-30 minutes tops). You can find these (and many more) templates in my TPT store. Click HERE for more teacher productivity tips. Stress Less You can't do it all. Nor should you try to. Sometimes we have this voice in our head that tells us we have to do more, we have to try ALL the things, or create over the top experiences for our students on a daily or even weekly basis. You don't. All your students need is a teacher who knows the content and practices good pedagogy with a kind heart. They will learn and they will love you. Do not compare yourself to others. In the words of wise mamas everywhere, "Worry about yourself." Life is too short to compare yourself to others. It isn't a helpful practice. Plus, it isn't healthy. You've made it this far because of your skills and determination, don't let them fail you now. Be confident. Learn from others. Chances are many of your colleagues have several years of experience. Instead of feeling envious of their skills or ideas, or comparing yourself to them, talk to them. Learn from them. Ask them for advice. Most teachers love to share ideas, don't be afraid to seek their help if you think it's going to help you be a better teacher. Find yourself a bestie. Teaching is an all consuming profession. You need someone to vent to, rely on, and laugh with. A close teacher friend can help you think things through, make decisions, give trusted advice, and support you in so many other ways. Take care of yourself. Teaching demands so much of us. As a result, life often gets pushed to the side. Make it a point to prioritize your own life, health, and happiness. You don't have to grade everything. Or comment on every single piece of student work for that matter. You don't even need to return every single piece of student work. So don't wear yourself out being a slave to grading all year long. Some days you will feel defeated. Some days you will leave school feeling like you failed. This happens to veteran teachers too. Step back and evaluate what went wrong and how you can do better the next day. Then, adjust your mindset. Remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day. You got this! To all my new teacher friends, you've got this. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. All the things you dream of doing as a teacher in your new classroom will evolve and fall into place over time. Don't expect to implement every new teacher tip you read in one day, week, or even month. Go in with all the knowledge you have and be patient as your awesomeness falls into place. Because I know it will. DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Share It:
What should a first-year teacher know? Here 15 mistakes to avoid making as a first-year teacher! (Personal mistakes i've made!)
Middle grade and young adult novels in verse have exploded in popularity in recent years. Books like Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, and Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins have been game-changers for many readers. Novels in verse are engaging and powerful, and they’re often the books that truly hook students on reading. Many verse novels do not shy away from the tough stuff, tackling topics like grief in Me (Moth), the death penalty in Moonrise, and addiction in What About Will. Young readers appreciate this and gravitate to these raw, emotional, books.
Are you a new teacher trying to figure out how you are going to thrive in the teaching profession? Or, are you a seasoned teacher who’s ready to make a change that helps you last, put yourself and your family FIRST, have balance, AND enjoy teaching more because of it? Today I'm sharing some of the
Some classroom hacks just make sense! These tips will make life easier in the classroom and help things run more smoothly!
This school year will be my 10th year teaching! Ten years blows my mind because I can still tell you the names of all the kids in the class I student taught. It’s strange realizing that you’re not the total newbie on campus anymore. Reflecting on my 9 years of teaching leaves me with some […]
Today we are sharing 7 bad habits that may be making you an ineffective teacher. Reflect on this list to see if you have fallen into any of these habits and consider what changes you can make to improve your teaching and classroom culture.
Looking to save time and effort in your digital classroom? This post has tons of hacks that are perfect for teachers looking to decrease the stress! Includes video tutorials
Are you a new teacher? You'll find this post, which is a collection of advice for new teachers from veteran teachers, very helpful! Click through to read!
If you are like me, I wanted to be a ROCKSTAR in my first years of teaching but got immediately overwhelmed. I wish I knew half of the teaching tips, advice, and strategies that I do now. I fumbled A LOT, yet learned from every trial and error. Through
Looking to go into next school year being the best teacher ever? This post is chock full of 10 practical, helpful tips to help you become the best teacher you can be!
This post contains affiliate links. That first year of teaching. The joys of getting your first "real job" offer! I can remember that phone call-my stomach twisted into knots! I got my first teaching job 5 days before school started. I was fresh out of college and desperate for a job. I had no clue what to expect as I had gotten my Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and my first teaching job would be teaching remedial math to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. I truly believe that with each passing year you get better if you continue to stay current with new teaching methods and adapt to your current classroom's needs. I am no superstar teacher that knows it all but I DO know what has worked for me. My hope is maybe some of these tips will help you be successful with your first year changing lives! 1. Do NOT take work home. I had a veteran teacher give me this advice my first year with a stern voice. She said, "It will all be there when you get here in the morning". I could count the number of times I have taken papers home to grade on both hands. I have coworkers that love taking home papers and grading in front of their favorite Netflix series, but that doesn't bring me joy. I truly believe that you cannot pour from an empty cup. I have watched teachers get so tired because they never "leave work at work". They are constantly stressed feeling as though they are never caught up. This can lead to teacher burn out and this is NOT what you or your students need. Sometimes it is necessary to bring home something and I get this. I'm only suggesting you do not make this a habit and do it every single night. Please don't think I'm bashing anyone who does take work home each night-remember this is what worked for me! Stay organized with your time management. Utilize your planning periods to the full extent! Do not go to your team teachers and gossip and waste precious minutes you could be using to grade that giant stack of papers. For me, I had to be honest with my coworkers that come planning time I meant business and to not bother me unless it was an emergency. You can always email me and I'll respond! Even five minutes here and there means another 10 papers graded. Remember that stack will be in the exact same spot when you open your classroom door. You could even stay after school and work for a little bit to get caught up. I find I am exhausted by the end of the day and I'm not as efficient. I would rather get to school early and hit the ground running because I've had a large cup or two of coffee! Try this instead of taking it home! 2. Use a Planner. Your life is going to get busy really quick with so many deadlines and dates to remember! I love a paper planner! Have you seen "The Happy Planner"? Amazon has Box Kits that includes the 12 month planner and coordinating stickers, sticky notes, pen, and a pocket folder! There are some really good ones at your big box retailers as well. First thing I do is sit down with our district calendar and write every single date for the entire year. Every time you get an email with a deadline write it immediately in your planner. Open your planner first thing in the morning while waiting for the computer to start. Refer to it throughout the day and always look ahead to the next day before leaving school. I have recently been moving towards strictly using Google Calendar. I'll admit I'm becoming slightly obsessed. My district uses Google as their email platform so I can sync multiple calendars. I can easily color-code my events. I can set reminders to repeat as needed. I never miss a deadline. I can access this calendar from anywhere without having to carry a paper planner around. Whatever method you use just remember to actually use it. In order for it to work you must use it! Plum Paper Planner 3. Don't worry if your classroom isn't "Pinterest-worthy". This should not be your main concern your first year(or ever!). You need to be sure you have some type of decorations that make you happy to be there as well as your students but you don't have to have it all your first year. Work on having designated areas for multiple trash cans, pencil sharpeners, and where students will turn in their work. Your classroom will evolve over time as will your style. I'll share this picture from my first classroom. I took anything I could that other teachers were getting rid of. I was so proud of that room and each year something changes with my decor that I thought I loved the previous year but am passing it on for next year. 4. Establish your Rules and Procedures on Day One. Ever heard of "Fake It 'till You Make It"? Try not to let your students see that you are nervous and/or have no clue what to expect your first year teaching. Students will feel it the moment you let that show. I never liked being told "don't smile until Christmas". I don't agree with this but I do feel that you must let students know how you will run your classroom with high expectations each day. You absolutely MUST have a classroom management strategy in place before school starts. You are going to have a classroom full of multiple children with all various parenting styles at home. How you set the tone with your expectations for your classroom each day is so important. This is important for your own sanity. You can walk up and down the hallways and see the teachers that do not have control over their classroom. It is pure chaos day in and out. This also can lead to teacher burn out. Remember we do not want to get burned out on what we love to do! My biggest tip for the new teachers at our school is to go through your Rules and Procedures on Day One. I have used this PowerPoint presentation since my first year. I do not read every single thing on each slide. This is to help guide me in what I show the students. I quickly scan through this presentation and remind students we will work on these as the specific situations arise. Remember to be consistent and follow through with your expectations and consequences. 5. Build Relationships. You are going to feel like you are alone in that everyone else knows what they are doing. They don't. Do not be afraid to ask questions! You have to reach out to those teachers around you. Get their cell phone number and add them on Facebook. If you are feeling lost or confused about something-ASK! Teachers are busy and you may have to be the one to go to them. Make friends with your coworkers! They are one of your greatest resources! You also need to work on building relationships with students(appropriately). This was one of my professional goals for the previous couple of years. I will be the first to admit I was terrible at this. I felt that I showed my students that I cared, but I wasn't doing my best. I vowed to stand at my door every single morning the entire time during homeroom, as well as every single class change and greet every single student by their name. My first couple of years I was nervous to hug my students. I was so young(22 years old when I started teaching) and it felt weird. I wanted my students to take me seriously as a teacher(some of my students were 16 years old), so I didn't want to get too personal. I think this changed after having two kids of my own. Remember, even your worst student is someone's baby. Stand at your door and say "Good Morning!" with a smile on your face. Do this even if you are having a stressful day. You are modeling so many things to your students and I want to model positivity! 6. Call Parents. Calling parents can be a frightening thing! Parents will be concerned that you are a new teacher and are not going to teach their child what they need to know. You have no credibility. Yet! Get on the phone and call parents. You will probably meet a lot at Open House which a great time to introduce yourself. The older the students get, the less phone calls that happen. You will recognize the students on day one that might be the unruly ones. Call those parents first. Get them on your team. Explain to them that you are so excited about the opportunity to teach their child and that you can't wait to see what the year holds. This initial contact is SO important! It needs to be very positive! Parents talk to other parents. You want a positive message to be attached with your name. Talking on the phone is the way to go! Be sure that parents know you are there for them and can be reached when needed. This will be a game-changer for your classroom management. If you wait until that unruly student has driven you off the edge to make the first contact you will have more difficulty with getting their parents to be on your side. Trust me-you want parents on your side. What is your best tip? Leave a comment below with your favorite tip for First Year Teachers! I hope you have a FABULOUS first year! I promise you will survive and you will get better every year! I cannot wait to hear all about it and remember that you are changing the world one student at a time! If you have any questions or need help with something please don't hesitate to ask! [email protected]
Are you ready to save time in the classroom this year? Read on to find 10 great articles for productivity hacks for teachers to work smarter in the classroom. Teachers have such an important role each and every day. You're a legend! But the problem is, the job is such a mammoth task you can
Too Tired to Teach? It happens to the best of us. We all have those days where we stay up too late grading papers, planning fun lessons for the next day, organizing materials for science experiments (or binge watching your favorite show on Netflix). Then you pay for it the next day when you have […]
New Grad teacher, here is 10 tips to help you have the best first year of teaching ever! These are practical ideas aka the things you don't learn at uni
As a new teacher, you try your hardest to learn all of the new procedures and cultural norms of your school, but many times it can be hard but what if all of the veteran teachers poured their knowledge into you? Well, we’ve compiled the best advice from veteran teachers and here you go. Don’t […]
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Congratulations! You've landed your first teaching job. This is such an exciting time, and you should celebrate this occasion. However, if you are anything
Inside: A seasoned classroom teacher reveals her secrets to work smarter as a teacher and what to do to be more productive in the classroom. Tip No. 1 will surprise you! Do you ever ask yourself how you can work smarter as a teacher? I ask myself this question all the time. In the years
This list of 12 clever teacher hacks will save you time, headaches, & make your teaching life a bit more efficient.
I learned a ton of lessons my first year of teaching. If you are a first year teacher, this is a must read blog post! Prevent teacher burnout!
As a first year teacher or a teacher starting in a new class, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. These first year teacher tips will help!
Jessica shares her tips for how you can make the everyday practice of teaching - grading, planning, organizing, more efficient teacher & much less overwhelming.
We gathered our top articles of new teacher advice to create this ultimate guide. Each section provides real-world advice from REAL teachers. They've faced the same challenges you may be facing and have included their tips and tricks to make your life as a new teacher a little easier.
It's about time that we're all either back at school already, or we're certainly counting down the last few days until we are! I have been trying to look and
Looking to go into next school year being the best teacher ever? This post is chock full of 10 practical, helpful tips to help you become the best teacher you can be!
Learn how to be more organised as a teacher and plan for the new term with these 5 easy organisation tips. Are you already worried about how busy the new term will be? Do you need some tips how to be more organized as a teacher? As you know, the teacher-life is hectic and it
Do you feel stressed, overworked, and tired? These 8 successful teacher habits are easy to implement and will help your year run smoothly.
Teachers are humans. They are not infallible. They make mistakes. Even the best teachers. And they learn from their mistakes and become better educators. So before I share the mistakes that I think many teachers make, I want to preface by saying that teaching is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. I have
25 Tips for New (and Not So New) Teachers 1 comment Back to School, Just for Teachers, new teacher, Tips and Tricks If you're a new teacher about to begin your first year of teaching, chances are you are mildly freaking out about the upcoming school year. No need for that teacher friends. This post has lots of tips to help you feel more at ease (and more prepared) as you begin your first year of teaching. This post contains an affiliate link for your shopping convenience. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link. And, if you're a not so new teacher, there may be a few reminders or tips that you could use as well! This post includes 25 tips broken down by category: Classroom Management, Teaching, Efficiency, and Stress Less (tips for not letting stress rule your life). Classroom Management Know your students. Get to know them. Talk to them. Joke with them. They know when a teacher isn't interested in them, and getting to know them as individuals is an easy way to show them that you care. While you're at it, let THEM get to know YOU! Make a book about yourself and add it to your classroom library, or show a PowerPoint. Or both! Click here to check out my "Meet Your Teacher" book and PowerPoint templates. Determine your classroom rules. Create a set of classroom rules (or expectations) and determine how you will follow through when they are/are not being followed. Understand how you will manage behavior. Decide how you will manage behavior. The Responsive Classroom model is a great place to start. Know how you will use positive reinforcement in the classroom. Choose a few specific ways in which you can positively recognize your students for their effort and choices. Whether it's reward tags, stickers, verbal praise, or a combination of all these things, pick what works for you. If you know you won't be able to keep up with something, then don't use it. Determine a hallway routine. Most likely your school will have some rules about how students are expected to move through the hallway (independently and as a whole group). Learn those expectations and teach them to your students. Then, develop a system that motivates students to follow those expectations. Choose a mystery walker each time you leave the room, create a line monitor job, use nonverbal cues to quiet a noisy line, use verbal praise to point out exemplary habits, or award class points. Choose strategies that will work for you. Manage those pencils. If you don't create a system for pencil use in your classroom, you will go bonkers. Create a system that details who is responsible for sharpening pencils, where to put dull pencils, how many pencils students may have at one time, and where pencils are to be stored when not in use. Create a working library. The point of having a classroom library is to give your students access to books, but if you don't have a system in place, you'll soon find that your library is more of a headache than anything else. Determine when kids can borrow books from your library, and where they will store those books if they are allowed to keep them for several days at a time. Use student numbers. One way to streamline student organization is to use student numbers. Yes, students are more than a number, but using a system like this isn't as impersonal as it sounds. Labeling mailboxes, sign out boards (see below), files, reward tags, and the like with student numbers is way to save YOU time. By labeling your mailboxes with numbers instead of names, you never need to create individual labels with specific student names at the start of the school year. Instead, you can just leave the numbers in place. Tip: Write your students' names and assigned numbers on their desk name plate so they never forget their assigned number. Manage restroom breaks. Kids love bathroom breaks, well, they also need them. So, you'll want to have procedures in place for restroom breaks. Maybe the idea of several whole group breaks throughout the day will work best for you, or maybe you're better off just letting kids use the restroom as needed. If your school requires hall passes, be sure to incorporate that into your procedures. At best, make sure you have some sort of sign out board so you know when your students are out of the room. Click here for the tutorial for making your own numbered sign out board. Create absent student folders. When students are absent, they miss out on lots of learning, classwork, and information. Use a special folder to collect all the materials a student misses out on while they are absent. This way important make up assignments and notes don't get lost while the student is out. Sending the work home in this folder is a visual reminder that the work needs to be completed and returned. Just attach a post it note to the work inside the folder with a due date, if desired. Click HERE to grab these free folder covers. If using a paper folder: print the covers on regular paper, trim off excess paper, glue to folder. Laminate the folder for durability. If using a plastic folder, print the cover on 8.5 x 11 labels (Avery makes them). Trim off excess, if desired. Attach to the folder. Click HERE to check out the Avery 8x5 x 11 labels. Teaching Implement Whole Body Listening. Set listening expectations from the get go. If your students don't know how to listen, they won't learn. Whole body listening is a way to teach your students to listen and not just hear. When you see students getting off track in the middle of a lesson, simply pause and say "Whole Body Listening" to redirect them. Post some visual reminders around the room for your visual learners. Chalkboard Superhero has a super cute poster set and it's free. :) You can grab these free whole body listening reward tags in my TPT store. Learn more about reward tags HERE. Find a few go to engagement strategies. Find some go to engagement strategies that will work for you. Ideally, you want strategies that you can use with any content area. This way, you can reuse the strategy with different content. The strategy will be familiar and it will go over with little issue. You can read more about engagement strategies HERE. Let your students talk. Build talk time into your lessons. Encourage them to share thoughts and opinions, have them share their observations/what they just learned, or task them with answering specific questions. Then, regroup and move on. This is a good way to break up the monotony of just sitting there while the teacher talks and talks (well, that's how it often feels to kids even if it's only been a few minutes). Kids do not have long attention spans and they need to interact with their peers. Just be sure you teach them how to partner talk in the first few weeks of school. Look at Your Students. When you're teaching, look at your students. Don't look above their heads at the back of the room. Scan the room. Let them know that you are present and you are noticing them. Plus, it's the best way to tell who is tuned in or tuned out. ;) Efficiency Organize ALL the things. This includes math manipulatives, leveled readers (that's what you'll find in the bins pictured below), reading materials, library books, task cards, art supplies, files, read alouds, and so on. Making sure that everything has a place (and everything is kept in its place) is the ultimate time saver. BUT, keep in mind that organization is an ongoing process. You will always be tweaking and refining your organization. You can read all about CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION here. Make daily to do lists. Prioritize your tasks and write them down. To do lists help keep you on track and ensure you don't forget to do what needs to be done. At the end of each day, write a quick to do list for the following day. Decide which tasks need to be done before school and which ones can be done at prep or after school. Use communication apps. In the digital age, newsletters are beginning to lose their effectiveness. Time is spent drafting a beautiful note, only to find that maybe 2 parents read them. So, if your school doesn't require you to send an actual newsletter, use a communication app like Dojo or Remind to communicate regularly with your parents. You can send last minute announcements, reminders, or message parents individually as needed. Streamline your sub plans. Find a sub plan template that you like and reuse it. Fill it in once and save it. Each time you are going to be absent, you can update pertinent info and specifics. This turns a tedious job into a fairly quick one (like 20-30 minutes tops). You can find these (and many more) templates in my TPT store. Click HERE for more teacher productivity tips. Stress Less You can't do it all. Nor should you try to. Sometimes we have this voice in our head that tells us we have to do more, we have to try ALL the things, or create over the top experiences for our students on a daily or even weekly basis. You don't. All your students need is a teacher who knows the content and practices good pedagogy with a kind heart. They will learn and they will love you. Do not compare yourself to others. In the words of wise mamas everywhere, "Worry about yourself." Life is too short to compare yourself to others. It isn't a helpful practice. Plus, it isn't healthy. You've made it this far because of your skills and determination, don't let them fail you now. Be confident. Learn from others. Chances are many of your colleagues have several years of experience. Instead of feeling envious of their skills or ideas, or comparing yourself to them, talk to them. Learn from them. Ask them for advice. Most teachers love to share ideas, don't be afraid to seek their help if you think it's going to help you be a better teacher. Find yourself a bestie. Teaching is an all consuming profession. You need someone to vent to, rely on, and laugh with. A close teacher friend can help you think things through, make decisions, give trusted advice, and support you in so many other ways. Take care of yourself. Teaching demands so much of us. As a result, life often gets pushed to the side. Make it a point to prioritize your own life, health, and happiness. You don't have to grade everything. Or comment on every single piece of student work for that matter. You don't even need to return every single piece of student work. So don't wear yourself out being a slave to grading all year long. Some days you will feel defeated. Some days you will leave school feeling like you failed. This happens to veteran teachers too. Step back and evaluate what went wrong and how you can do better the next day. Then, adjust your mindset. Remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day. You got this! To all my new teacher friends, you've got this. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. All the things you dream of doing as a teacher in your new classroom will evolve and fall into place over time. Don't expect to implement every new teacher tip you read in one day, week, or even month. Go in with all the knowledge you have and be patient as your awesomeness falls into place. Because I know it will. DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Share It:
It’s hard for me to believe it, but I’m about to start up my twelfth year of teaching. A lot of new teachers have messaged me on IG asking for some advice. When I sit down to reflect on my previous years, there is so much that I wish I had known when I first started. 1. ... Read More about First Year Teacher Advice
Have you ever had one of those days/weeks/months where you just feel like you are not the teacher you always dreamed you'd be? Maybe you just had an evaluation and received less than desired scores? Maybe your students just took benchmarks and didn't make the growth you hoped for or expected and feel like its your fault? Maybe there's been a big change in your personal life and you aren't giving as much time or energy to teaching like you used to? Maybe your class is full of wild children, who despite being great one on one and your usually awesome classroom management....are a total hot mess when under the same roof? If any of these situations are ringing some bells, first, I want you to stop and think about these next few words carefully. I have so been there...in EVERY one of those situations at some point in my career. Whether you are a first year teacher struggling to live out your dream job, or a veteran teacher who just can't get into the swing of things one day (or lots of days), know you are not alone. Teachers with all different years of experience and expertise have times when they feel this way. In fact, if you were to poll your staff, I'd bet at least a few hands would go up at every meeting. Maybe there's a team mate you are close with and could confide in? Chances are, they would open up with you too. It's nice having someone to talk to who understands. If you don't feel comfortable talking to someone at school (and your family may just not get it), I have also found that there are some Facebook groups online dedicated to teachers. Try searching your grade level or specialty area to see what shows up and request joining. I promise, it's not creepy to ask to join- that's why they are there! Being able to relate to so many people helps to make the process not feel so lonely and overwhelming. Plus, you may find that you are even able to offer up advice from your own experiences. Okay, so wanting to go home and cry everyday, or feeling so frustrated you want to quit really doesn't feel like a good thing or normal, believe me, I know! But if you can try to get to the root of the feelings, it may be helpful in the end and a good thing overall. The feeling that you can and should do more for your students is one that every teacher feels. The fact that our teacher brains never turn off is often just part of the job. Our love for our students, our hopes for their success, and the pressure put on us is unmeasurable, especially for those not in the classroom trenches with us. The fact that you are brought to tears over how much you want to do better, is often a sign of your commitment to the job and your students. You belong there. This is what you were meant to do. Whenever I have a teaching breakdown I try to learn from it. Sometimes all I need is a little fix like to take better care of myself so I am not so tired/hungry/cranky the next day and life magically feels a whole lot better. Sometimes venting to someone really helps. Other times, I need a much bigger fix. If you are feeling like you just can't get into the routine of things, ask your instructional coach to come spend some time in your classroom or to model a lesson. Ask your administration if you could go observe another teacher who seems to be excelling in a particular area. NOTE, when you do this, try not to get in your own feelings. Asking for help does not mean you CAN'T do it yourself, it just means you might find a different way of trying that could help. I'll be honest, asking for help is not my specialty. I pride myself on being the one people go to, but I ALWAYS get something good out of it when I do "cave" and ask. It's worth a try. Plus, when you request the help it looks better than it being forced on you, in my opinion anyways. (And if it is forced on you, see what you can learn from it and try to have faith that someone in your school sees your potential and wants to help you learn). My usual answer to any problem or question I am having is "Google it!" For real though, google it! Search for tips online, products that may help, or blog posts from teachers who get it. Their advice could set you on the right track and help you make a plan. Maybe you just need to set aside extra time to critically look at your data and reflect on it. Have faith that you have the skills to analyze the situation and make improvements when you dig deep and be honest with yourself. What does it show you? How could you implement a few skill groups or small groups to reach those kids? Is reworking your schedule or routines (even mid year) going to help? Could you partner with another teacher for some lessons? Sometimes, you just get to the point where you know what's happening.... just isn't going to work for you anymore. You have talked to others, you've made changes, you've reflected....and it's still not working. When I got to this point (after a year plus of feeling awful), I decided to leave my school and change counties. My change was a drastic one but I knew it was right for me. It may or may not be right for you, either way you have to remember that your own well being is important and it's ok to follow your heart. All of the feelings of betraying my staff and former students flooded me with teacher guilt, the worst kind, but I had to get over them. Is the grass always greener somewhere else? Nope! But thankfully for me, the change is exactly what I needed. I had learned from my past experiences about what exactly I needed in a new school, specifically an admin that would be in the classrooms and was knowledgeable about curriculum, a supportive team with a family feel throughout the school, and opportunities to grow as an educator. Now, I am NOT saying that when you have a bad day or even a few weeks, you should uproot everything and move. Like I said, teaching certainly isn't going to always be easier or better somewhere else. The job is hard! Even at my new school I still have breakdowns, but at least now I have a supportive administration and incredible team to help me get through the tough times. In fact, last year was my most challenging class yet and I constantly questioned things. However, I vented, reflected, asked for help, and made small changes to help get through the year. So what kind of change could you make? Maybe the small changes to your classroom routines, venting to other teachers who understand, asking for help, and/or getting some Professional Development are exactly what you need to get back on track! Perfect! This is the ideal situation. But if you are looking for a bigger change (and want to stay in the profession), Maybe job sharing is an option if you are just really called to spend more time elsewhere? Maybe try switching grade levels but staying at the same school? Maybe try switching schools? Maybe trying moving somewhere else? Maybe try going back to school to add certifications like Special Ed, Reading Specialist, or something else if that's where you are lead? However you decide to move forward, most importantly, I want you to know that you are not alone! EVERY teacher has felt less than perfect at some point in their career. Hang in there and know your commitment to your students is making a difference. If I can do anything to help, I would love to be here to support you! Leave a comment or email me at [email protected] if you just need a listening ear. Pin for later:
These 25 quick and easy tips for new teachers will help you create a positive, engaging, and effective learning environment for your students.
It’s hard for me to believe it, but I’m about to start up my twelfth year of teaching. A lot of new teachers have messaged me on IG asking for some advice. When I sit down to reflect on my previous years, there is so much that I wish I had known when I first started. 1. ... Read More about First Year Teacher Advice
Inside: Read to find out some easy and practical tips to increase teacher productivity and help work through the list of to-dos more efficiently. Do you feel like you need to increase your productivity as a teacher? Many teachers often feel overwhelmed with the huge workload they face each and every day. All these to-dos
Hellooo future teacher! Congrats to you on completing your student teaching and degree! You are about to begin one of the best and most rewarding careers (at least in my opinion!) I know you have completed a tough several years and are eager to get your own classroom! I know, because I was in your shoes about five years ago.... As soon as I graduated, I started applying for jobs online. I would fill out the application on the school's website and wait to hear back from the school. I soon became discouraged because I didn't get a single response for even an interview. Luckily, I was offered an assistantship to get my Master's Degree and was able to put the job search off for another year. I was so blessed to get the opportunity for so many reasons! I was extremely fortunate because my assistantship gave me the opportunity to connect with some amazing teachers, professors, and future teachers who showed me that I was applying for jobs all wrong! I'm going to share my biggest mistakes as I applied for jobs and give you some tips to stand out in your interview process! *Please note, I'm sharing what worked for me in my job search. 1. Of course you need to... Be sure to do the obvious...create a resume, write a basic cover letter that you can easily tweak as you apply to schools, type up your references with all of their info in one place, get your letters of recommendations together. If you don't have letters of recommendation-be sure to ask for them now! Don't forget to get permission from your references to use them too! Spend the extra money and buy some resume paper! Print your resume, references, and cover letters on this paper! I know it can get expensive but it's worth it! 2. Set yourself apart and get the interview! When I applied for jobs, my first mistake was just applying online and waiting around! I look back and I realize what a silly mistake that was! In order to even get an interview, administrators want to see that you are dedicated and willing to go that extra mile! If the expectation is to fill out the online application, then you need to do that and go above and beyond! Email the administrators directly to reiterate your interest, go in to the school and personally drop off your resume, send brochures or something extra with your resume (see below)and let administrators get to know you! Check out the brochure I created below! Sorry I wasn't able to make this an editable template. Don't worry though, you can find a template in Microsoft Word that you can edit. Some things I included on my brochure were: photos of me teaching, why I became a teacher, career experience, relevant skills and training, my contact information, the degrees and certificates I obtained, and references. Don't worry, you're not being pushy, you're setting yourself apart from everyone who is just applying! The point is, you need to do more than just fill out the application to make yourself stand out! Be unique and show your personality! 3. Once you've got your interview, time to get ready! When I started applying for jobs I was told by several people to not even bother putting together a portfolio. I was told that administrators don't even bother looking at them. Um.... wrong! Of course the people you are interviewing with won't take the time to sit there and look at every page in your portfolio. It's up to you to put meaningful items in your teaching portfolio that you can easily talk about. Don't just try to fill pages in your portfolio. Include items that administrators want to see. Do your research and look up commonly asked interview questions for the grade level or area that you specialize in. As an intervention specialist, I knew I would be asked about writing IEPs. I made sure to include an IEP I had written in my portfolio. (If you plan to do this too, be sure to delete or hide ALL confidential information. That includes: school districts, names, addresses, and more.) I can tell you that at every interview, I was almost always asked about these topics: classroom management, lesson planning, professional development, and communication with parents. Since these topics are so important to teaching and so commonly asked about, I made sure to include information about each one in my portfolio! As your interviewers ask you about these topics, open up your portfolio to these pages! It is a great visual for administrators and it makes it easier for you to discuss each topic. Not to mention, it shows you are prepared, creative, and willing to put in the extra work! For example, if you are asked, "what does a typical lesson look like?" You can show the administrator a typed out lesson plan (complete with objectives, assessments, and all that good stuff!) along with photos and student work samples. Even if you're not in a teaching position, be sure to start collecting these things now from your student teaching! If you are looking for some ideas of things to include in a portfolio, some options are: copies of your resume, copies of your references, letters of recommendation, communication with parents, lesson plans, student work samples, classroom management information, a sample IEP, professional development certificates, Praxis or testing scores, college transcripts, evaluations and observations, resources you have created, a copy of you teaching license, a disc or QR Code with a link to a video of you teaching a lesson. One thing I have commonly notified in many teaching portfolios is a nicely typed out paper on the individuals' educational philosophy. Although this is great information, I can tell you that your interviewer will not likely sit there and read your entire paper. It's best just to know this information and work it in to your talking points as you interview. I would recommend saving this space for something else. Obviously, what you put in your portfolio will change depending on your specialty. Be sure to do your research and carefully select what you put in your portfolio! 4. Organize that portfolio! Now that you have selected what will go in your portfolio, make it look nice! Invest in a big binder to put everything in and get some tabs to separate out each section. Don't forget to get some page protectors for each page (I might be slightly addicted to page protectors.) Be sure to give it a nice cover page and add a table of contents. I created mine using Microsoft Word! Don't worry I've included a few different options for the cover page and what I used for my table of contents for free! Click the images to grab some of my favorite necessities! When I made my portfolio, I started with the table of contents. I numbered all of the sections on one page so I could easily find everything. I purchased binder tabs with numbers so I could place each section behind the numbered tabs. Grab this as a freebie at the end of the blog post Check out some examples of what I included in my portfolio. Please note, some things are blacked out to keep students' identities private. I did obtain parental permission to include students photos in my portfolio. You may want to send a letter home to the parents of your students to get this permission as well. Bonus: you can use this letter under your "communication with parents" tab in your portfolio. :) Get the letter for free at the end of this post! Please keep in mind I did not place my copyright on the letter because I thought it would be too intrusive. Even though it is not there, please respect my work and terms of use. :) Grab this letter as a freebie at the end of the blog post Below are some pages I included in my teaching portfolio. Hope they can give you some inspiration! Whatever you do, make it yours! I like to create things digitally so that's how mine turned out. Looking back, it's not the most beautifully done but it showed employers that I can create things digitally and am (somewhat) tech savvy. Maybe you're a big scrapbooker? Make your portfolio "scrapbookie"... I know that's not a word but you get my point! Make it unique and reflective of your personality! Contact cards. I gave these out or my interviewers could take them from my portfolio. Sample lesson plan Photos from a lesson A student work sample. Don't forget to add a cover! I tried to keep mine simple but still show my personality. I added my name, number, and email to the cover. I also added my favorite quote about teaching. Below you can use my editable template or create your own and just use mine as inspiration! Grab this as a freebie at the end of the blog post 5. Don't forget to follow up... After you have had your interview, be sure to follow up within 24 hours. Don't let them forget about you! Some people suggest an email others suggest a handwritten thank you card. I suggest doing both! Neither has to be too long. Just be sure to reiterate your interest in the teaching position and mention something specific that you talked about while you interviewed. You can do it! Well I hope these resources and the information will help you in your job search. If I can leave you with one more piece of advice... Don't get discouraged if you don't get an interview, job offer, or exactly what you are looking for right away! Just keep trying and continue to better yourself as a teacher! I can tell you from personal experience that it is not easy but all of your hard work will pay off. Soon you will be doing what you love! Ready to get started? Sign up below to get all of these FREEBIES sent to you. First name Email address Send it to me! Yay! Please allow about five minutes for this freebie to arrive. Feel free to leave me any questions in the comments! Best of luck! 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