What its like for new teachers?

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Permalink Reply by Briana Hernandez on April 5, 2011 at 6:20pm

First off congratulations on getting so far! I will be starting my student teaching in 3 semesters and would also like some insight as to what it there is to expect. Maybe some personal first day's would be nice. Granted not everyone is the same but I think it would be great to see what others insight is regarding the first day.

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Permalink Reply by David Dean on April 6, 2011 at 7:38pm

Here are some tips that are in absolutely no order whatsoever!!!  I guess these would fit under "pointers." 

 

 

Your classroom rules should be discussed day 1.  Dont just read your rules to your students, show them pictures of what your rules LOOK LIKE!!  Example, show them a picture of a student that is tardy, and a student that is not.  Show them how kids should sit in their desks when you are talking, and show them a picture of what they SHOULDN"T be doing.  I had a class of mine 4 years ago pose for me so I could take images just for my classroom rules discussions on the first day of school.  I still use those images today.  Make sure these rules are not just discussed the first day of school and forgotten, but also have them posted in your room. When a student breaks your rules, you can simply say "We discussed them as a class, I showed you what they looked like, and they are posted on my wall." 

 

Have trust in your non-verbal cues in class management.  If a student is disruptive or doing something you do not want, simply nod your head at them or touch them on the shoulder.  If you did a thorough enough job of explaining your class rules, your students will know what they SHOULD be doing when you give them that friendly shoulder tap.  This will allow you to continue teaching without stopping to correct behavior.  This may also help the student from being embarrassed.

 

In my experiences, students will do anything for a Jolly Rancher.    Keep a big bag in your drawer.  "For a Jolly Rancher, who knows the capital of Kentucky!"  I hate rewarding students for doing what they should do, but sometimes they need a small pick me up or incentive.

 

Every teacher should have a bottle of aspirin and a Tide 2 Go Stain Remover Stick in their drawer.  Tide 2 Go Sticks are awesome.  I even let my students use it for the ketchup on their shirts.

 

Keep two lesson plan books.  The first is full of the lessons you would normally plan the Summer before school starts.  The second is what you ACTUALLY DID that day.  Trust me, whatever you plan for a week or a certain day will never go as planned.  Be sure you jot down what you actually DID accomplish so when that student walks up and says "What did we do last Tuesday?"  You can pull up your notes about what you did. 

 

Having students sit in alphabetical order can make taking attendance super easy and quick, as well as , passing out papers easier.  You can even collect work based on the way they are sitting and when you are done grading, your papers are in alphabetical order and ready to be easily entered into the gradebook. 

 

Befriend your maintenance and janitorial departments.  If they like you, you are more likely to get that dry erase board cleaned each day and your carper vacuumed several times a month.  These are the only people in your school who are in multiple classrooms every day, talk to multiple teachers every day, they know what is going on nearly everywhere.  It is great to have them "on your side" so to speak.

 

Get involved!!  When you are a new and young teacher, you are almost expected to take a coaching job or become a club leader.  Many of your new fellow teachers have done this for years (and sometimes many years ago) and they almost expect it.  Whether that is fair or not, it is also a great way to get more and more experience with managing a group of children.  I have learned as much about classroom/student management through coaching as I have basic classroom teaching. 

 

Prepare to listen.  You will hear dozens of stories every single day about things you may not be interested in whatsoever.  Some students may come from a home life where nobody ever listens to them.  I have found out that simply listening to a kid and saying "Wow, that is awesome!"  can really make a kids day.  

 

Ok, I think I am rambling but I hope someone can build on my "pointers" and add their own. 

 

 

 

 

 

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