Advice to 1st Year Teachers

Today, I was at Office Max.  I noticed the lady in front of me was buying a whole lot of folders and erasers among other things.

After pausing for a second, I asked her if she were a teacher.  She got a little glint in her eye and explained that she was.  In fact, it was her first year of teaching.

At that moment, a rush of emotion came over me.  So many things were running through my brain that I wanted to tell her and to give her advice about her first year of teaching.

I managed to get out what grade and school and a good luck before her transaction was over.  She left, and my mind was still whirring.

So I figured it was time to write this blog post that has been buzzing around in my mind for so long.  Now just a warning, compared with some of my other teacher friends, my first year of teaching was exceptionally harder than theirs was because of my location and my administration.  However, through it all, I did learn some valuable lessons.

To first year teachers:

1. 1st year of teaching is indeed the hardest because you are learning everything that goes into teaching and learning the curriculum and learning your students and learning everything they didn't teach you in college etc.

One of my friends described it as, "You are learning more than the kiddos."  For me, the saying that put it most into perspective was, "First year of teaching is like flying an airplane while still building it."

2. Find a teacher that you value and respect that you can bounce ideas with.  This could be a teacher at your school or outside of your school completely.  For me, this was a combination of my first grade team, my own fifth grade teacher, and a friend of mine from college.

3. Speaking of advisors, be wary of advisors assigned to you.  At least in my situation, my "mentor" was more interested in reporting to the principal than in mentoring and supporting me.

If your advisor is blowing you off, telling you to go against your convictions, or not finding time to support you, find someone else who is willing to help you.

4. Do not give into the pressure to do something that you believe is wrong.  For example, my former school told me I needed to be meaner and to yell at the kids in order for them to listen to me.  They told me to get in front of my mirror and practice my angry face.  Let's just say it never worked for me.

5. If you are at a school or in a situation where you are constantly bullied by your co-workers or your boss (ex: they use threats, derogatory comments about you, and point out all of your flaws without trying to find a solution), find a new job. Please!  Don't base your idea of teaching on that one school.  If you are called to be a teacher, don't give up on that dream.

Find a school that will support you and wants to see you grow.

6. Join you local chapter of NEA if you teach in public school.  They have representatives whose job is to support and advise you in a difficult situation.

If you are bullied or in a situation where a child gets hurt, they are there to help you.  Figure out early in the year who to call.  I didn't learn about this until February, but I certainly could have used it earlier.

7. Whole Brain teaching changed the way I managed my class.  Suddenly in January, I had a wonderful signal to get the children's attention.  I had them energized with the scoreboard, and they taught each other eagerly.  Here is a link to the book*.  I highly recommend it.

8. You learned some wonderful things in teaching school.  Use them, and don't be intimidated that no one else is.  Ultimately it is your class.  Yes, that might mean more work for you especially if you share lesson plans, but it is worth it.

9. With that in mind, remember you don't have to reinvent the wheel for everything.  Use resources already made, ideas that have already worked, and teachers pay teachers.

10. Share your ideas.  Maybe more teachers will start doing what you do.

11. Pinterest.  If you haven't discovered this, you really need to sign up today.

12. Show your students you love them.  One of my favorite things that I use is from the Responsive Classroom.  Every morning, I greet the children with a firm handshake.

Every afternoon, I ask them, "High-five, handshake, or a hug?"  They always left my classroom with a smile even if we had had a rough day.

Write them notes.  Eat lunch with them.  Ask them non-school related questions.  Show them through multiple ways that you love them.

13. Focus on the positive.

By December, I was worn out, and I was so hard on myself.  Then, I read an e-mail that said to write three positive things that happen everyday whether in the classroom or in your personal life.  I started doing just that.

Some days were hard to think of three positive things.  However, my friends told me they noticed a complete attitude change by doing this.  Now I look back at my notes of positivity and I think of my wonderful children.

14. Don't gossip.  It just hurts everyone involved.  If you must vent about something happening at school, find someone completely unrelated to school that you trust.  For me, it's my mom.

15. For me, prayer is so important.  Every morning my mom called me at 7:30, and we prayed together.  It was a good reminder that God is in control, and He would be right beside me all day long.

16. God put you in the situation you are in with the children He wanted you to have even if it was to impact just one person.  This was what one of my friends told me when I explained I didn't know why God had put me at that school.  It was a statement that made me pause and think.

17. Here's a fun one:  Wear pants on the first day of school.  You will be modeling everything from sitting, standing, sitting criss-cross applesauce to how to play a recess game.  And you can't exactly do that effectively if you are wearing your power suit.

18. Find something outside of teaching to look forward to.  This could be gathering with friends or something as simple as grocery shopping.  For me every Monday, my friends gathered for dinner, and then we walked to Bible study.

19. Stay organized.  It is hard.  I thought I was organized until I became a teacher.  Still working on that.

20. Incorporate your passions into teaching.  Last summer I read, Teach like a Pirate*, another book that I recommend.  The author talks about incorporating your passions as you teach.  To introduce fractions, I did a lesson about photography and how it uses fractions.  The children were so excited.

21. If the children are excited about learning and discovering things on their own, they are much better behaved.

22. Have fun!  You signed up to be a teacher because you did not want a 9-5 job answering phone calls.  You signed up to work with children who surprise you each and every day.  It's okay to smile and laugh in the classroom.  Make learning fun!

23. And remember 1st year of teaching is the hardest.  However, when the last day of school comes, you know you survived, and all the other years will be easier.  That is not saying that each year will be the same because you will constantly be learning and changing things every year.  But second year is so much better.

My first year of teaching was hard, but through it I learned God's plan is best.

I joke that it was the year of Never Will I Ever.  I said, "I will never teach in an urban school!"  God said, "Yes, you will."  I said, "I will never teach first grade!"  God said, "Yes, you will."  I said, "I will never teach in a Christian school."  God said, "Yes, you will."

I love the Christian school where I currently teach.  I get support from so many areas.  However, I would never have thought of applying there unless I had experienced all I had my first year.  Let God use you in unexpected ways.  You have an opportunity to share God's love with others.

Be sure to check out my blog post "Advice for 1st year Teachers Part 2" for even more advice.  

Do you have any advice for first year teachers that I missed?

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