For the First Year Teachers
I can’t believe I am a teacher, let alone that I’ve already made it through my first year of teaching! It was an eye opening year for sure!
This was me on the first day of the school year. I was scared. I was unprepared. I worried if I would be able to touch the lives of these kids in the way I wanted to. I wondered if I was prepared for successful classroom management and if I could teach the curriculum. I was scared but I was ready to get my career started!
This is me and my homeroom class on Fun and Field Day, the second to last day of the school year. Boy oh boy, did I learn a lot. On this day, I felt so sad to be passing these kids on to 5th grade. I knew that we had made unbreakable connections and there was growth made in many different aspects.
So first year teachers, I’m about to share some of the most important things I learned this year!
1. USE YOUR PLANNING TIME FOR PLANNING!
This is a big one for me. My first few weeks/months of school, I was in my classroom til at least 5, a lot of nights later, planning for the days and week ahead. I always used my planning time, but sometimes I often just used it to mentally prepare for the day and get my things organized (my “special” or “pull out” is first thing in the morning), But I’m here to tell you, when I designated a day, early in the week, to plan for the following week, and then used the rest of my planning periods that week to run of copies and prepare the necessary materials, I was much more efficient and got to get home at a normal hour!!
2. Lean on your team
Whether you are departmentalized or not, lean on the people who teach the same grade level/subject that you do. I’m pretty independent and didn’t want to feel like I wasn’t pulling my weight, but my planning partner really got me through those first few weeks, and many other weeks throughout the year. When you are comfortable with the curriculum and feel like you have your feet on the ground, start offering to help plan/make copies! I promise, no one will be upset with you. They’ve all been there!
3. Make connections with your kids, but always follow through!
I had the absolute pleasure of teaching some wonderful kids this year. A lot of them, I knew from the community and from growing up with people in their family. At first, we all had this sort of relationship where I wanted them to like me, but I also wasn’t gonna let them walk all over me. I felt really in control of my classroom management. But there were those few kids, who I never wanted to be in trouble, that tested me day in and day out. Some days I followed through, and some days I didn’t. But I know that had I stopped it in the beginning of the year, and followed through every single time, we wouldn’t have ever had a “struggle”, and they would have still known that I loved them and didn’t want them to be in trouble.
4. Leave school at school
This goes back to using your time wisely. Especially if you have kids, do everything in your power to get your work done at work, and let your home time be spent with your family or friends. I’m not saying you won’t go to bed worrying about what the next day might bring, but you have to try your hardest to not let yourself drown in the work!
5. Survival is KEY
Alright, last but not least, just SURVIVE. Don’t let this year be the judge of if you made the wrong career choice. My sister in law, Tracy, told me from the get go, you’re first year is pure survival and hopefully you have a good team to carry you through! Lucky for me, I did! And, I survived! Summer has arrived and I feel so excited to start the next year running, much more prepared, I might add!
So first year guys and gals, I hope you found this helpful and I hope you take it to heart!
May you survive your first year and be ready to go back for more!
Thanks for reading,
Ally
This is me and my homeroom class on Fun and Field Day, the second to last day of the school year. Boy oh boy, did I learn a lot. On this day, I felt so sad to be passing these kids on to 5th grade. I knew that we had made unbreakable connections and there was growth made in many different aspects.
So first year teachers, I’m about to share some of the most important things I learned this year!
1. USE YOUR PLANNING TIME FOR PLANNING!
This is a big one for me. My first few weeks/months of school, I was in my classroom til at least 5, a lot of nights later, planning for the days and week ahead. I always used my planning time, but sometimes I often just used it to mentally prepare for the day and get my things organized (my “special” or “pull out” is first thing in the morning), But I’m here to tell you, when I designated a day, early in the week, to plan for the following week, and then used the rest of my planning periods that week to run of copies and prepare the necessary materials, I was much more efficient and got to get home at a normal hour!!
2. Lean on your team
Whether you are departmentalized or not, lean on the people who teach the same grade level/subject that you do. I’m pretty independent and didn’t want to feel like I wasn’t pulling my weight, but my planning partner really got me through those first few weeks, and many other weeks throughout the year. When you are comfortable with the curriculum and feel like you have your feet on the ground, start offering to help plan/make copies! I promise, no one will be upset with you. They’ve all been there!
3. Make connections with your kids, but always follow through!
I had the absolute pleasure of teaching some wonderful kids this year. A lot of them, I knew from the community and from growing up with people in their family. At first, we all had this sort of relationship where I wanted them to like me, but I also wasn’t gonna let them walk all over me. I felt really in control of my classroom management. But there were those few kids, who I never wanted to be in trouble, that tested me day in and day out. Some days I followed through, and some days I didn’t. But I know that had I stopped it in the beginning of the year, and followed through every single time, we wouldn’t have ever had a “struggle”, and they would have still known that I loved them and didn’t want them to be in trouble.
4. Leave school at school
This goes back to using your time wisely. Especially if you have kids, do everything in your power to get your work done at work, and let your home time be spent with your family or friends. I’m not saying you won’t go to bed worrying about what the next day might bring, but you have to try your hardest to not let yourself drown in the work!
5. Survival is KEY
Alright, last but not least, just SURVIVE. Don’t let this year be the judge of if you made the wrong career choice. My sister in law, Tracy, told me from the get go, you’re first year is pure survival and hopefully you have a good team to carry you through! Lucky for me, I did! And, I survived! Summer has arrived and I feel so excited to start the next year running, much more prepared, I might add!
So first year guys and gals, I hope you found this helpful and I hope you take it to heart!
May you survive your first year and be ready to go back for more!
Thanks for reading,
Ally
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