The Bottom Line: Please do not question your career choices in your first year! Just make it through and then think about it!
Just remember - IT WILL GET BETTER!
Source: Teacher Pay Teachers
Things that are totally NORMAL to experience your first year:
* Not having a clue on what to do
* Having kids act crazy in your room * Staying up in school till 8-9pm working on lessons plans * Walking out of the classroom crying in the middle of the day * Crying after a school day * Yelling at kids cause you are at you wits end * Being absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of work * Getting cussed out by a parent (not just for new teachers sadly) * Repeating directions over and over (not just for new teachers) * Having half the class or more fail a test after you thought you taught it well * Being looked down upon by some veteran teachers |
* Having a child say thank you for something you did
* Receiving notes, drawings, letters from students * Receiving a hug from a kid * Having a parent express their gratitude and admiration for your work with their child * Succeeding in something you set out to do * Teaching a lesson and having students actually learn * Receiving support from another person * Having students enjoy an activity you come up with * Making a difference in the life of a child * Being the only positive person in the child's live * Having your classroom be the only safe place for some students * Feeding a hungry child * Having what you do matter * Surviving through your first year |
We have all been there and experienced all that. Just remember, it won't always be bad and it won't always be good. You are not alone and you are making an amazing difference in your students lives (even if they seem to be little jerks who look like they are not listening and don't care. They ARE listening, the DO care, and they WILL remember you if you keep trying.)
Please try to take a day for yourself every week.
Do NOT try to finish everything people want you to do.
Do NOT think just because it is bad, you need to get out now.
ASK for help.
You are NOT doing everything wrong.
Relax, no one has died from their first year. You WILL survive it and become better at it.
Please try to take a day for yourself every week.
Do NOT try to finish everything people want you to do.
Do NOT think just because it is bad, you need to get out now.
ASK for help.
You are NOT doing everything wrong.
Relax, no one has died from their first year. You WILL survive it and become better at it.
New Teacher Survival Guide - Click HERE
Essential Questions
Video Resources
Video Resources
9 New Teacher Survival Tips - Click HERE
This blog post is broken up into 9 topics — feel free to skip around with abandon!
1. Admit You’re New
2. Work Smarter, Not Harder
3. Don’t Count: Classroom Management
4. Pace Your Decorate
5. Practice Positivity & Passion
6. Fierce & Future Ready
7. Just Say Hello
8. One Thing
9. Respect Your IRL
1. Admit You’re New
2. Work Smarter, Not Harder
3. Don’t Count: Classroom Management
4. Pace Your Decorate
5. Practice Positivity & Passion
6. Fierce & Future Ready
7. Just Say Hello
8. One Thing
9. Respect Your IRL
Recommendations collected from #TeacherProblems group on Facebook
Think before you start on how you want them to do EVERYTHING and teach it to them, make them re-do it correctly, and demand it
IT will be a long first two weeks (or months or even a year) but it will be worth it later.
Be consistent!!!! Be consistent!!! Be consistent!!! You are the teacher NOT THEIR FRIEND! THAT COMES LATER! ;) Please whatever you do..... Reach out to your special needs kids! Actually read their IEP and then address their needs! If you provide accommodation and modifications to them you will reach all kids! Think about a ramp for a wheelchair or automatic open doors! How many times do you use them even though you aren't "handicapped" ;)
Build relationships. You can’t do it all and the classroom should be a Knowledge building community, not a you know everything and teach it to them. If anyone understands the next gen science standards, they know that it requires you to understand the practices. Spend your energy on the how your going to reach your kids and not On the fluff. That classroom is theirs, your just facilitating the learning.
Best advice I got my first year: Make it work, then make it “pretty”. Figure out what works for you and your students, lots of trial and error, then reflect & improve after.
Have a personal “big idea” goal for your students. And don’t get caught up in the negative nay-sayers. Come in with positive energy and keep it there! Sixth grade is a finicky bunch but they’ll truly surprise and amaze you every day if you expect greatness from them.
Last, learn to say No- to the kids, to colleagues, to yourself. Your first year is a lot to take in, you’ll wanna jump into everything and anything. Set boundaries for yourself so you don’t get burnt out.
And ALWAYS HAVE FUN! If you’re having fun and enjoying what you’re doing, the students will too 🙌
Congrats & best of luck! You’re never alone, whatever you experience, someone else has/is too, so be sure to reach out 😎👍
I’ve taught 6th for 20 years. They are still babies but need to be cajoled to let their silly kid side show. Be consistent, don’t cave, use humor and get to know them on a personal level. Going to their games, concerts, competitions after hours makes a huge impression on even the toughest kids.
Make contact with all parents the first few weeks of school sharing positives also goes miles. Also, have a buddy teacher where you can send students who continually push the envelope.
First of all get your class management/expectations together. You will need a routine for everything. You will have to repeat and reteach them often. Hopefully you can connect with an experienced mentor teacher. You can’t teach them if they can’t sit still and be quiet long enough to process the information. Don’t worry too much about decorations unless your building requires a theme. Keep it simple. I settled on black background with a colorful border. One board is a word wall, the other either has student work or pictures of students doing labs. The 5E model works really well with science. I don’t know where you are but Dr. Bailer, science_class.net and sciencespot.net have excellent free resources. I also like Kessler, and The Science Duo on TPT. BrainPop and Bill Nye are excellent digital resources to show in class. Congratulations and good luck. First year is hardest but 6th grade is a good age and the second year is better. Don’t make the mistake of staying super late every night- accept good enough, students won’t know the difference. Don’t grade every question or every assignment.
Congratulations!!! Don’t waiver on your procedures, rules, and expectations!! Be consistent! Structure and a routine is helpful!! Most of all be flexible and have fun!! You got this!!
IT will be a long first two weeks (or months or even a year) but it will be worth it later.
Be consistent!!!! Be consistent!!! Be consistent!!! You are the teacher NOT THEIR FRIEND! THAT COMES LATER! ;) Please whatever you do..... Reach out to your special needs kids! Actually read their IEP and then address their needs! If you provide accommodation and modifications to them you will reach all kids! Think about a ramp for a wheelchair or automatic open doors! How many times do you use them even though you aren't "handicapped" ;)
Build relationships. You can’t do it all and the classroom should be a Knowledge building community, not a you know everything and teach it to them. If anyone understands the next gen science standards, they know that it requires you to understand the practices. Spend your energy on the how your going to reach your kids and not On the fluff. That classroom is theirs, your just facilitating the learning.
Best advice I got my first year: Make it work, then make it “pretty”. Figure out what works for you and your students, lots of trial and error, then reflect & improve after.
Have a personal “big idea” goal for your students. And don’t get caught up in the negative nay-sayers. Come in with positive energy and keep it there! Sixth grade is a finicky bunch but they’ll truly surprise and amaze you every day if you expect greatness from them.
Last, learn to say No- to the kids, to colleagues, to yourself. Your first year is a lot to take in, you’ll wanna jump into everything and anything. Set boundaries for yourself so you don’t get burnt out.
And ALWAYS HAVE FUN! If you’re having fun and enjoying what you’re doing, the students will too 🙌
Congrats & best of luck! You’re never alone, whatever you experience, someone else has/is too, so be sure to reach out 😎👍
I’ve taught 6th for 20 years. They are still babies but need to be cajoled to let their silly kid side show. Be consistent, don’t cave, use humor and get to know them on a personal level. Going to their games, concerts, competitions after hours makes a huge impression on even the toughest kids.
Make contact with all parents the first few weeks of school sharing positives also goes miles. Also, have a buddy teacher where you can send students who continually push the envelope.
First of all get your class management/expectations together. You will need a routine for everything. You will have to repeat and reteach them often. Hopefully you can connect with an experienced mentor teacher. You can’t teach them if they can’t sit still and be quiet long enough to process the information. Don’t worry too much about decorations unless your building requires a theme. Keep it simple. I settled on black background with a colorful border. One board is a word wall, the other either has student work or pictures of students doing labs. The 5E model works really well with science. I don’t know where you are but Dr. Bailer, science_class.net and sciencespot.net have excellent free resources. I also like Kessler, and The Science Duo on TPT. BrainPop and Bill Nye are excellent digital resources to show in class. Congratulations and good luck. First year is hardest but 6th grade is a good age and the second year is better. Don’t make the mistake of staying super late every night- accept good enough, students won’t know the difference. Don’t grade every question or every assignment.
Congratulations!!! Don’t waiver on your procedures, rules, and expectations!! Be consistent! Structure and a routine is helpful!! Most of all be flexible and have fun!! You got this!!