Lessons from My First Year (New Teacher's Column)

Tossing  and turning,  staring at  the  ceiling,  and worrying. What if the students don’t like me? What I am too mean? Or worse, what if I’m too nice? The night  before my first  day of  teaching I was nervous! I was also extremely excited! I was going to be living  my dream: teaching my own students, working in a  fantastic school as part of an already wonderful staff.

Since that long, sleepless night in September, I have learned some very valuable lessons, some from  more  experienced   teachers,  and  some  I learned the old-fashioned  hard way. Here they are.

1. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Your colleagues are more than willing to help you prepare anything you might need.  Talk to a  teacher who has taught your grade before; chances are they will have some resources for you to copy.
2. Parents are not scary and neither are parent-teacher  conferences.  Most parents just want to ensure their child is  happy – learning is an added bonus. Don’t be afraid to communicate with a parent. Chances are this isn’t the first  time they are hearing what you have to tell them.
3. Use your prep time wisely. Resist the temptation to use it   answering your e-mail. Take all the time you have to  make sure you are prepared for the periods ahead.
4. Team teaching is amazing! If  you have the opportunity to collaborate with a grade partner or another member  on staff TAKE IT! You will learn a lot about your own teaching style and will observe new strategies that you can  incorporate into your own programming.
5. Have a life outside of school. It may seem impossible at first,  but it’s necessary.  Take at least one night a week off to relax and unwind. You will be better able  to interact with your students when you are feeling refreshed and calm.
6. Learn to say “No!” For a new teacher this is difficult and most important. You feel the need to please everyone.  Need someone to attend a workshop? to coach soccer? to run chess club? You blink and  suddenly you are at school early, giving up your recesses, AND staying after school. You need to pace yourself. Take on  too much and everyone loses out! Your attention will be scattered and you will be two steps away from burnout.  Exercise your right to sometimes say “No, thank you.” A good idea is to look at the activities offered at your school,  and focus your energy on one activity per term.
7. You are never alone! You have a full support system made up of teachers and administrators  who want you to  succeed and grow as an individual, and as a teacher.

These days, I look forward  to going to sleep at night – not just because I’m exhausted  – but because I know that in  the morning I am going to  wake up,  feeling  refreshed, and  excited  to start my day.

In  the classroom, no two days are ever the same, and you will have many stories to tell of your students’ daily  adventures  and triumphs. I truly feel that I have the best job in the world. How many people truly look forward  to  going  to work every day? How lucky is that!