Even though I’m going into my 6th year of teaching, I’ve had my days of feeling like a new teacher. I’ve collected a bunch of tips for new teachers, or things I wish I’d known as a first year teacher during that time. Why have I felt like a brand new teacher so many times? Well, my first year I taught chemistry in a topsy-turvy school. The second year, we threw in physics (which I’m not certified to teach). Third was a new school. Fourth was pandemic/at home teaching and fifth was hybrid and my first AP course.
So every year came with something new for me to collect knowledge I wish I had as a first year teacher. So here are new teacher tips for you, because I want to help you with the awkward growing phase of teaching as much as possible.
Get the Pinterest and Instagram classroom off to do list.
Pinterest and Instagram are what magazines used to be. They are the very highly curated and edited highlights. I would argue that 99.99% of these classrooms don’t hold up and only look *this* good for a short time. One of the most important new teacher tips, don’t get sucked into making your classroom look like it came out of a catalog.
You need a solid syllabus. (Episode 57)
Setting expectations is important, and having a solid syllabus or classroom contract and make that happen. It allows not just the students, but also their families know what to expect this year. And it helps you to get organized and have some kind of system in place. I have a free syllabus template for you that includes around 50 questions for you to answer to get your policies set up. Learn more about the syllabus process in this podcast episode.
You teach humans.
This one took me too long to learn. I was so focused on delivering the content, I forgot to acknowledge the sweet angels sitting in front of me. It seems really easy, but it’s not. There’s a lot of pressure to do the job and do it well. My first year schedule didn’t help the situation, but it’s my fault. I let the stress get the best of me. I can’t turn this into one of the simple new teacher tips you were hoping for. You need to feel this one.
Be firm but fair.
While we are preparing kids for the “real world” school isn’t the real world. It’s a chance to learn. Sure, some of my students do need to learn the hard way, and they need to fail in order to learn to work hard. But I’d like to give them a chance to learn it the easy way first. Not every kid needs the same lessons to be ready for the “real world.” Recognize that, find what each specific kid needs, and do your best to get that to them. That’s how you’re fair. But don’t let this become a chance for the kids to take advantage of your kindness and walk all over you. Show them grace, but have them learn respect at the same time.
You need a lesson planning method. (Episode 50)
Once I got my lesson plans in order, I no longer felt the need to constantly working. I didn’t stay up all hours of the night planning lessons or creating worksheets. I actually was able to enjoy my free time. There is no pay raise that comes with the teacher grind. There’s no other job where people sacrifice their time and work for free (with no promise of a raise or promotion). So why are teachers doing it? Try out my All Star Planning Method to see if it works for you (I’d bet it will).
Call parents before you need to.
Nobody like to get the call that their kid was being a knucklehead in your class. Especially when that’s the first time you’re calling. You don’t necessarily have to call – send notes home to parents, send emails and postcards. Make sure these aren’t all “blasts” and they are instead individualized. When families know that you truly care about the kids in your room, they are much more willing to hear about the trouble their kid is getting into. Plus, they know that this call is coming from a place of love or concern, not frustration. Another one of the really big new teacher tips: call early and often.
Set boundaries, say no, leave on time.
First year teachers especially do not need any more on their plates. When you are asked to take on some additional responsibilities that you don’t have to – don’t do it. Set a timer at the end of the school day and make sure you aren’t stay more than just a few minutes at the end of the day. It’s important to get out of your classroom. Leaving on time is actually what you’re supposed to do. Anything after the bell is working for free – don’t do that. You wouldn’t take any other job that asked you to stay late after your shift had ended. What’s different about teaching? (Answer: nothing. Nothing is different. You get paid for your time.)
Never ever yell at kids.
A silly new teacher tip: when you want to yell, whisper. When you need to, step in the hall and take a deep breath. Yelling at kids is NEVER the right answer. That’s somebody else’s kid, and it just makes for a miserable day and school year. If not for you, then certainly for the kid.
Delegate to the kids. (Episode 27)
Get your students working. Your classroom is as much yours as it is theirs. Allow them to decorate. Have them grade their own papers. Have them grade each other’s papers. Let them collect and hand out papers. They can learn responsibility and team work alongside your content.
Take notes alongside kids. (Lesson Reflection Episode 16)
New teacher tips for saving time on lesson plans: take time for lesson reflection. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but my favorite is the fact that I can take notes about what went well in my lesson and I should continue doing. And also I can take note of what was horrible and I should never do again. And lastly, I can take note of things that went okay, and brainstorm ways to improve.
Teaching should be fun.
If it’s not, there’s something wrong. There could be any number of things going wrong. Maybe it’s the school, the community, your classes, your time management, your hours, your workload… The list goes on and on. But IT IS FIXABLE. This job is supposed to be fun. Take a hard look at yourself, your day and your week to figure out what really is making this not fun, and choose to change it.
