Throwback Thursday: Advice for New Teachers

In honor of school starting in the near future (summer has flown by!), I am throwing it back to a post I did last year on advice for new teachers. I am by no means a pro, but in the past 4 years I've definitely learned a thing or 2 (or 3 or 4). Enjoy!

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Buy: in moderation. It's really easy to buy all that cute stuff at Target and Mardel and the Dollar Tree and Big Lots and Hobby Lobby and Michael's  (it could go on and on!), but you have to really think about your purchases at first because it can really add up! The best thing I ever bought though, was my personal laminator. Our school's laminator can only be used by a certain volunteer and items have to be approved first. So, it's nice to have one in your room for those little last minute things.

 

Always: ask for help when you need it. If you are feeling bogged down or stressed out by certain tasks, ask for help from those who can help you. A teammate, a counselor, your team leader, a parent in your class, workroom volunteers, and even your own family or friends. The saying "it takes a village" is NOT an exaggeration. Don't be ashamed or too proud to ask for help when you need it.

 

Never: gossip. Don't gossip to your students' parents, don't gossip to your co-workers, don't gossip to your students. I absolutely know I can trust my team with anything I have to say, but that doesn't mean they want to hear gossip. Save your venting for someone outside of your school like your spouse or your mom or your best friend.

 

Find: a seasoned teacher. Find a seasoned teacher to watch, talk to, listen to, ask questions.... even copy! When I first started, I got hired in the middle of the year and got 5 kiddos from each class. I basically just copied what my teammate did until I could figure out what worked for me. It saved me from making a lot of unnecessary mistakes. (Although not all mistakes are bad!)

 

Make: sure you know your standards. Whether Common Core or TEKS or whatever... have them handy and make sure you know what your state and your district standards are. It is never good to realize you should have been teaching something 5 weeks ago but haven't started yet (been there!).

 

Be: YOURSELF! You got your job because of you. Your colleagues, students, and parents will all love you as long as you are true to yourself.

 

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A year later, I still think that these things are important... I might add a few, but maybe I'll save that for another post ;)

 

Until next time, my bloggy friends! I'm off to continue enjoying my summer, and I hope you are doing the same!