Welcome to Columbus Day weekend, the first respite for teachers a little over one month into the school year. As a first year teacher in a substantially separate special education program I have already learned so much, discovered how little I was prepared for, and have set my sights on achieving so much by the time my students leave for the Thanksgiving break in 2 months. Reaching this first milestone seemed like a good time to re-ignite the reflective nature of this blog and post about what I've learned that they DIDN'T tell me about in college.
1. Young does not equal inexperienced: As a new teacher you have to ask questions, get advice from more experienced teachers, but also be confident that what you know is useful, you didn't spend 4+ years in college studying this stuff for nothing. Take the skills and run with them!
2. Ask lots of questions, but not too many: Don't be afraid to ask questions of administrators, veteran teachers, other new teachers, secretaries (keepers of all knowledge), etc. Try, however, to find answers on your own first, and when asking questions, don't always go to the same person for an answer, there are plenty of people to build relationships with, ask them all.
3. Contact parents early and often: This is more applicable in the special education setting, however, it can be done in various ways in a general education setting. Sending home weekly emails about student progress, both positive and negative shows parents that you care, that you have their child's best interest in mind, which goes a long way when issues arise. Parents can be your best advocate or your biggest critic, make sure they bat on your team.
4. Eat lunch with your colleagues: The social environment in a school provides great opportunities for teachers to let go, relax, and re-energize. Nothing is better than lunch. Perfect mid-day vent sessions, counseling sessions, advice giving sessions. Eat lunch with a group of like-minded teachers to keep you going throughout the day / week / year
5. Laugh with your students: Building a rapport with your students is a must! Sure there's more to teach than there's time for, and some students are so behind you're not sure they'll every catch up. And there's the students with behavior issues. But if you spend a little time each day getting to know them, making them laugh, it goes a long way to creating a positive learning environment. (not to mention eliminating the majority of behavior problems!)
-MB
