Rambling about Me: Teaching for Newbies
I realized I never got to rambling about tips for new teachers in my last post for ash48! Sorry, love. (Want to give me a topic to ramble about?)
1. Don't try to be perfect. You can't do it all and don't try to! Don't compare yourself to teachers that SEEM perfect. Be yourself and do things that work for you and your classroom
2. Be confident, even if things aren't going your way. Teachers have a tendency to think on their feet, but be confident in what you're doing.
3. Get to know the staff - the ones to avoid (those negative Nancy's are usually hanging out at the back of staff meetings or in the teachers lounge, play nice but don't listen!) and the ones to hang out with (the ones that are happy about being there and are proactive)
4. Focus on the KIDS. Does what you're doing work for THEM? The coolest sounding lesson may fall flat because it doesn't work for the students. The amount of testing etc you think you have to do? Find a way to work around it a little so you don't overwhelm them. Do you REALLY need to do that hw assignment? Think about helping them learn.
5. YouTube is your friend - from content to engagement strategies to raps about your subject
6. Listen to teachers around you - just because you're new doesn't mean you know it all
7. Build relationships with parents and actually listen to them. You have their babies and they're protective. Admit it if you're wrong and always work WITH them to come up with solutions
8. Be proactive whenever you can - especially after you've been evaluated. Work on what they critiqued you on.
9. Overplan. Seriously. And actually spend TIME doing it - not bs plans. Do NOT wing it. I'm still struggling with this.
10. Stay organized. Always. Have a place for everything and make sure your students know it. The more you have routines, the more your class will run like a well oiled machine.
11 and probably most important. ENJOY your kids. Build relationships with them. Learn at LEAST 2 things about each one and talk to them. Pick 4-5 a day and pay extra attention to them so you can get them all that week. Take what they're interested in and build it in your lesson. Your job? It's about them. It's about getting them engaged and learning. Your class might be the only safe place they've got. OR you might be the only adult that listens. YOU want to be the teacher they remember with fondness.
:) Hope that helps, Ash!
1. Don't try to be perfect. You can't do it all and don't try to! Don't compare yourself to teachers that SEEM perfect. Be yourself and do things that work for you and your classroom
2. Be confident, even if things aren't going your way. Teachers have a tendency to think on their feet, but be confident in what you're doing.
3. Get to know the staff - the ones to avoid (those negative Nancy's are usually hanging out at the back of staff meetings or in the teachers lounge, play nice but don't listen!) and the ones to hang out with (the ones that are happy about being there and are proactive)
4. Focus on the KIDS. Does what you're doing work for THEM? The coolest sounding lesson may fall flat because it doesn't work for the students. The amount of testing etc you think you have to do? Find a way to work around it a little so you don't overwhelm them. Do you REALLY need to do that hw assignment? Think about helping them learn.
5. YouTube is your friend - from content to engagement strategies to raps about your subject
6. Listen to teachers around you - just because you're new doesn't mean you know it all
7. Build relationships with parents and actually listen to them. You have their babies and they're protective. Admit it if you're wrong and always work WITH them to come up with solutions
8. Be proactive whenever you can - especially after you've been evaluated. Work on what they critiqued you on.
9. Overplan. Seriously. And actually spend TIME doing it - not bs plans. Do NOT wing it. I'm still struggling with this.
10. Stay organized. Always. Have a place for everything and make sure your students know it. The more you have routines, the more your class will run like a well oiled machine.
11 and probably most important. ENJOY your kids. Build relationships with them. Learn at LEAST 2 things about each one and talk to them. Pick 4-5 a day and pay extra attention to them so you can get them all that week. Take what they're interested in and build it in your lesson. Your job? It's about them. It's about getting them engaged and learning. Your class might be the only safe place they've got. OR you might be the only adult that listens. YOU want to be the teacher they remember with fondness.
:) Hope that helps, Ash!