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Thursday, June 23, 2022

Advice for New Teachers

Saw a tweet the other day asking if you could back to your 1st year self and give them advice-what would you say? That really made me think. I've been teaching for 20 years now so that newbie teacher feels like it was a lifetime ago. I can remember just trying to fake it when I really didn't know what I was doing. My "mentor" teachers mocked my interest in using what was then "new" techonology-a projector you could plug into your computer. In Kinder we gave a standardized test in December and it was never once mentioned to me by them even though they did practice test with their kids filling in bubbles every day. My principal was very nice, but she never came out of her office so if I had a question, I had to tentatively knock on that closed door fearing that I was bothering her.

So what have I learned over the years.

1) I think the hardest lesson for me was that you cannot please everyone. There will always be parents and colleagues who will complain about you. I read this recently and it really stuck with me:


2) There are also going to be students that you cannot reach. No matter how hard you try. No matter how many "build a relationship" strategies you use. Some students will be shut down. They won't be receptive to your learning style or may just plain not like you. You have to come to terms with that.

3) Differentiation is soooo important. I found a class picture from my first year cleaning out my garage and a printout of grades. Two students had been labeled LEP. I don't even think I knew what that meant back then. I certainly don't remember doing anything differently for them.

4) You will get a lot of advice when it comes to classroom management. My best advice comes from the movie Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze. In the movie he is a bouncer and is telling other bouncers that they have to "be nice". You ask nicely. You ask nicely again. Until it's time to "not be so nice". My students can tell by my tone when I am serious. I believe wholeheartedly in SEL and in creating relationships. But there is a time when you have to "not be so nice". There have to be consequences that are enforced. I am actually known to be a bit of a battleaxe to everyone except my students. :) Kids at dismissal fear me because they know I will stop them and ask where they are going. My students will tell you I am the nicest teacher in the world. There is a balance.

5) Ask for help. Asking for help is not a weakness. And any admin who views it as a weakness is not being an effective leader. Even with 20 years experience I reluctantly went to my admin this year and said my kids are just not making the growth they should be making-what do I do?  We all need help sometimes. Find someone on your campus that you can trust and whom you respect. Even if that's not your official mentor.

6) Take every opportunity you get to use the restroom. Seriously. If you are pulled out for an ARD and you are on your way back to class-use the restroom. You never know when you will have another opportunity. :) 

What would your advice to your 1st-year self be?










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