New Teacher Tips For Success
Woohoo!
You’re finally a teacher…now what…? We’ve all been there and sometimes we still feel like that.
I’m not brand new, but I’m not 20 years in either, so I still have moments of needing to remind myself to take a step back.
I can tell you that my teacher education program did not nearly prepare me enough. I know how to write a detailed lesson plan but that didn’t help me the first time a student vomited or I had a difficult parent! And guess what…I haven’t written a single formal lesson plan like that since my teacher training.
Be flexible & listen to your students
This was so hard at the beginning, and I still find it challenging. I think it came from that intense lesson planning during my practicum. My host teacher always said “ let go of the lesson plan!”. You know what’s better than pushing through a lesson or activity that just isn’t working? Stopping and changing activities, going outside to run or play for a few minutes, taking a movement or brain break or going off on a tangent because a teachable moment happened. There have been many times that I went off topic for 20 minutes because a student asked me about something and I decided to roll with it. That created thoughtful, authentic discussion that I didn’t have to work to create.
By the way, it’s a good idea to have some filler or back up activities in your back pocket for these moments. They’re also handy when it’s not quite time to go down for the assembly yet!
Get organized
Organization is not everyone’s strong suit and I get that 100% but you can’t afford not to be organized in some capacity. I promise it’ll save you hours of headache.
Whether it’s physical organization or organization in your planning, taking the time to sort it out in the moment.
Need some tips for organization? Check out my tips for classroom organization
Build your own relationships
First, let me be clear, you will not connect with every student and that’s OKAY! Of course you will treat them with respect and kindness just as you would with every student but you won’t be their best buddy. You’re not there to be their pal, that’s what their peers are for, you’re there to be their teacher. I believe it’s important to build a relationship with each student because a student who feels welcome, wanted and safe will be a better student and will be more likely to succeed. You can’t learn very well when you don’t want to be there. Spend time getting to know them, what they like, what they don’t like, who’s in their family…etc. Sometimes it only takes a small comment about their baseball practice to turn a bad mood around. This also helps you tailor your lessons and experiences to suit the interests of your students.
The other thing is you don’t need to be their best friend to get kids to like you. I am not a cuddly, warm fuzzy type teacher. Don’t get me wrong, I love my students but I’m also an adult and have expectations but you bet your boots I have students who keep coming back to my class year after year to say hi and chat because we developed a relationship.
It’s important to give your students time to warm up to you. You’re a new person who they have to spend a lot of time with. Chances are you’re probably different than their previous teacher and you do things differently. No one loves change and it takes time to get used to something new, especially when there are expectations attached to it. Relationships take time, so allow that time for you and your students.
As colleagues we talk all the time about our students and it’s very easy to get an idea of a student in your head before you teach them. While it’s often helpful to have some background information, this can also cause you to judge them based on someone else’s opinion. I’ve had experiences where a student who I had a challenging relationship with turned out to be a totally different kid in his next year’s class. He clicked with that teacher and he didn’t for me. I’ve also had it the other way where I adored a student and thought they were just fabulous and their next teacher didn’t connect with them in the same way. You aren’t liked by everyone and you don’t necessarily like everyone either, kids are the same way.
Communicate with parents
I am probably an over-communicator with parents but I’d rather be that than someone who doesn’t share enough. My thought is, I told you about X, so if you didn’t read it, it’s not my problem.
Many teachers at my school use apps like Seesaw or Class Dojo. I like these because I can send quick reminders without it being an email that gets lost in their inbox. Simple things like “Hot lunch orders due tomorrow” or “We are going to the garden tomorrow, wear boots.” When I need to communicate about something more “serious” or official and it’s not in person, I use email so that I can include admin or my support teachers and have a record of our communication. For the quick messages, I like that parents can send me “Clara has to leave at 1:30 on Thursday for a dentist appointment” or “The money for hot lunch is in the agenda” and I can just reply “thanks” in a very informal way.
I like to post a calendar with important dates at the beginning of each month. I used to send paper copies but that seemed wasteful so I give them a digital copy and if they would prefer to print it for their fridge, that’s up to them.
In the past I’ve done a monthly newsletter but found I spent more time on it than it was worth for me, but I know lots of people who do. When I taught K I sent a weekly email to give a heads up about important reminders, messages etc.
So, however you choose to communicate, find what works for you!
Ask questions
I am terrible at asking for help! I always have been. I think it comes down to not wanting people to know that I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve learned that you just have to go for it and ask, even if it seems obvious. Clearly it’s not if you’re not sure.
I didn’t even know we had a cupboard in the office with teacher use pens, whiteboard markers, post-it notes etc. for nearly a year. Did I ask? Nope! Where’s the art room? How do I tell someone we need more green paper? Can we use PE equipment outside the gym? How do parents pay for their fees?
These are especially important when you are at a new school or a new grade, not just as a first year teacher. Even though it wasn’t my first year as a teacher, I had no idea how to do a running record when I moved to 2/3. Someone helped me because I asked her.
I’m still terrible at asking for help, but I’ve gotten better so find someone you feel comfortable with and ask them!
Establish clear routines and expectations
& follow through on consequences
In addition to spending time at the beginning of the year to develop relationships, spend time establishing your routines and procedures as well as your expectations. It is much harder to go back and try to put down an expectation mid year so you’re best to start off on the right foot. Be clear about your consequences and follow through. An empty threat doesn’t get you very far because kids are smart and will realize you won’t actually follow through. Only give consequences that you’re prepared to give and if it’s required, do it. Don’t get me wrong, this is a challenge and it can be difficult if you have a student who doesn’t have many expectations or consequences at home. Stay firm and follow through. It’s tough but hopefully it helps avoid the behaviour in the future.
Choose your attention grabbers & signals
There are about a million attention grabber ideas out there so you have to find ones that work for you. You have call-response, bells, actions, chimes, door bells…the list goes on!
I like to have different signals for different things. I have 2 bells and 2 chimes along with a few oral cues.
Noises:
I have a tiny bell that means clean up. My big bell is used outside instead of a whistle. It’s so big and has a very distinct sound so my students know exactly who is ringing that bell. I have a desk meditation chime that means bring the volume down and I have a wind chime that signals it’s time to stop silent reading.
*You can see the small gold bell and the chime on my desk in the photo
Oral cues:
Mains sur la tête/On s’arrête
Pause
Statue
Coooweee! (Repeated by students, then silence. The inflection is brought up at the end). This was one that was used at an outdoor summer camp I worked at. They’d used it when we’d play games in the forest. I am the only one that says this funny thing so just like my big outside bell that’s very unique to me, my students know it’s me saying it. It’s also not a word and doesn’t sound like anything so it can be heard in a crowd.
Don’t try to do it all this second & give yourself a break
I am such a list person. I also prefer physical lists because who doesn’t love crossing something off. As teachers we have never ending to-do lists and just as you knock off a few items, more show up! I’m also a person who gets a big idea and has to do it RIGHT NOW! Hello, have you seen when I tell you about a new product or project at school and then I must get it done instantly? We’re also surrounded by Instagram and Pinterest and Facebook groups that tell us to try new things and we see pretty shiny classroom photos that we want to copy. Let’s remember that these are highlight reels and everyone’s classroom has jam on the floor at some point and pencils in the bookshelf and papers thrown about. Even that new idea, does it have to happen today? Nope. Do I want to maybe look at giving it a go in the next few weeks when I’m not writing report cards? Definitely!
Repeat after me: I do not need to do it all.
All in all, try breaking up your tasks:
Choose one or two things to accomplish off your list before you go home, not all of them
Select a planning day, or a copy day or have a marking routine so that you can be as efficient as possible
Ask parents for help. Even if they can’t come into the classroom, have them help staple, cut, glue…at home
Leave each day with a clear desk (not the easiest for some people but I find that this really helps me start my next day off fresh)
Focus on what needs to get done vs what you want to get done.
I NEED to fill out the form for the office. I WANT to change the border on my bulletin board.
I NEED to prep my math activity for tomorrow. I WANT to organize that cupboard.
Lean on your colleagues!
Say no (more below…)
Give yourself a break! You are just a human being and you are not a superhero so don’t try to be one. You will fail, make mistakes, say something wrong, disappoint someone, have a lapse in judgement and mess up in more ways than one. I know it’s so much easier said than done and I must work on taking my own advice too.
Establish some boundaries, say no and take care of yourself
Ah boundaries, aren’t they fun! They’re hard, okay. Teachers are often people pleasers and we want to do everything all the time. We’re also asked to do so much beyond teaching by our colleagues, parents and admin. This is another one of those “easier said than done” things but saying no will probably help your sanity. Say no to working at home. Say no to coaching basketball. Say no to planning the Remembrance Day assembly. Saying no doesn’t make you a bad person and I would guess that if you say no to one thing, you probably said yes to four so you’re definitely serving your community already.
I talked earlier about parent communication and while I’m all about it, I have “off” times. I know people say not to have your work email on your phone but I do, because during the day I may need it. You could turn off notifications though so you only look when you open the app. On Class Dojo (the app I use), I set quiet hours from 5:00pm-7:30am and nothing on weekends so that parents can send me messages but I am not notified during these hours at all.
I very rarely do school work at home. I would rather stay at work a little later and get it done than bring it home. I know this is not a reality for some people, especially if you have kids or other commitments but maybe you say no school work after 7:00 or no school work on Sundays. Find a balance that works for your lifestyle.
Have a goal of when you want to leave the building, and try to stick to it. In my first few years I was TERRIBLE and would stay so late. In September that still tends to be the case because we just have so much to do to start the year, but after that, my goal is 4:00 which gives me an hour and a half after school to get my stuff done. If you’re new or new to a grade, you’ll probably end up working more because there’s just that much more to do and figure out, but having a goal is at least a place to start.
Self-care is a pretty trendy word these days. What it actually means is so different for everyone. It doesn’t necessarily mean you take bubble baths every night. Maybe it does, but maybe it means going to workout, playing a sport, watching a show, cooking homemade dinner, going for a hike or having a glass of wine (gasp!). Make sure to make time for you and what’s important. A burnt out teacher is no good to anyone, so let’s try to avoid that as best we can. It’s also important to note that self-care isn’t a professional workshop, one yoga class or a one time pedicure, it should be consistent and regular. Change it up what it looks like too! Being a teacher isn’t your entire personality or life, so remember you still have YOU!